Jeremiah 16:10

¶ And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what [is] our iniquity? or what [is] our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?

And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew {H5046} this people {H5971} all these words {H1697}, and they shall say {H559} unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD {H3068} pronounced {H1696} all this great {H1419} evil {H7451} against us? or what is our iniquity {H5771}? or what is our sin {H2403} that we have committed {H2398} against the LORD {H3068} our God {H430}?

"When you tell this people all that I have said, and they ask you, 'Why has ADONAI decreed all this terrible disaster against us? What is our iniquity, what is our sin, that we have committed against ADONAI our God?'

When you tell these people all these things, they will ask you, ‘Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? What is our guilt? What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?’

And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt show this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath Jehovah pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against Jehovah our God?

Jeremiah 16:10 presents a poignant moment in the prophetic book, capturing the anticipated reaction of the people of Judah to the dire pronouncements of judgment delivered by the prophet Jeremiah. This verse highlights their profound spiritual blindness and denial regarding their persistent rebellion against the LORD.

Context

This verse is situated within a chapter dominated by prophecies of severe divine judgment against Judah. The preceding verses of Jeremiah 16 detail the LORD's command to Jeremiah not to marry or have children, nor to participate in mourning or feasting, symbolizing the coming desolation, famine, pestilence, and sword that will decimate the land. The "great evil" mentioned here refers to the impending national catastrophe, including exile, which God has decreed due to Judah's widespread idolatry and moral decay. The people's question, "Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us?" reveals a shocking lack of self-awareness concerning their long history of disobedience.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment and Consequences: The verse underscores the principle that God's justice inevitably brings consequences for unrepentant sin. The "great evil" is not arbitrary malice but the righteous outcome of a broken covenant.
  • Human Denial and Spiritual Blindness: The core of the people's inquiry is their inability or unwillingness to see their own culpability. Despite clear warnings and abundant evidence of their idolatry and injustice, they will feign ignorance of their "iniquity" and "sin." This spiritual blindness is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, often leading to greater hardening of hearts.
  • God's Righteousness: Even in judgment, God acts justly. The people's question implies a challenge to God's fairness, but the subsequent verses (e.g., Jeremiah 16:11-12) immediately provide the divine answer, making it clear that their suffering is a direct result of their actions.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV uses "great evil" for the Hebrew ra'ah gedolah (רָעָה גְּדוֹלָה), which in this context refers to a great calamity, disaster, or misfortune, rather than moral wickedness. It emphasizes the severity of the impending national catastrophe. The terms "iniquity" (avon, עָוֹן) and "sin" (chattat, חַטָּאת) are used together to provide a comprehensive description of their wrongdoing. Avon often points to the perversity or moral distortion of an act, implying guilt and punishment, while chattat literally means "missing the mark" or falling short of God's standard. Their combined use highlights both the deliberate deviation from God's path and the resultant guilt.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 16:10 serves as a powerful reminder of the human tendency towards self-deception and denial regarding our own failings. For believers today, it prompts critical self-examination: are we quick to question God's dealings in our lives or in the world, while overlooking our own contributions to spiritual decline or disobedience? The verse encourages humility and a willingness to acknowledge our "iniquity" and "sin" before the LORD, leading to genuine repentance. Just as God expected Judah to understand their covenant obligations, He expects us to understand the implications of our faith and actions, urging us to confess our sins and seek His mercy rather than feigning ignorance.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 5:19

    And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore doeth the LORD our God all these [things] unto us? then shalt thou answer them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land [that is] not yours.

  • Deuteronomy 29:24

    Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what [meaneth] the heat of this great anger?

  • Deuteronomy 29:25

    Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:

  • 1 Kings 9:8

    And at this house, [which] is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

  • 1 Kings 9:9

    And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.

  • Jeremiah 13:22

    ¶ And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, [and] thy heels made bare.

  • Hosea 12:8

    And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: [in] all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that [were] sin.

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