What is the meaning of Jeremiah 5:18? Yet even in those days, • The phrase points to the coming season of severe discipline described in the previous verses (Jeremiah 5:15-17), when a “distant nation” would devour Judah’s harvest, children, and fortified cities. • God’s justice is real, and the judgment would not be postponed indefinitely (see 2 Kings 17:18-20; Jeremiah 25:8-11). • Even while warning of calamity, the Lord marks out a boundary for that calamity, showing that His purposes are corrective, not annihilative—like a parent who disciplines but does not disown (Proverbs 3:11-12; Hebrews 12:6). declares the LORD, • This is not Jeremiah’s opinion but the Creator’s settled verdict; the covenant-keeping God stamps His unchanging character on the promise (Jeremiah 1:8; Malachi 3:6). • The certainty of the declaration assures Judah that mercy is as firmly grounded in God’s nature as justice (Exodus 34:6-7; Isaiah 46:9-10). • Because the Lord Himself speaks, the coming remnant is guaranteed no matter how desperate circumstances appear (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 55:11). I will not make a full end of you. • “Full end” warns of what Judah deserved—total destruction—yet the Lord pledges to stop short of it, preserving a faithful remnant (Jeremiah 4:27; 30:11; 46:28). • This promise safeguards the unfolding plan of redemption that must flow through Israel to Messiah (Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 9:6-7; Micah 5:2). • History confirms the pledge: though Jerusalem fell and exile came, a remnant returned (Ezra 1:1-4; Nehemiah 1:8-9). • For believers today the verse showcases God’s covenant faithfulness: discipline may come, but His steadfast love never ceases (Lamentations 3:22-23; Romans 11:5). summary Jeremiah 5:18 balances righteous judgment with unbreakable mercy. Even at Judah’s lowest ebb, God sets a limit: exile, not extinction. His own word guarantees the survival of a remnant, preserving the line through which He will ultimately bless the world in Christ. The verse therefore calls every generation to take sin seriously while resting in the Lord’s steadfast commitment to fulfill His redemptive purposes. |
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