What is the meaning of Jeremiah 21:6? I will strike down the residents of this city Jeremiah records the LORD Himself declaring judgment on Jerusalem. The phrase “I will strike down” tells us: •The action is personal—God is not delegating; He is directly intervening, as in Exodus 12:12 where He says, “I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn”. •This is a righteous response to sustained rebellion. Jeremiah has already warned the city in 19:3–4 that calamity would come because “they have forsaken Me.” •Divine strikes are never random; they are covenantal. Leviticus 26:14–17 promised that if Israel disobeyed, the LORD would “set His face against” them. That covenant backdrop explains why this judgment now falls. both man and beast The scope is total. Nothing living inside the walls escapes: •Total loss mirrors earlier national judgments—consider Exodus 9:6 where “all the livestock of Egypt died”. •The inclusion of animals intensifies the seriousness; creation itself groans under human sin (Romans 8:20–22). •God’s comprehensive judgment underscores how deeply sin has penetrated society; compare Jonah 3:7–8 where even animals participate in repentance when mercy is offered. They will die in a terrible plague The specific instrument here is disease: •Plague fulfills the trio of “sword, famine, and pestilence” repeatedly cited by Jeremiah (14:12; 21:9; 24:10). •2 Samuel 24:15 shows another instance where the LORD sent a plague because of national sin, reinforcing that God can use disease with surgical precision. •The “terrible” aspect conveys swiftness and severity—similar language appears in Deuteronomy 28:58–61 describing “extraordinary plagues” reserved for covenant breakers. •While devastating, plague can become a catalyst for repentance; see Numbers 16:46–48 where Aaron’s atonement stopped the outbreak. summary Jeremiah 21:6 presents God’s direct, righteous, and comprehensive judgment on Jerusalem through a lethal plague affecting every living being within the city. The verse stands on the covenant foundation that persistent rebellion invites divine discipline. Man and beast alike suffer, underscoring the breadth of sin’s consequences. Yet, as other passages reveal, even severe judgment is aimed at awakening repentance and restoring a wayward people to covenant faithfulness. |
    |