Jeremiah 19:9

Translation
King James Version
And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.
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KJV (with Strong's)
And I will cause them to eat H398 the flesh H1320 of their sons H1121 and the flesh H1320 of their daughters H1323, and they shall eat H398 every one H376 the flesh H1320 of his friend H7453 in the siege H4692 and straitness H4689, wherewith their enemies H341, and they that seek H1245 their lives H5315, shall straiten H6693 them.
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Complete Jewish Bible
I will cause them to eat the flesh of their own sons and daughters; everyone will be eating the flesh of his friends during the siege, because of the shortage imposed on them by their enemies and those set on killing them."'
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Berean Standard Bible
I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives.’
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American Standard Version
And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters; and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend, in the siege and in the distress, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their life, shall distress them.
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World English Bible Messianic
I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters; and they shall eat everyone the flesh of his friend, in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies, and those who seek their life, shall distress them.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
And I will feede the with the flesh of their sonnes and with the flesh of their daughters, and euery one shall eate the flesh of his friende in the siege and straitnesse, wherewith their enemies that seeke their liues, shall hold them strait.
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Young's Literal Translation
And I have caused them to eat the flesh of their sons, and the flesh of their daughters, and each the flesh of his friend they do eat, in the siege and in the straitness with which straiten them do their enemies, and those seeking their life.
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See also
Isaiah 9:20Leviticus 26:29Lamentations 4:10Ezekiel 5:10Deuteronomy 28:53Deuteronomy 28:57Lamentations 2:20
In the KJVVerse 19,417 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Jeremiah 19:9 delivers a chilling and graphic prophecy detailing the extreme suffering and moral collapse awaiting Judah during the impending Babylonian siege. As a direct and severe consequence of their persistent idolatry, covenant infidelity, and particularly the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice, the people will be driven to unimaginable desperation, leading to acts of cannibalism—consuming the flesh of their own children and friends—due to the devastating famine and "straitness" imposed by their relentless enemies. This verse stands as a stark and horrific depiction of divine judgment against profound national sin, illustrating the ultimate degradation of humanity when severed from God.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Jeremiah 19:9 serves as the terrifying climax of a prophetic drama orchestrated by God through Jeremiah. The chapter opens with God commanding Jeremiah to take a potter's earthenware flask to the Valley of Hinnom, specifically to Tophet, outside the Potsherd Gate of Jerusalem. There, in the presence of the elders and priests, Jeremiah was instructed to smash the flask as an irreversible, visceral symbol of God's impending and complete destruction of Jerusalem and Judah. This act, detailed in Jeremiah 19:1-13, underscores the irreparable nature of the judgment. Verse 9 specifically details one of the most horrifying and desperate consequences of this divine wrath, directly following God's indictment of Judah's deep-seated sins, particularly their defilement of Tophet through the sacrifice of their children to Baal (Jeremiah 19:4-5). The prophecy of cannibalism here is a direct, horrifying echo of the covenant curses for extreme disobedience.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: This prophecy was delivered during the tumultuous reign of King Jehoiakim (609-598 BC), a period characterized by Judah's profound spiritual apostasy and the ominous rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The Valley of Hinnom, or Gehenna, was a notorious site where Judah had embraced the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice to pagan deities like Baal and Molech, a practice explicitly forbidden and condemned by Yahweh (Jeremiah 7:31). Ancient siege warfare was a brutal and prolonged affair, designed to starve out a city's inhabitants by cutting off all supplies. Famine was a common and devastating weapon, frequently leading to extreme desperation, including acts of cannibalism, as tragically documented in various historical accounts and even earlier biblical prophecies. The "straitness" (Hebrew: mâtsôwq) refers to the severe economic, physical, and psychological constriction experienced when a city is completely isolated and under relentless attack, pushing its inhabitants to the absolute limits of human endurance and morality.
  • Key Themes: Jeremiah 19:9 powerfully contributes to several major theological and narrative themes prevalent throughout the book of Jeremiah and broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it vividly illustrates the theme of Divine Judgment for Persistent Sin, demonstrating that God's infinite patience has a just limit, and His unwavering justice will inevitably prevail against unrepentant disobedience and idolatry. The extreme severity of the punishment reflects the profound offense of Judah's sins, especially their defilement of the land and the shedding of innocent blood through child sacrifice. Secondly, the verse portrays the Horrific Consequences of Siege Warfare, painting a grim picture of utter desolation, starvation, and moral collapse. This shocking imagery of cannibalism speaks to a society pushed beyond all natural and moral boundaries, where the primal instinct for survival overrides even the deepest familial bonds. This serves as a terrifying fulfillment of the covenant curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28:53-57, which warned of such extreme measures. Finally, the passage underscores God's Holiness and Justice, emphasizing that His righteous character demands a response to such pervasive and profound wickedness, even if that response involves terrifying and devastating judgment.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • eat (Hebrew, ʼâkal', H398): A primitive root meaning "to eat (literally or figuratively)." In this context, it is used with chilling literalness and horrific implications, denoting the consumption of human flesh. The repetition of "eat" within the verse emphasizes the desperate, unavoidable, and widespread nature of this act, driven by extreme hunger and the complete absence of any other sustenance. It signifies a total breakdown of societal norms, natural human instincts, and the very fabric of humanity.
  • flesh (Hebrew, bâsâr', H1320): Referring to "flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person." Here, "flesh" explicitly refers to human flesh, specifically that of one's own children and friends. The term highlights the raw, visceral reality of the prophecy, stripping away any euphemism and confronting the reader with the ultimate degradation and dehumanization of individuals under siege conditions. It underscores the profound violation of natural order and affection.
  • straitness (Hebrew, mâtsôwq', H4689): Meaning "a narrow place, i.e. (abstractly and figuratively) confinement or disability; anguish, distress." This word powerfully conveys the extreme distress, severe confinement, and overwhelming oppression experienced during a prolonged siege. It emphasizes the suffocating conditions and the tightening grip of the enemy, leading to unimaginable suffering, psychological torment, and physical desperation within the besieged city, directly linking the physical constraints of the siege to the moral and physical collapse of the inhabitants.

