What is the meaning of Jeremiah 32:36? Now therefore • The phrase signals a turning point, linking God’s coming words to everything He has already said in the chapter (Jeremiah 32:26–35). • Just as in Isaiah 1:18 (“Come now, let us reason together”), the Lord builds His case step by step, then moves to application. • Because the preceding verses spelled out Judah’s sin and the certainty of exile (Jeremiah 32:28–30), “now therefore” means God’s next statement is perfectly just and inevitable. about this city • “This city” refers to Jerusalem, presently under siege (Jeremiah 32:2). • Jeremiah is in the royal courtyard, prophesying while Babylonian battering rams pound the walls—a vivid reminder of 2 Kings 25:1–4. • Though bricks and gates seem invincible to the people, God speaks as Owner and Judge (Psalm 48:1–8). of which you say • The “you” points to king Zedekiah’s court and the populace echoing their gloomy assessment (Jeremiah 38:4). • Their words reveal despair rather than repentance, much like Israel’s complaint in Numbers 14:2. • What people say about their circumstances often contradicts what God intends to do; yet the Lord addresses them patiently (Malachi 3:13–18). It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon • This forecasts literal conquest by Nebuchadnezzar, fulfilling earlier warnings (Jeremiah 21:7; 25:9). • God’s sovereignty stands out: the city is “delivered,” not merely captured, paralleling Daniel 1:2 where “the Lord delivered Jehoiakim.” • The statement underscores that political events unfold at God’s command (Proverbs 21:1). by sword and famine and plague • These three judgments—war, starvation, disease—form a repeated triad in prophetic warnings (Jeremiah 14:12; Ezekiel 5:12). • Each element shows escalating severity: – Sword: external assault. – Famine: internal collapse. – Plague: uncontrollable devastation. • Deuteronomy 28:21–25 traced the same pattern for covenant disobedience, confirming that the curses Moses listed are now activated. this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says • The covenant Name (“the LORD”) and covenant title (“God of Israel”) assure that even in judgment He remains faithful (Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 31:35–37). • By re-introducing Himself, God prepares to announce the unexpected promise of restoration in verses 37–44, mirroring His “but God” interventions in Genesis 50:20 and Ephesians 2:4. • The authority behind the message guarantees it will happen exactly as spoken (Isaiah 55:11). summary Jeremiah 32:36 is the hinge between divine judgment and divine mercy. God affirms that Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon—by sword, famine, and plague—is certain because He Himself will hand the city over. Yet by restating His covenant Name, He signals that the same sovereignty bringing discipline will shortly bring restoration. The verse teaches that God’s word is literal, His justice inescapable, and His covenant faithfulness unbreakable. |
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