TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 5:10–19. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We may observe in these verses, as before,
I.The sin of this people, upon which the commission signed against them is grounded.
God disowns them and dooms them to destruction, Jer 5:10. But is there not a cause? Yes; for,
1.They have deserted the law of God (Jer 5:11): The house of Israel and the house of Judah, though at variance with one another, yet both agreed to deal very treacherously against God. They forsook the worship of him, and therein violated their covenants with him; they revolted from him, and played the hypocrite with him.
2.They have defied the judgments of God and given the lie to his threatenings in the mouth of his prophets, Jer 5:12, Jer 5:13. They were often told that evil would certainly come upon them; they must expect some desolating judgment, sword or famine; but they were secure and said, We shall have peace, though we go on. For,
(1.)They did not fear what God is. They belied him, and confronted the dictates even of natural light concerning him; for they said, "It is not he, that is, he is not such a one as we have been made to believe he is; he does not see, or not regard, or will not require it; and therefore no evil shall come upon us." Multitudes are ruined by being made to believe that God will not be so strict with them as his word says he will; nay, by this artifice Satan undid us all: You shall not surely die. So here: Neither shall we see sword nor famine. Vain hopes of impunity are the deceitful support of all impiety.
(2.)They did not fear what God said. The prophets gave them fair warning, but they turned it off with a jest: "They do but talk so, because it is their trade; they are words of course, and words are but wind. It is not the word of the Lord that is in them; it is only the language of their melancholy fancy or their ill-will to their country, because they are not preferred." Note, Impenitent sinners are not willing to own any thing to be the word of God that makes against them, that tends either to part them from, or disquiet them in, their sins. They threaten the prophets: "They shall become wind, shall pass away unregarded, and thus shall it be done unto them; what they threaten against us we will inflict upon them. Do they frighten us with famine? Let them be fed with the bread of affliction." So Micaiah was, Kg1 22:27. "Do they tell us of the sword? Let them perish by the sword," Jer 2:30. Thus their mocking and misusing God's messengers filled the measure of their iniquity.
II.The punishment of this people for their sin.
1.The threatenings they laughed at shall be executed (Jer 5:14): Because you speak this word of contempt concerning the prophets, and the word in their mouths, therefore God will put honour upon them and their words, for not one iota or tittle of them shall fall to the ground, Sa1 3:19. Here God turns to the prophet Jeremiah, who had been thus bantered, and perhaps had been a little uneasy at it: Behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire. God owns them for his words, though men denied them, and will as surely make them to take effect as the fire consumes combustible material that is in its way. The word shall be fire and the people wood. Sinners by sin make themselves fuel to that wrath of God which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men in the scripture. The word of God will certainly be too hard for those that contend with it. Those shall break who will not bow before it.
2.The enemy they thought themselves in no danger of shall be brought upon them. God gives them their commission (Jer 5:10): "Go you up upon her walls, mount them, trample upon them, tread them down. Walls of stone, before the divine commission, shall be but mud walls. Having made yourselves masters of the walls, you may destroy at pleasure. You may take away her battlements, and leave the fenced fortified cities to lie open; for her battlements are not the Lord's he does not own them and therefore will not protect and fortify them." They were not erected in his fear, nor with a dependence upon him; the people have trusted to them more than to God, and therefore they are not his. When the city is filled with sin God will not patronise the fortifications of it, and then they are paper walls. What can defend us when he who is our defence, and the defender of all our defences, has departed from us? Num 14:9. What is not of God cannot stand, not stand long, nor stand us in any stead. What dreadful work these invaders should make is here described (Jer 5:15): Lo, I will bring a nation upon you, O house of Israel! Note, God has all nations at his command, does what he pleases with them and makes what use he pleases of them. And sometimes he is pleased to make the nations of the earth, the heathen nations, a scourge to the house of Israel, when that has become a hypocritical nation. This nation of the Chaldeans is here said to be a remote nation; it is brought upon them from afar, and therefore will make the greater spoil and the longer stay, that the soldiers may pay themselves well for so long a march. "It is a nation that thou hast had no commerce with, by reason of their distance, and therefore canst not expect to find favour with." God can bring trouble upon us from places and causes very remote. It is a mighty nation, that there is no making head against, an ancient nation, that value themselves upon their antiquity and will therefore be the more haughty and imperious. It is a nation whose language thou knowest not; they spoke the Syriac tongue, which the Jews at that time were not acquainted with, as appears, Kg2 18:26. The difference of language would make it the more difficult to treat with them of peace. Compare this with the threatening, Deu 28:49, which it seems to have a reference to, for the law and the prophets exactly agree. They are