Verse Breakdown

  • "And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons": This clause directly attributes the horrific act to divine agency. God declares that He will be the one to bring about the circumstances so dire that parents will resort to consuming their own children. This is a profound and terrifying statement of judgment, where the natural order is inverted, and the deepest, most sacred human bonds—that between parent and child—are shattered by the severity of the famine and the divine decree.
  • "and the flesh of their daughters": This expands the horror, explicitly including female offspring, reinforcing the comprehensive, indiscriminate, and universal nature of the impending suffering. The repetition underscores the complete breakdown of familial protection, the utter loss of dignity, and the pervasive desperation that will grip Jerusalem, affecting every household.
  • "and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend": Beyond the immediate family unit, the prophecy extends to the broader community, indicating that even the bonds of friendship, neighborly trust, and communal solidarity will dissolve under the extreme pressure of starvation. The phrase "every one" emphasizes the widespread nature of this depravity, suggesting that no individual will be exempt from witnessing or participating in such acts, highlighting the total collapse of societal order.
  • "in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them": This final clause provides the contextual cause and mechanism for the cannibalism. The "siege" (H4692, mâtsôwr') refers to the military encirclement of the city, and "straitness" (H4689, mâtsôwq') describes the resulting anguish, confinement, and extreme pressure. The phrase "they that seek their lives" (H1245, bâqash' for "seek"; H5315, nephesh' for "lives") identifies the enemies as those intent on total destruction and eradication, further emphasizing the dire, life-threatening predicament of the besieged. The powerful repetition of "straiten" (H6693, tsûwq') underscores the relentless, suffocating, and inescapable pressure applied by the adversaries, leading to the ultimate, unimaginable desperation.

Literary Devices

Jeremiah 19:9 employs several potent literary devices to convey its terrifying and unforgettable message. The most prominent is Hyperbole, though in this context, it is a hyperbole that tragically became a literal reality, intensifying the shock and horror of the prophecy. The graphic imagery of cannibalism serves as a powerful Symbolism of utter desolation, the complete breakdown of societal order, and the extreme, dehumanizing consequences of divine judgment. It signifies a return to a primal, animalistic state, where humanity is stripped of its dignity, moral compass, and even its most fundamental affections. The verse also functions as Foreshadowing, anticipating the grim historical fulfillment recorded in Lamentations 4:10. Furthermore, the phrasing "I will cause them to eat" exemplifies Divine Agency or the divine passive, attributing the horrific circumstances directly to God's sovereign will in executing judgment. This emphasizes His active and deliberate role in bringing about the consequences of Judah's unrepentant sin, underscoring the severity of His justice.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Jeremiah 19:9 is a stark and terrifying testament to the seriousness of sin and the unwavering justice of God. It reveals that persistent rebellion against the covenant, particularly widespread idolatry and the abhorrent practice of child sacrifice, incurs the most severe divine judgment. The prophecy underscores the covenant curses outlined in the Torah, demonstrating that God is faithful not only to His promises but also to His warnings. The horror described is not arbitrary but a direct, though extreme, consequence of Judah's profound spiritual adultery, their defilement of the land, and their rejection of the very source of life. It highlights God's absolute holiness, which cannot tolerate such pervasive wickedness indefinitely, ultimately leading to a judgment that strips humanity of its most fundamental bonds and dignity. This passage serves as a sobering reminder that God's patience, while vast, is not infinite, and His justice demands a reckoning for unrepentant sin, ensuring His moral order is upheld.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

