The Meaning of Jeremiah 25:29 Explained

Jeremiah 25:29

KJV: For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.

YLT: For lo, in the city over which My name is called, I am beginning to do evil, And ye -- ye are entirely acquitted! Ye are not acquitted, for a sword I am proclaiming, For all inhabitants of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.

Darby: For behold, I begin to bring evil on the city that is called by my name, and should ye be altogether unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished; for I call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith Jehovah of hosts.

ASV: For, lo, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name; and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished; for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith Jehovah of hosts.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For, lo, I begin  to bring evil  on the city  which is called  by my name,  and should ye be utterly  unpunished?  Ye shall not be unpunished:  for I will call  for a sword  upon all the inhabitants  of the earth,  saith  the LORD  of hosts. 

What does Jeremiah 25:29 Mean?

Study Notes

all the inhabitants
The scope of this great prophecy cannot be limited to the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar. If Jehovah does not spare His own city, should the Gentile nations imagine that there is no judgment for them? The prophecy leaps to the very end of this age. (See "Day of the Lord," Isaiah 2:10-22 ; Revelation 19:11-21 "Armageddon,"; Revelation 16:14 ; Revelation 19:11-21 .
I will call .
Day of the Lord (Day of Jehovah) vs.
Isaiah 2:10-22 ; Isaiah 4:1-6 ; Isaiah 11:10-13 ; Isaiah 13:9-16 ; Isaiah 24:21-23 ; Isaiah 26:20 ; Isaiah 26:21 ; Isaiah 63:1-6 ; Isaiah 66:15-24 ; Jeremiah 25:29-33 ; Jeremiah 46:10 ; Ezekiel 30:3 ; Revelation 19:11-21

Verse Meaning

God"s work of judgment in Jerusalem was just the beginning of a larger scale judgment that would extend to all nations (cf. Amos 3:2; 1 Peter 4:17). Final fulfillment awaits the return of Jesus Christ when He will destroy all nations that oppose Him ( Revelation 16:14-16).

Context Summary

Jeremiah 25:1-38 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 25

1  Jeremiah, reproving the Jews' disobedience to the prophets,
8  foretells the seventy years' captivity;
12  and after that, the destruction of Babylon
15  Under the type of a cup of wine he foreshows the destruction of all nations
34  The howling of the shepherds

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 25:29 mean?

For behold on the city which is called by My name upon I begin to bring calamity and you utterly should be unpunished not You shall be unpunished for a sword I will call for on all the inhabitants of the earth says Yahweh of hosts
כִּי֩ הִנֵּ֨ה בָעִ֜יר אֲשֶׁ֧ר נִֽקְרָא־ שְׁמִ֣י עָלֶ֗יהָ אָֽנֹכִי֙ מֵחֵ֣ל לְהָרַ֔ע וְאַתֶּ֖ם הִנָּקֵ֣ה ؟ תִנָּק֑וּ לֹ֣א ؟ תִנָּק֔וּ כִּ֣י חֶ֗רֶב אֲנִ֤י קֹרֵא֙ עַל־ כָּל־ יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ נְאֻ֖ם יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת

הִנֵּ֨ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
בָעִ֜יר  on  the  city 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
נִֽקְרָא־  is  called 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
שְׁמִ֣י  by  My  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
עָלֶ֗יהָ  upon 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מֵחֵ֣ל  begin 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
לְהָרַ֔ע  to  bring  calamity 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: מֵרֵעַ 
Sense: to be bad, be evil.
וְאַתֶּ֖ם  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine plural
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
הִנָּקֵ֣ה  utterly 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Infinitive absolute
Root: נָקָה  
Sense: to be empty, be clear, be pure, be free, be innocent, be desolate, be cut off.
؟ תִנָּק֑וּ  should  be  unpunished 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָקָה  
Sense: to be empty, be clear, be pure, be free, be innocent, be desolate, be cut off.
؟ תִנָּק֔וּ  You  shall  be  unpunished 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָקָה  
Sense: to be empty, be clear, be pure, be free, be innocent, be desolate, be cut off.
חֶ֗רֶב  a  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
קֹרֵא֙  will  call  for 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
יֹשְׁבֵ֣י  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נְאֻ֖ם  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָאֽוֹת  of  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.