Jeremiah 9:7

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?

Complete Jewish Bible:

"Therefore," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, "I will refine them and test them. What else can I do with the daughter of my people?

Berean Standard Bible:

Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do because of the daughter of My people?

American Standard Version:

Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how else should I do, because of the daughter of my people?

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Therefore thus saith^{H559} the LORD^{H3068} of hosts^{H6635}, Behold, I will melt^{H6884} them, and try^{H974} them; for how shall I do^{H6213} for^{H6440} the daughter^{H1323} of my people^{H5971}?

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Jeremiah 9:7

Jeremiah 9:7 is a part of the larger text of the prophet Jeremiah, who lived and prophesied in the Kingdom of Judah during the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE. This period was marked by significant political turmoil, as the region was dominated by the rise and fall of empires such as the Assyrians, Egyptians, and the emerging Neo-Babylonians. Jeremiah's mission was to call the people of Judah to repentance and to warn them of the impending judgment should they continue in their idolatry and disobedience to God's laws.

In the verse itself, the Lord of hosts (a title emphasizing God's power over all earthly and heavenly armies) declares through Jeremiah that He will "melt" and "try" His people. The metaphor of melting suggests a refining process, where the impurities are burnt away, and the true metal is revealed. This is often associated with the idea of divine judgment, where the people of Judah (referred to as "the daughter of my people") will undergo a period of severe testing and suffering. The purpose of this trial is not merely punitive but corrective, aiming to purify the nation and bring them back to a right relationship with God.

The historical context of this verse is the looming threat of the Babylonian exile. Jeremiah's contemporaries were living in a time of social decay, false prophets, and political alliances that were leading the nation away from God. The Lord, through Jeremiah, is expressing both His intention to discipline His people and His anguish over the necessity of doing so. The verse reflects the tension between God's justice and His mercy, His sovereignty and His intimate relationship with His chosen people. It is a call to the people of Judah to recognize their sinfulness and to return to the Lord before it is too late.

In summary, Jeremiah 9:7 captures the themes of divine judgment, purification, and the complex relationship between God and His people. It is a sobering reminder of the consequences of apostasy and a plea for repentance, set against the backdrop of an empire on the brink of collapse and a people on the cusp of exile. Through this verse, the timeless message is conveyed that while God's judgment is certain for those who turn away from Him, His discipline is intended to refine and restore rather than to destroy.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
2. Strong's Number: H3068
   There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יְהֹוָה
   Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
   Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
   Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
   
3. Strong's Number: H6635
   There are 463 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: צָבָא
   Transliteration: tsâbâʼ
   Pronunciation: tsaw-baw'
   Description: or (feminine) צְבָאָה; from צָבָא; a mass of persons (or figuratively, things), especially reg. organized forwar (an army); by implication, a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically, hardship, worship); appointed time, ([phrase]) army, ([phrase]) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war(-fare).
   
4. Strong's Number: H6884
   There are 29 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: צָרַף
   Transliteration: tsâraph
   Pronunciation: tsaw-raf'
   Description: a primitive root; to fuse (metal), i.e. refine (literally or figuratively); cast, (re-) fine(-er), founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try.
   
5. Strong's Number: H974
   There are 28 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בָּחַן
   Transliteration: bâchan
   Pronunciation: baw-khan'
   Description: a primitive root; to test (especially metals); generally and figuratively, to investigate; examine, prove, tempt, try (trial).
   
6. Strong's Number: H6213
   There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עָשָׂה
   Transliteration: ʻâsâh
   Pronunciation: aw-saw'
   Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.
   
7. Strong's Number: H6440
   There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּנִים
   Transliteration: pânîym
   Pronunciation: paw-neem'
   Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.
   
8. Strong's Number: H1323
   There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בַּת
   Transliteration: bath
   Pronunciation: bath
   Description: from בָּנָה (as feminine of בֵּן); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively); apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.
   
9. Strong's Number: H5971
   There are 1654 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עַם
   Transliteration: ʻam
   Pronunciation: am
   Description: from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock; folk, men, nation, people.