While the specific horrors of Jeremiah 19:9 are deeply disturbing and rooted in a particular historical context of ancient siege warfare and extreme idolatry, the underlying principles hold profound relevance for contemporary reflection and application. This verse serves as a stark warning about the gravity of persistent sin, the insidious nature of idolatry, and the ultimate consequences of rebellion against God. In our modern context, idolatry may not involve physical statues or child sacrifice, but it can manifest as the worship of wealth, power, self, comfort, technology, or any created thing placed above the Creator. Such misplaced allegiances, though not leading to physical cannibalism, can result in spiritual barrenness, moral decay, and a profound "straitness" of soul, where our spiritual lives are starved, our deepest human relationships are fractured, and our connection with God is severed. The passage calls us to soberly consider the long-term, often devastating, consequences of our choices and to recognize that God's justice is as real and immutable as His mercy. It compels us to examine our own hearts for any idols that might be subtly eroding our devotion to the one true God, urging us to heed His warnings, repent genuinely, and turn back to Him before spiritual desolation sets in.

Questions for Reflection

  • What "idols" might be subtly present in my own life or in contemporary society that, if unaddressed, could lead to spiritual "straitness" or a profound desolation of soul?
  • How does the terrifying severity of this prophecy deepen my understanding of God's absolute holiness, His righteous anger against sin, and His unwavering commitment to justice?
  • In what ways does this passage remind me of the critical importance of heeding God's warnings, embracing repentance, and seeking His mercy proactively in my life and in the life of the church?

FAQ

Was the prophecy in Jeremiah 19:9 literally fulfilled?

Answer: Tragically, yes. The horrific prophecy of cannibalism during the siege was literally fulfilled during the Babylonian siege and subsequent destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The book of Lamentations 4:10 vividly describes this very reality: "The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became food for them in the destruction of the daughter of my people." This historical account, written by an eyewitness to the aftermath of the siege, confirms the grim accuracy of Jeremiah's prophetic warning, underscoring the extreme famine and desperation experienced by the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a direct consequence of their unrepentant sin.

Why would God allow such a horrific judgment as cannibalism?

Answer: The allowance of such a horrific judgment, though deeply disturbing to contemplate, is presented in Scripture as a direct, extreme, and just consequence of Judah's persistent and profound rebellion against God. This was not an arbitrary act but a fulfillment of the covenant curses warned about centuries earlier in Deuteronomy 28:53-57. Judah had repeatedly rejected God's mercy, defiled His name, and engaged in the most abhorrent practices, particularly the widespread child sacrifice to pagan deities in the very Valley of Hinnom where Jeremiah delivered this prophecy (Jeremiah 7:31). This judgment underscores the ultimate severity of God's justice against a people who had turned away from the source of life to worship death. It highlights that God's absolute holiness demands a response to pervasive evil, even if that response involves the most terrifying and dehumanizing consequences imaginable.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

While Jeremiah 19:9 paints a picture of humanity's utter degradation under divine judgment for persistent sin, its Christ-centered fulfillment points to the ultimate solution to the human condition of rebellion and the "straitness" of sin. The horrific judgment described—the eating of one's own flesh and the flesh of friends due to siege and famine—is a stark image of the spiritual death, moral decay, and self-destructive nature that sin brings. Humanity, cut off from God, experiences a spiritual "straitness" that leads to profound emptiness and the breaking of all natural bonds. However, in Christ, we see the ultimate Lamb of God, who came not to bring judgment upon the righteous but to bear the judgment for the unrighteous (John 1:29). Jesus endured the ultimate "straitness" on the cross, experiencing the full weight of God's wrath against sin, so that those who believe in Him might be delivered from the curse of the law and the spiritual famine of a life apart from God (Galatians 3:13). He offers Himself as the true spiritual bread and living water, nourishing our souls and freeing us from the desperate hunger and moral collapse that sin inevitably brings (John 6:35). Through His perfect sacrifice, the spiritual "siege" of sin is broken, and we are brought into a new covenant of life, abundance, and reconciliation, where there is no longer condemnation but freedom in the Spirit (Romans 8:1-2). He is the one who satisfies our deepest hunger and thirst, transforming our spiritual desolation into flourishing life.

