◄ Jeremiah 12:9 ►
Is not My inheritance to Me like a speckled bird of prey with other birds of prey circling against her? Go, gather all the beasts of the field; bring them to devour her.
Study Bible
Is not My inheritance
The term "inheritance" in Hebrew is "נַחֲלָה" (nachalah), which often refers to the land or people that God has chosen as His own. In the context of Jeremiah, this inheritance is the nation of Israel, whom God has set apart for His purposes. Historically, Israel was chosen to be a light to the nations, a people through whom God would reveal His character and plan for redemption. This phrase underscores the deep, covenantal relationship between God and Israel, highlighting the pain and disappointment God feels over their unfaithfulness.

to Me like a speckled bird of prey
The imagery of a "speckled bird of prey" is vivid and unusual. The Hebrew word for "speckled" is "צָבוּעַ" (tsavua), which can mean colored or variegated. This suggests something that stands out, perhaps due to its unique appearance. In the ancient Near East, birds of prey were often seen as symbols of destruction or judgment. Here, the speckled bird may symbolize Israel's distinctiveness among the nations, yet also its vulnerability and the attention it draws from adversaries due to its unfaithfulness.

with other birds of prey circling against her?
The "other birds of prey" represent the surrounding nations that are hostile to Israel. Historically, Israel was often besieged by neighboring powers, such as Assyria and Babylon. The image of these birds circling suggests impending danger and judgment. This phrase conveys the idea that Israel's unique position has made it a target for those who wish to exploit or destroy it, a consequence of their departure from God's protection through disobedience.

Go, gather all the beasts of the field
The "beasts of the field" symbolize the nations and peoples that God will use as instruments of judgment against Israel. In the ancient world, wild beasts were often associated with chaos and destruction. This command to "gather" them indicates a divine orchestration of events, where God allows these nations to come against Israel as a consequence of their covenant unfaithfulness. It reflects the biblical theme that God is sovereign over all nations and uses them to fulfill His purposes.

bring them to devour her
The word "devour" in Hebrew is "אָכַל" (akal), meaning to consume or destroy. This phrase is a stark depiction of the judgment that is to come upon Israel due to their persistent rebellion against God. It serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the inevitable consequences of turning away from God's covenant. Yet, within the broader biblical narrative, such judgment is not the end; it is often a precursor to repentance and restoration, highlighting God's desire for His people to return to Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
The prophet who conveyed God's messages to the people of Judah, often warning them of impending judgment due to their unfaithfulness.

2. God's Inheritance
Refers to the people of Israel, whom God chose as His own special possession, yet they have become unfaithful and rebellious.

3. Speckled Bird of Prey
A metaphor for Israel, indicating that they have become distinct and isolated due to their sins, attracting hostility from surrounding nations.

4. Other Birds of Prey
Symbolizes the surrounding nations that are hostile towards Israel, ready to attack and devour them.

5. Beasts of the Field
Represents the nations that God will use as instruments of judgment against Israel for their disobedience.
Teaching Points
God's Ownership and Care
Despite Israel's rebellion, they remain God's inheritance. This reminds us of God's enduring commitment to His people, even when they stray.

Consequences of Sin
Israel's distinctiveness as a "speckled bird" is due to their sin, leading to isolation and vulnerability. Sin can make us stand out in negative ways and attract negative consequences.

Divine Judgment
God uses nations as instruments of judgment. This serves as a warning that God is sovereign and will discipline His people to bring them back to righteousness.

Call to Repentance
The imagery of impending doom is a call for Israel to repent. We are reminded to examine our lives and turn back to God before facing consequences.

Community and Accountability
Israel's isolation due to sin highlights the importance of community and accountability in maintaining faithfulness to God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the metaphor of the "speckled bird of prey" help us understand Israel's situation in Jeremiah 12:9?

2. In what ways can sin cause us to become isolated or distinct in negative ways, similar to Israel's experience?

3. How does understanding God's ownership of His people as His "inheritance" impact our view of our relationship with Him?

4. What are some modern-day "birds of prey" or "beasts of the field" that might threaten our spiritual well-being, and how can we guard against them?

5. How can we foster a community of accountability to prevent spiritual isolation and encourage faithfulness to God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 32:9-12
Highlights Israel as God's chosen people, His inheritance, and His care for them, contrasting with their current state of rebellion.

Hosea 8:1-3
Describes Israel's unfaithfulness and the impending judgment, similar to the imagery of birds of prey circling.

Isaiah 56:9-12
Invites the beasts of the field to come and devour, symbolizing judgment upon Israel's leaders and people for their sins.
Sermons
A Speckled BirdJohn Trapp.Jeremiah 12:9
God's People as Speckled BirdsChas. Spurgeon.Jeremiah 12:9
The Speckled BirdS. Conway Jeremiah 12:9
The Inheritance that has Lost its CharmsD. Young Jeremiah 12:7-11
The Hiding of God's FaceS. Conway Jeremiah 12:7-13
People
Jeremiah
Places
Anathoth, Jerusalem, Jordan River
Topics
Animals, Assemble, Attack, Attacking, Beast, Beasts, Bird, Birds, Brightly, Bring, Coloured, Cruel, Destruction, Devour, Field, Fowl, Gather, Heritage, Inheritance, Prey, Round, Speckled, Surround, Wild
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 12:9

     4612   birds

Library
Calms and Crises
'If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and though in a land of peace thou art secure, yet how wilt thou do in the pride of Jordan?'--JER. xii. 5, R.V. The prophet has been complaining of his persecutors. The divine answer is here, reproving his impatience, and giving him to understand that harder trials are in store for him. Both clauses mean substantially the same thing, and are of a parabolic nature. The one adduces the metaphor …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Are You Prepared to Die?
"There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign; Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain." There everlasting spring abides, And never-withering flowers; Death, like a narrow sea, divides This heavenly land from ours." Taking "the swelling of Jordan" to represent the precise time of death, the question really is, what shall we do when we come to die? "How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" I. We notice, in the first place, that this is an EXCEEDINGLY PRACTICAL …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 11: 1865

Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour, …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Of the Trinity and a Christian, and of the Law and a Christian.
EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. These two short treatises were found among Mr. Bunyan's papers after his decease. They probably were intended for publication, like his 'Prison Meditations' and his 'Map of Salvation,' on a single page each, in the form of a broadside, or handbill. This was the popular mode in which tracts were distributed; and when posted against a wall, or framed and hung up in a room, they excited notice, and were extensively read. They might also have afforded some trifling profit to aid …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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