Jeremiah 19:9

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.

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.

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."'

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.’

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.

Context of Jeremiah 19:9

Jeremiah 19:9 is part of a powerful prophetic act and message delivered by the prophet Jeremiah during the reign of King Jehoiakim in Judah. In chapter 19, God instructs Jeremiah to take a potter's earthenware flask to the Valley of Hinnom (also known as Tophet), outside Jerusalem's Potsherd Gate. There, in the presence of elders and priests, Jeremiah was to smash the flask as a vivid symbol of God's impending judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah.

The core reason for this severe judgment, as stated in Jeremiah 19:4-5, was the people's persistent idolatry, their abandonment of God, and their abhorrent practice of child sacrifice to foreign gods like Baal in Tophet. Verse 9 describes one of the most horrifying consequences of this divine judgment: the extreme famine and desperation that would accompany the siege laid against Jerusalem by their enemies, specifically the Babylonians.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment for Persistent Sin: This verse underscores the severe and terrifying consequences of unrepentant disobedience and idolatry against the living God. It's a stark warning that God's patience has limits, and His justice will ultimately prevail against pervasive wickedness.
  • Horrific Consequences of Siege Warfare: The imagery of cannibalism speaks to the utter desolation, starvation, and moral collapse that would occur during prolonged sieges in ancient times. It portrays a society pushed to its absolute limits, where the instinct for survival overrides all natural bonds and humanity. This particular horror was even prophesied centuries earlier in Deuteronomy 28:53-57 as a curse for disobedience.
  • God's Holiness and Justice: While deeply disturbing, this prophecy also highlights God's absolute holiness and His commitment to justice. The severity of the punishment reflects the profound offense of Judah's sins, particularly their defilement of the land and their shedding of innocent blood through child sacrifice.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV uses the word "straitness" (Hebrew: matzôr, often related to tsarar meaning 'to be narrow,' 'to be distressed,' 'to oppress'). This term powerfully conveys the extreme distress, confinement, and oppression experienced during a siege. It emphasizes the suffocating conditions and the tightening grip of the enemy, leading to unimaginable suffering and desperation within the besieged city.

Related Scriptures

The grim prophecy of Jeremiah 19:9 finds its historical fulfillment during the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem. The book of Lamentations 4:10 vividly describes mothers boiling their own children during the famine of that siege, confirming the horrifying reality of Jeremiah's prophecy.

Practical Application

While the specific horrors described in Jeremiah 19:9 are historical and context-specific, the underlying principles remain relevant:

  1. The Seriousness of Sin: This verse is a stark reminder that sin, especially persistent rebellion against God and idolatry (whether of physical idols or modern substitutes like wealth, power, or self), has severe consequences. It underscores God's absolute intolerance for wickedness.
  2. Warning Against Spiritual Idolatry: For believers today, it serves as a warning against spiritual idolatry—placing anything or anyone above God. Such misplaced allegiances can lead to spiritual barrenness and distress, even if not physical cannibalism.
  3. God's Justice and Mercy: It highlights God's unwavering justice, yet it also implicitly points to His prior patience and warnings through prophets like Jeremiah. The ultimate judgment comes only after prolonged rejection of His mercy and calls to repentance. We are reminded to heed God's word and seek His face before His patience runs out, as 2 Peter 3:9 declares His desire for all to come to repentance.
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.

  • Isaiah 9:20

    And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:

  • Leviticus 26:29

    And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.

  • Lamentations 4:10

    The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

  • Ezekiel 5:10

    Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.

  • Deuteronomy 28:53

    And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:

  • Deuteronomy 28:57

    And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all [things] secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.

  • Lamentations 2:20

    Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, [and] children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?

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