Jeremiah 21:7Afterward, says Yahweh, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, even such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life: and he shall strike them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.
The setting
Jerusalem, 588 BC. Jeremiah delivers the final blow — even survival means exile. King Zedekiah will watch his sons die, then have his eyes gouged out...
The emotion here: delivering a death sentence with tears
The original word
nāṯan (נָתַן) — to give or deliver, the same word used when God 'gave' Israel the Promised Land, now He 'gives' them to their enemies
Why it matters
Zedekiah was the last king of Judah — after him, the throne of David was empty for 70 years
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 21:7
The verse cuts off mid-sentence — it should end 'into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon' — showing even Scripture is overwhelmed
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about physical survival being good news, but surviving meant watching your children die and then being blinded — sometimes death is mercy.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 21:7
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 21:7 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 21:7 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Yahweh. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 5% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include political judgment, royal fate, remnant. Notable phrases: Zedekiah king of Judah; left in this city. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 21:7 mean to you, today?
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