Lexical Summary qayah: Kite Original Word: קָיָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance spue A primitive root; to vomit -- spue. Topical Lexicon Biblical Setting Jeremiah 25 records the prophet’s dramatic vision of a cup filled with the wrath of the LORD that the nations must drink. When Jeremiah delivers the oracle, he is told, “Drink, get drunk, vomit, fall down, and rise no more because of the sword I am sending among you” (Jeremiah 25:27). The single occurrence of קָיָה functions as a vivid command from God, portraying a physical reaction that pictures the inevitable and violent expulsion of sin-laden nations under divine judgment. Imagery and Literary Force 1. Drunkenness depicts spiritual stupor; vomiting underscores the body’s rejection of what poisons it. Together they create a sequence: imbibing guilt, staggering in confusion, disgorging in shame, and finally collapsing in defeat. Canonical Connections Although קָיָה appears only here, the motif of vomit recurs: These parallels show a consistent biblical pattern: vomit symbolizes the rejection of impurity, whether by God or by the sinner forced to confront his own excesses. Historical Perspective Jeremiah spoke during the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, as Babylon rose to supremacy. The cup-of-wrath imagery mirrors Near Eastern practices in which a conquering king forced vassals to drink a ceremonial cup, binding them to submission. Here the LORD is the true sovereign; Nebuchadnezzar is merely the instrument (Jeremiah 25:9). The vomiting of the nations prophesies successive collapses—from Judah to Egypt, Philistia, Edom, Moab, and finally Babylon itself (Jeremiah 25:15-26). Theological Significance 1. Divine Justice: God’s wrath is not capricious; it is the measured response to unrepentant sin. The violent image underscores certainty, not cruelty. Ministry and Pastoral Implications • Preaching: קָיָה provides a graphic warning that helps awaken complacent hearers. Christological and Eschatological Reflections At Calvary, Jesus “drank the cup” of wrath in the place of sinners (Matthew 26:39; John 18:11). The nations will still face judgment if they refuse His atonement, but those in Christ find that the cup of wrath has become the cup of blessing (1 Corinthians 10:16). The final outpouring in Revelation 16 echoes Jeremiah 25, assuring that God’s justice will culminate in the Day of the LORD, yet mercy is presently offered through the gospel. Summary קָיָה, though occurring once, supplies a potent picture of God’s irresistible judgment and humanity’s helpless response when confronted with the consequences of sin. It urges personal and corporate repentance, magnifies the holiness of God, and indirectly points to the necessity of the redemptive work of Christ, who alone can remove the cup—and with it the shame and ruin symbolized by the violent act of vomiting. Forms and Transliterations וּקְי֔וּ וקיו ū·qə·yū ukeYu ūqəyūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 25:27 HEB: שְׁת֤וּ וְשִׁכְרוּ֙ וּקְי֔וּ וְנִפְל֖וּ וְלֹ֣א NAS: Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise KJV: ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, INT: Drink be drunk vomit fall no 1 Occurrence |
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