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Commentary on Jeremiah 19 verses 1–9

The corruption of man having made it necessary that precept should be upon precept, and line upon line (so unapt are we to receive, and so very apt to let slip, the things of God), the grace of God has provided that there shall be, accordingly, precept upon precept, and line upon line, that those who are irreclaimable may be inexcusable. For this reason the prophet is here sent with a message to the same purport with what he had often delivered, but with some circumstances that might make it the more taken notice of, a thing which ministers should study, for a little circumstance may sometimes be a great advantage, and those that would win souls must be wise.

I. He must take of the elders and chief men, both in church and state, to be his auditors and witnesses to what he said - the ancients of the people and the ancients of the priests, the most eminent men both in the magistracy and in the ministry, that they might be faithful witnesses to record, as those Isa 8:2. It is strange that these great men should be at the beck of a poor prophet, and obey his summons to attend him out of the city, they know not whither and they knew not why. But, though the generality of the elders were disaffected to him, yet it is likely that there were some few among them who looked upon him as a prophet of the Lord, and would pay this respect to the heavenly vision. Note, Persons of rank and figure have an opportunity of honouring God, by a diligent attendance on the ministry of the word and other divine institutions; and they ought to think it an honour, and no disparagement to themselves, yea, though the circumstances be mean and despicable. It is certain that the greatest of men is less than the least of the ordinances of God.

II. He must go to the valley of the son of Hinnom, and deliver this message there; for the word of the Lord is not bound to any one place; as good a sermon may be preached in the valley of Tophet as in the gate of the temple. Christ preached on a mountain and out of a ship. This valley lay partly on the south side of Jerusalem, but the prophet's way to it was by the entry on the east gate - the sun gate (Jer 19:2), so some render it, and suppose it to look not towards the sun-rising, but the noon sun - the potter's gate, so some. This sermon must be preached in that place, in the valley of the son of Hinnom, 1. Because there they had been guilty of the vilest of their idolatries, the sacrificing of their children to Moloch, a horrid piece of impiety, which the sight of the place might serve to remind them of and upbraid them with. 2. Because there they should feel the sorest of their calamities; there the greatest slaughter should be made among them; and, it being the common sink of the city, let them look upon it and see what a miserable spectacle this magnificent city would be when it should be all like the valley of Tophet. God bids him go thither, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee, when thou comest thither; whereby it appears (as Mr. Gataker well observed) that God's messages were frequently not revealed to the prophets before the very instant of time wherein they were to deliver them.

III. He must give general notice of a general ruin now shortly coming upon Judah and Jerusalem, Jer 19:3. He must, as those that make proclamation, begin with an Oyes: Hear you the word of the Lord, though it be a terrible word, for you may thank yourselves if it be so. Both rulers and ruled must attend to it, at their peril; the kings of Judah, the king and his sons, the king and his princes and privy-counsellors, must hear the word of the King of kings, for, high as they are, he is above them. The inhabitants of Jerusalem also must hear what God has to say to them. Both princes and people have contributed to the national guilt and must concur in the national repentance, or they will both share in the national ruin. Let them all know that the Lord of hosts, who is therefore able to do what he threatens, though he is the God of Israel, nay, because he is so, will therefore punish them in the first place for their iniquities (Amo 3:2): He will bring evil upon this place (upon Judah and Jerusalem) so surprising, and so dreadful, that whosoever hears it, his ears shall tingle; whosoever hears the prediction of it, hears the report and representation of it, it shall make such an impression of terror upon him that he shall still think he hears it sounding in his ears and shall not be able to get it out of his mind. The ruin of Eli's house is thus described (Sa1 3:11), and of Jerusalem, Kg2 21:12.