well armed: Their quiver is as an open sepulchre; their arrows shall fly so thick, hit so sure, and wound so deep, that they shall be reckoned to breathe nothing but death and slaughter: they are able-bodied, all effective, mighty men, Jer 5:16. And, when they have made themselves masters of the country, they shall devour all before them, and reckon all their own that they can lay their hands on, Jer 5:17. (1.) They shall strip the country, shall not only sustain, but surfeit, their soldiers with the rich products of this fruitful land. "They shall not store up (then it might possibly by retrieved), but eat up thy harvest in the field and thy bread in the house, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat." Note, What we have we have for our families, and it is a comfort to see our sons and daughters eating that which we have taken care and pains for. But it is a grievous vexation to see it devoured by strangers and enemies, to see their camps victualled with our stores, while those that are dear to us are perishing for want of it: this also is according to the curse of the law, Deu 28:33. "They shall eat up thy flocks and herds, out of which thou hast taken sacrifices for thy idols; they shall not leave thee the fruit of thy vines and fig-trees." (2.) They shall starve the towns: "They shall impoverish thy fenced cities" (and what fence is there against poverty, when it comes like an armed man?), "those cities wherein thou trustedst to be a protection to the country." Note, It is just with God to impoverish that which we make our confidence. They shall impoverish them with the sword, cutting off all provisions from coming to them and intercepting trade and commerce, which will impoverish even fenced cities.
III.An intimation of the tender compassion God has yet for them.
The enemy is commissioned to destroy and lay waste, but must not make a full end, Jer 5:10. Though they make a great slaughter, yet some must be left to live; though they make a great spoil, yet something must be left to live upon, for God has said it (Jer 5:18) with a non obstante - a nevertheless to the present desolation: "Even in those days, dismal as they are, I will not make a full end with you;" and, if God will not, the enemy shall not. God has mercy in store for his people, and therefore will set bounds to this desolating judgment. Hitherto it shall come, and no further.
IV.The justification of God in these proceedings against them.
As he will appear to be gracious in not making a full end with them, so he will appear to be righteous in coming so near it, and will have it acknowledged that he has done them no wrong, Jer 5:19. Observe,
1.A reason demanded, insolently demanded, by the people for these judgments. They will say "Wherefore doth the Lord our God do all this unto us? What provocation have we given him, or what quarrel has he with us?" As if against such a sinful nation there did not appear cause enough of action. Note, Unhumbled hearts are ready to charge God with injustice in their afflictions, and pretend they have to seek for the cause of them when it is written in the forehead of them. But,
2.Here is a reason immediately assigned. The prophet is instructed what answer to give them; for God will be justified when he speaks, though he speaks with ever so much terror. He must tell them that God does this against them for what they have done against him, and that they may, if they please, read their sin in their punishment. Do not they know very well that they have forsaken God, and therefore can they think it strange if he has forsaken them? Have they forgotten how often they served gods in their own land, that good land, in the abundance of the fruits of which they ought to have served God with gladness of heart? and therefore is it not just with God to make them serve strangers in a strange land, where they can call nothing their own, as he has threatened to do? Deu 28:47, Deu 28:48. Those that are fond of strangers, to strangers let them go.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 15 and following) Behold, I will bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, says the Lord: a strong nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you will not understand, nor will you know what it speaks. Its quiver is like an open tomb, all mighty warriors. And it will devour your crops and your bread; it will devour your sons and daughters; it will devour your flocks and herds; it will devour your vineyards and fig trees; and it will crush your fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword. However, in those days, says the Lord, I will not make an end of you. Not much later, and not falsely believed, the Prophets will speak to you in vain, but now I will bring upon you the nation of the Babylonians, who will come from afar: a strong nation, as it is written in Hebrew, Ethan (Gen. X), an ancient nation, once ruled by the giant Nimrod. Whose language you will not understand, as it is written in Hebrew: you will not understand what they say: for it is the solace of evil, if you have those enemies whom you can ask, and who understand your prayers. And what follows: Her quiver is like an open grave; it is not referred to as Babylon in the Septuagint edition, but it signifies the armory. There is no doubt that the kingdom of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes, and Persians is extremely skilled in archery. And it also describes the devastation of the land of Judah, the slaughter of sheep, the herding away of livestock, the destruction of cities and walls, because they are all captured by the enemy sword, and yet in such great evils He does not destroy them completely; but He preserves the remaining ones, either those who were led into Babylon and sent back to cultivate the land of Judah, or those who, after the heat of persecution, have kept the faith of the Lord through flight or confession.
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Summary
Jeremiah 5:16 delivers a chilling prophetic warning to the unrepentant kingdom of Judah, vividly depicting the formidable invading army God would raise up as an instrument of His judgment. The verse employs powerful imagery, comparing the invaders' quiver to an insatiable, "open sepulchre," signifying the widespread and indiscriminate death their weapons would unleash. This is compounded by the declaration that "they are all mighty men," emphasizing the overwhelming strength and ruthless efficiency of this divinely appointed force, underscoring the inevitability and severity of the impending divine wrath against Judah's persistent sin and rebellion.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 5:16 is deeply embedded within a broader prophetic oracle spanning Jeremiah 5:1-31, where God systematically indicts Judah for its pervasive sin—including idolatry, social injustice, moral corruption, and a stubborn rejection of prophetic warnings. Specifically, verses 15-17 describe the characteristics of the "nation from afar" (Jeremiah 5:15) that God will bring against Judah as an agent of divine retribution. This particular verse, therefore, serves as a terrifying elaboration on the destructive capacity of this invading force, which is divinely commissioned to execute judgment. It follows a series of rhetorical questions and lamentations over Judah's spiritual blindness and hardness of heart, setting the stage for the concrete manifestation of God's righteous indignation. The vivid imagery here intensifies the sense of impending doom already established in the preceding verses, leaving no doubt about the severity and certainty of the coming punishment.
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophet Jeremiah ministered during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, spanning the reigns of several kings (from Josiah to Zedekiah) leading up to the devastating Babylonian exile in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE. Judah, particularly Jerusalem, was steeped in syncretistic worship, widespread social injustice, and a superficial adherence to the covenant, despite generations of prophetic warnings. The "nation from afar" is widely understood to be the Neo-Babylonian Empire (Chaldeans), which was rapidly rising to prominence as the dominant world power of the era. Babylon was renowned for its highly disciplined, ruthless military, employing advanced siege warfare and formidable archers. Culturally, the "sepulchre" (grave) held profound significance in ancient Israel, representing the finality of death and the sanctity of proper burial rites. An "open sepulchre" would evoke deep horror, suggesting an unnatural, unending state of death and decay, or a grave that is constantly receiving new bodies, a powerful and visceral image for the scale of impending slaughter and desecration.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prominent in Jeremiah and the broader prophetic literature. Foremost is the theme of Divine Judgment, where God, as the sovereign ruler of nations, uses even pagan empires as instruments of His righteous wrath against His disobedient covenant people. This highlights the severe Consequences of Persistent Disobedience and covenant breaking, demonstrating that God's patience has limits and His warnings are not idle threats. The description of the invading army as an Irresistible Force underscores the futility of Judah's resistance and the certainty of the judgment. Furthermore, it reinforces the theme of God's Sovereignty Over History, showing that even the rise and fall of empires are orchestrated by Him to achieve His purposes, including the discipline of His people, as seen in the broader narrative of God raising up nations. The verse also serves as a stark Prophetic Warning, though in Jeremiah's later ministry, these warnings often shift to declarations of inevitable judgment due to Judah's hardened heart, emphasizing the severe outcome of rejecting God's repeated calls to repentance and return to Him.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term (H827) refers to a case or container specifically designed for holding arrows. In ancient warfare, archers were crucial components of any army, and their quivers were essential for carrying their deadly projectiles. The comparison of this container to a sepulchre immediately imbues it with a sense of death-dealing capacity, transforming a mere weapon accessory into a symbol of overwhelming mortality and an instrument of widespread demise.
