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Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, [and] their young men struck of the sword in battle.

Verse Takeaways

1

A Prophet's Difficult Prayer

Commentators acknowledge that Jeremiah's prayer for destruction is startling. They explain this is not a model for Christian prayer, which is taught to include forgiveness. John Calvin argues that Jeremiah was not acting out of personal anger but was moved by the Holy Spirit, prophetically declaring a divine judgment upon people he knew were unrepentant and condemned. We lack this specific prophetic insight and are called to a different standard.

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Book Overview

Jeremiah

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Commentaries

5

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes

On Jeremiah 18:21

18th Century

Theologian

Pour out ... sword – literally, "pour them out upon the hands of the sword," i.e., give them up to the sword.

Put to death – R…

Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott

On Jeremiah 18:21

19th Century

Bishop

Therefore deliver up their children ... —The bitter words that follow startle and pain us, like the imprecations of Psalms 35,[Ref…

John Calvin

John Calvin

On Jeremiah 18:21

16th Century

Theologian

The Prophet seems here to have been driven by indignation to utter imprecations that are not consistent with a right feeling. For even if Christ ha…

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John Gill

John Gill

On Jeremiah 18:21

17th Century

Pastor

Therefore deliver up their children to the famine To be starved, and perish by it, as they were in the siege of Jerusalem…

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry

On Jeremiah 18:18–23

17th Century

Minister

When the prophet called to repentance, instead of obeying the call, the people devised devices against him. Thus sinners deal with the great Interc…