If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave [some] gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.
If grapegatherers {H1219} come {H935} to thee, would they not leave {H7604} some gleaning grapes {H5955}? if thieves {H1590} by night {H3915}, they will destroy {H7843} till they have enough {H1767}.
If grape-pickers came to you, they would leave no grapes for gleaning. If thieves came at night, they would destroy until they were satisfied.
If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave some gleanings? Were thieves to come in the night, would they not steal only what they wanted?
If grape-gatherers came to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, would they not destroy till they had enough?
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Obadiah 1:5
If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave [some] grapes? -
Obadiah 1:6
How are [the things] of Esau searched out! [how] are his hidden things sought up! -
Isaiah 17:6
¶ Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two [or] three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four [or] five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.
Jeremiah 49:9 is a vivid prophetic declaration illustrating the thoroughness of God's impending judgment upon the nation of Edom. Through two contrasting scenarios, the verse conveys that the coming destruction will be absolute, leaving nothing behind.
Context
This verse is part of a series of prophecies against various surrounding nations delivered by the prophet Jeremiah, specifically targeting Edom (Jeremiah 49:7-22). Edom, descended from Esau, was a long-standing rival of Israel and often hostile. God declares that Edom's pride and security, often symbolized by their rocky strongholds, would not protect them from divine wrath. The imagery in verse 9 emphasizes that the devastation would be far more complete and destructive than even typical human plundering.
Key Themes
Linguistic and Cultural Insights
The phrase "gleaning grapes" refers to the practice of leaving portions of the harvest for the poor, as mandated by the Mosaic Law. This concept, known in Hebrew as pe'ah (corner), leket (gleanings), and shikchah (forgotten sheaf), was a cornerstone of Israel's social justice system. The verse uses this well-understood practice to highlight the severity of Edom's coming judgment. Even common grapegatherers would leave something, but God's judgment would be so thorough that nothing would remain, not even what a thief might leave after taking "enough" (i.e., what they could carry or wanted).
Practical Application
This verse serves as a powerful reminder of God's absolute sovereignty and the thoroughness of His judgment. While it speaks to a specific historical judgment against Edom, its principles are timeless: