Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.
Therefore will I scatter {H6327} them as the stubble {H7179} that passeth away {H5674} by the wind {H7307} of the wilderness {H4057}.
"So I will scatter them like chaff that flies away in the desert wind.
“I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.
Therefore will I scatter them, as the stubble that passeth away, by the wind of the wilderness.
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Psalms 1:4
¶ The ungodly [are] not so: but [are] like the chaff which the wind driveth away. -
Leviticus 26:33
And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. -
Hosea 13:3
Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff [that] is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney. -
Ezekiel 5:2
Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and thou shalt take a third part, [and] smite about it with a knife: and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them. -
Ezekiel 5:12
A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. -
Jeremiah 4:11
At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse, -
Jeremiah 4:12
[Even] a full wind from those [places] shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.
Jeremiah 13:24 conveys a stark prophetic warning from God to the unrepentant people of Judah through the prophet Jeremiah. It vividly describes their impending dispersion and destruction as a consequence of their persistent disobedience and idolatry.
Historical and Cultural Context
This verse is set during the tumultuous period leading up to the Babylonian exile, a time when the southern kingdom of Judah was steeped in idolatry and rebellion against God, despite repeated warnings from prophets like Jeremiah. The preceding verses in Jeremiah 13, particularly the parable of the linen girdle (Jeremiah 13:1-11) and the parable of the wine jars (Jeremiah 13:12-14), vividly illustrate the decay and impending doom awaiting Judah due to their spiritual defilement and stubbornness. The image of "stubble" resonates with an agrarian society, where dry stalks left after harvest were worthless and easily scattered by the strong, often destructive, "wind of the wilderness" common in the region.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
Practical Application
Jeremiah 13:24 serves as a timeless reminder of the seriousness of sin and the consequences of rejecting God's will. It challenges believers today to consider: