What is the meaning of Jeremiah 21:7? After that The phrase signals sequence. God has already pronounced calamities—plague, sword, and famine (Jeremiah 21:6). Only after these devastations does the next phase unfold. ▸ Similar patterns appear in Leviticus 26:18 – 26 and Ezekiel 14:21, where escalating judgments come one after another when people refuse to repent. declares the LORD This is Yahweh’s own declaration, underscoring certainty and divine authority. “The LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 1:2); His word never returns void (Isaiah 55:11). ▸ Every promise and warning in Scripture stands firm because the same God “cannot lie” (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2). I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah God Himself delivers the king to Babylon. Zedekiah’s fate was sealed because he rejected prophetic counsel (Jeremiah 37:17 – 19). ▸ Fulfillment is recorded in 2 Kings 25:4 – 7, where Zedekiah is captured, blinded, and taken to Babylon. ▸ Jeremiah 34:21 reiterates the handover as God’s doing, not mere political happenstance. his officers The royal officials who advised rebellion share the king’s judgment. ▸ Jeremiah 29:25 and 34:19 list princes and priests complicit in disobedience. ▸ Leadership carries accountability (Luke 12:48). and the people in this city who survive the plague and sword and famine Those who outlast one judgment are not exempt from the next. ▸ Jeremiah 24:10 promises “sword, famine, and plague” until consumption. ▸ Ezekiel 5:12 pictures a remnant scattered or slain, showing survival of one disaster does not guarantee safety without repentance. to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives God chooses Nebuchadnezzar as His instrument (Jeremiah 27:6; 43:10). ▸ Habakkuk 1:6 – 7 calls the Chaldeans “a ruthless and impetuous people” raised up by God. ▸ The enemy’s zeal “to seek their lives” highlights inexorable judgment. He will put them to the sword Nebuchadnezzar executes God’s sentence. ▸ Jeremiah 39:6 recounts the slaughter of nobles at Riblah. ▸ 2 Kings 25:18 – 21 reports priests and officials struck down. ▸ Lamentations 2:21 mourns “You have killed in the day of Your anger.” he will not spare them or show pity or compassion Threefold denial—no sparing, pity, or compassion—emphasizes total severity. ▸ Deuteronomy 28:50 predicts “a ruthless nation” showing no mercy. ▸ Isaiah 13:18 portrays Babylonian cruelty. ▸ Jeremiah 13:14 depicts God smashing His people “without pity.” Justice falls unmitigated when grace is spurned. summary Jeremiah 21:7 portrays the final stage of divine judgment on Jerusalem. After internal devastations, God hands King Zedekiah, his officials, and surviving citizens to Nebuchadnezzar. The Babylonian king becomes God’s instrument, executing many without mercy. The verse underscores: • God’s word is unbreakable. • Leadership and people alike bear responsibility for covenant rebellion. • Escaping one calamity does not cancel sin’s wages—only repentance does. • Divine justice, though patient, is ultimately thorough and uncompromising. |
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