Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
Therefore thus saith {H559} the Lord {H136} GOD {H3069}; Behold, mine anger {H639} and my fury {H2534} shall be poured out {H5413} upon this place {H4725}, upon man {H120}, and upon beast {H929}, and upon the trees {H6086} of the field {H7704}, and upon the fruit {H6529} of the ground {H127}; and it shall burn {H1197}, and shall not be quenched {H3518}.
Therefore, here is what Adonai ELOHIM says: "My anger and fury will be poured out on this place, on men, animals, trees in the fields and produce growing from the ground; and it will burn without being quenched."
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the produce of the land, and it will burn and not be extinguished.
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, mine anger and my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
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Jeremiah 42:18
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. -
Isaiah 42:25
Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid [it] not to heart. -
Jeremiah 17:27
But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched. -
Lamentations 2:3
He hath cut off in [his] fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, [which] devoureth round about. -
Lamentations 2:5
The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation. -
Lamentations 4:11
The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. -
Ezekiel 22:22
As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my fury upon you.
Jeremiah 7:20 is a stark declaration of God's impending judgment against Judah and Jerusalem due to their persistent sin and idolatry. It vividly portrays the comprehensive nature of divine wrath, affecting every aspect of life and the land itself.
Context of Jeremiah 7:20
This verse is part of Jeremiah's famous "Temple Sermon" (beginning in Jeremiah 7:1), delivered at the gate of the Lord's house. The people of Judah had developed a false sense of security, believing that simply possessing the Temple guaranteed their safety from judgment, chanting "The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these" (Jeremiah 7:4). However, their actions contradicted their outward piety. They were engaging in rampant injustice, idolatry, murder, theft, and adultery (Jeremiah 7:9). Jeremiah warns that unless they truly repent and amend their ways, God's judgment will fall upon them, just as it did upon Shiloh (where the tabernacle once resided, Jeremiah 7:12).
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
The Hebrew word for "poured out" (נָתַךְ, nathak) often describes a forceful, abundant outpouring, like liquid from a vessel, signifying a full and unreserved release of God's wrath. The term "quenched" (כָּבָה, kavah) means to be extinguished or put out, commonly used for fire. The declaration that it "shall not be quenched" highlights the unstoppable and enduring nature of the judgment once it begins.
Practical Application
Jeremiah 7:20 serves as a timeless reminder of the serious consequences of persistent sin and disobedience to God. It underscores that God is holy and just, and while He is patient and merciful, His patience has limits when His people repeatedly reject His commands and embrace idolatry and injustice. For believers today, it calls for genuine repentance, true worship that extends beyond mere ritual, and a lifestyle that reflects obedience and righteousness, rather than a false sense of security based on external religious observance without inward transformation. It encourages us to take God's warnings seriously and to live in a way that honors His covenant, understanding that God's justice will ultimately prevail.