This word (H6605), derived from a primitive root meaning "to open wide" or "to loosen," describes the state of the sepulchre. An "open" sepulchre suggests not merely a grave, but one that is gaping, perpetually ready to receive new bodies. It implies an insatiable appetite for death, emphasizing the vast and unending scale of fatalities the invading army would inflict. This word intensifies the horror of the image, suggesting a continuous, unceasing flow of victims into the grave.
This term (H6913) denotes a grave, tomb, or burial place. It signifies the ultimate end of life, a place of decay and finality. When combined with "open," the imagery shifts from a static resting place to an active, consuming maw. The "open sepulchre" becomes a vivid metaphor for the sheer volume of death and devastation, implying not just individual deaths, but a land filled with the dead, a place of widespread and indiscriminate slaughter.
This powerful term (H1368) describes individuals who are strong, valiant, powerful, and often refers to warriors, champions, or tyrants. The use of "all" (Hebrew, kullām') emphasizes the collective strength and formidable, unified nature of the entire invading army. They are not merely numerous, but each individual is a highly effective, ruthless, and skilled combatant, ensuring that their destructive potential, symbolized by the "open sepulchre" quiver, would be fully unleashed and realized with merciless efficiency.
Verse Breakdown
"Their quiver [is] as an open sepulchre"
This clause presents a profound and terrifying simile. The quiver, the source from which arrows are drawn, is directly compared to an open grave. This means that every arrow drawn from their quiver is not merely a projectile, but an instrument of death, as if the quiver itself is a gaping maw of the grave, ready to consume lives. It signifies that the invaders' weaponry is designed not merely to wound or incapacitate, but for wholesale slaughter, ensuring a high death toll and a land filled with the dead. The "open" aspect further suggests an insatiable appetite for death, an unending supply of fatal blows, indicating a relentless and indiscriminate killing.
"they [are] all mighty men"
This clause describes the inherent nature and formidable quality of the invading army itself. They are not just a large force, but a highly effective, powerful, and ruthless fighting machine. Their collective might, their individual prowess as skilled warriors, ensures that the destructive capacity implied by their "open sepulchre" quivers will be fully unleashed and realized without hindrance. This emphasizes the utter hopelessness of Judah's resistance and the overwhelming, irresistible power of the instrument God uses for judgment, underscoring the severity and certainty of the coming divine wrath.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 5:16 is exceptionally rich in powerful Imagery designed to evoke profound fear and underscore the severity of God's impending judgment. The most prominent device is the Simile, explicitly stated in "Their quiver [is] as an open sepulchre." This comparison is highly effective, linking the source of weapons (the quiver) directly to the ultimate symbol of death and decay (the sepulchre). The "open" aspect of the sepulchre adds a layer of Hyperbole and Personification, suggesting an insatiable, gaping maw that is constantly ready to receive new bodies, thereby emphasizing the vast, indiscriminate, and relentless nature of the impending slaughter. This vivid and visceral imagery creates an overwhelming sense of doom and the futility of resistance, making the abstract concept of divine judgment terrifyingly concrete and inescapable for the audience.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 5:16 profoundly illustrates the theological principle of divine justice and the dire consequences of covenant unfaithfulness. It reveals God's absolute sovereignty, demonstrating His capacity to orchestrate historical events and raise up powerful nations, even those seemingly pagan or hostile, as instruments of His righteous judgment against His own disobedient people. This verse serves as a stark reminder that God takes sin seriously, and persistent rebellion against His revealed will inevitably leads to severe repercussions. It underscores the truth that while God is patient and merciful, His holiness demands a response to sin, and when His calls to repentance are continually ignored, judgment will ultimately follow. The overwhelming nature of the invading force highlights the inescapable and irresistible nature of this divine reckoning, emphasizing that no human power can stand against God's determined purpose.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 5:16, though rooted in a specific historical context of judgment against ancient Judah, carries timeless principles for reflection and profound application in our lives today. It serves as a potent reminder of the seriousness of sin and the unwavering justice of God, who remains sovereign over all human affairs. We are called to examine our own lives and communities, considering where we might be complacent, rebellious, or indifferent to God's revealed will and His calls for righteousness. The "open sepulchre" imagery should provoke a healthy and reverent fear of the consequences of unrepentance, urging us to take God's warnings seriously and to respond with humility, repentance, and obedience. Ultimately, this verse compels us to recognize God's absolute sovereignty, even over the most terrifying circumstances, and to trust in His perfect plan, which always aims for righteousness and, ultimately, redemption for those who turn to Him. It challenges us to live in a way that truly honors God, seeking His mercy and grace, rather than presuming upon His patience or ignoring His commands.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Who is "they" referring to in Jeremiah 5:16?