IV. He must plainly tell them what their sins were for which God had this controversy with them, Jer 19:4, Jer 19:5. They are charged with apostasy from God (They have forsaken me) and abuse of the privileges of the visible church, and which they had been dignified - They have estranged this place. Jerusalem (the holy city), the temple (the holy house), which was designed for the honour of God and the support of his kingdom among men, they had alienated from those purposes, and (as some render the word) they had strangely abused. They had so polluted both with their wickedness that God had disowned both, and abandoned them to ruin. He charges them with an affection for and the adoration of false gods, such as neither they nor their fathers have known, such as never had recommended themselves to their belief and esteem by any acts of power or goodness done for them or their ancestors, as that God had abundantly done whom they forsook; yet they took them at a venture for their gods; nay, being fond of change and novelty, they liked them the better for their being upstarts, and new fashions in religion were as grateful to their fancies as in other things. They also stand charged with murder, wilful murder, from malice prepense: They have filled this place with the blood of innocents. It was Manasseh's sin (Kg2 24:4), which the Lord would not pardon. Nay, as if idolatry and murder, committed separately, were not bad enough and affront enough to God and man, they have put them together, have consolidated them into one complicated crime, that of burning their children in the fire to Baal (Jer 19:5), which was the most insolent defiance to all the laws both of natural and revealed religion that ever mankind was guilty of; and by it they openly declared that they loved their new gods better than ever they loved the true God, though they were such cruel task-masters that they required human sacrifices (inhuman I should call them), which the Lord Jehovah, whose all lives and souls are, never demanded from his worshippers; he never spoke of such a thing, nor came it into his mind. See Jer 7:31.

V. He must endeavour to affect them with the greatness of the desolation that was coming upon them. He must tell them (as he had done before, Jer 7:32) that this valley of the son of Hinnom shall acquire a new name, the valley of slaughter (Jer 19:6), for (Jer 19:7) multitudes shall fall there by the sword, when either they sally out upon the besiegers and are repulsed or attempt to make their escape and are seized: They shall fall before their enemies, who not only endeavour to make themselves masters of their houses and estates, but have such an implacable enmity to them that they seek their lives; they thirst after their blood, and, when they are dead, will not allow a cartel for the burying of the slain, but their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven and beasts of the earth. What a dismal place will the valley of Tophet be then! And as for those that remain within the city, and will not capitulate with the besiegers, they shall perish for want of food, when first they have eaten the flesh of their sons and daughters, and dearest friends, through the straitness wherewith their enemies shall straiten them, Jer 19:9. This was threatened in the law as an instance of the extremity to which the judgments of God should reduce them (Lev 26:29, Deu 28:53) and was accomplished, Lam 4:10. And, lastly, the whole city shall be desolate, the houses laid in ashes, the inhabitants slain or taken prisoners; there shall be no resort to it, nor any thing in it but what looks rueful and horrid; so that every one that passes by shall be astonished (Jer 19:8), as he had said before, Jer 18:16. That place which holiness had made the joy of the whole earth sin had made the reproach and shame of the whole earth.

VI. He must assure them that all their attempts to prevent and avoid this ruin, so long as they continued impenitent and unreformed, would be fruitless and vain (Jer 19:7): I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem (of the princes and senators of Judah and Jerusalem) in this place, in the royal palace, which lay on the south side of the city, not far from the place where the prophet now stood. Note, There is no fleeing from God's justice but by fleeing to his mercy. Those that will not make good God's counsel, by humbling themselves under his mighty hand, shall find that God will make void their counsel and blast their projects, which they think ever so well concerted for their own preservation. There is no counsel or strength against the Lord.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–9. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 7 and following) And I will scatter the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will overthrow them with the sword in the presence of their enemies and those who seek their lives, and I will give their dead bodies as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. And I will make this city a horror, a hissing, and everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its wounds. And I will feed them with the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and everyone shall eat the flesh of his neighbor in the siege and in the distress, with which their enemies and those who seek their lives shall distress them. Although we know that these things also happened to the people in the Babylonian captivity, they are more fully related to the times of the Savior, when they were besieged by Vespasian and Titus, and their city, in the times of Hadrian, collapsed into eternal ashes, so that those who had offered their children to idols were themselves later compelled by the necessity of famine to turn them to the use of food, and the flesh of all creatures of the sky and of the earth was given to them, so that those who had abused the gifts of the Lord into impiety and had sacrificed their own entrails to idols, would make graves of their own children's bellies.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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