"They" refers to the formidable invading nation that God would raise up to execute judgment upon Judah. While not explicitly named in this specific verse, the broader context of Jeremiah's prophecies, particularly in subsequent chapters, clearly identifies them as the Chaldeans, or Babylonians. This powerful empire, under kings like Nebuchadnezzar, was God's chosen instrument to bring about the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah, as foretold throughout the book of Jeremiah.
Why is the quiver compared to "an open sepulchre"?
This powerful simile emphasizes the absolute deadliness and widespread destruction that the invaders' arrows would bring. A quiver is a container for arrows, the primary projectiles of ancient warfare. An "open sepulchre" or tomb is a place of death, decay, and the ultimate end of life. By comparing the quiver to an open sepulchre, Jeremiah conveys that each arrow drawn from their quiver would be like a mouth of the grave, bringing certain death and filling the land with the dead. It signifies that their weaponry is not merely for wounding, but for wholesale slaughter, ensuring a high death toll and a land filled with graves, underscoring the relentless and indiscriminate nature of the impending judgment. It suggests an insatiable appetite for death, as if the grave is constantly ready to receive more bodies.
Is this prophecy only about physical judgment, or does it have spiritual implications?
While Jeremiah 5:16 describes a very real, physical judgment in the form of military invasion and death, it carries profound spiritual implications. The physical judgment is a direct consequence of Judah's spiritual rebellion, idolatry, and covenant unfaithfulness. It serves as a tangible manifestation of God's righteous anger against sin. Spiritually, it highlights the ultimate consequence of rejecting God's truth and persistent disobedience—separation from God, which is a form of spiritual death. The "open sepulchre" can also metaphorically represent the spiritual desolation and hopelessness that result from turning away from the source of life. The prophet consistently calls Judah to spiritual repentance, indicating that the root problem was spiritual and the physical judgment was its inevitable fruit.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Jeremiah 5:16 describes a terrifying judgment enacted through human instruments, it ultimately points to the greater reality of God's justice and His ultimate solution for sin in Jesus Christ. The "open sepulchre" of the invaders' quiver vividly foreshadows the ultimate wages of sin, which is death, a grim reality that every human being faces due to the fall (as seen in Romans 6:23). However, the most significant "open sepulchre" in history is not one that dispenses death, but one that was emptied by life: the tomb of Jesus Christ. Through His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus became the ultimate target of divine judgment for humanity's sin, taking upon Himself the "quiver" of God's wrath. Yet, He conquered death, emerging from the grave victorious, thereby transforming the sepulchre from a symbol of finality into a sign of hope and new life, a profound victory over death and the grave (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). The "mighty men" of judgment in Jeremiah prefigure God's absolute power and authority, which are perfectly displayed in Christ's triumph over sin, death, and the spiritual enemies that hold humanity captive (Colossians 2:15). Thus, Jeremiah's warning of inescapable judgment for those who reject God's covenant finds its ultimate fulfillment in the call to turn to Christ, the one who delivers from the ultimate "sepulchre" of spiritual death and offers eternal life to all who believe (John 3:16).