TRV
Translation
King James Version
And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.
Complete Jewish Bible
All the survivors of this evil family who remain wherever I have driven them will prefer death to life," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot.
Berean Standard Bible
And wherever I have banished them, the remnant of this evil family will choose death over life,” declares the LORD of Hosts.
American Standard Version
And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith Jehovah of hosts.
World English Bible Messianic
Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places where I have driven them,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Geneva Bible (1599)
And death shall bee desired rather then life of all the residue that remaineth of this wicked familie, which remaine in all the places where I haue scattered them, sayeth the Lord of hostes.
Young's Literal Translation
And chosen is death rather than life By all the remnant who are left of this evil family, In all the remaining places, whither I have driven them, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.
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In the KJVVerse 19,157 of 31,102
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Commentary on Jeremiah 8 verses 1–3
1 ¶ At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:
2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.
These verses might fitly have been joined to the close of the foregoing chapter, as giving a further description of the dreadful desolation which the army of the Chaldeans should make in the land. It shall strangely alter the property of death itself, and for the worse too.
I. Death shall not now be, as it always used to be - the repose of the dead. When Job makes his court to the grave it is in hope of this, that there he shall rest with kings and counsellors of the earth; but now the ashes of the dead, even of kings and princes, shall be disturbed, and their bones scattered at the grave's mouth, Psa 141:7. It was threatened in the close of the former chapter that the slain should be unburied; that might be through neglect, and was not so strange; but here we find the graves of those that were buried industriously and maliciously opened by the victorious enemy, who either for covetousness, hoping to find treasure in the graves, or for spite to the nation and in a rage against it, brought out the bones of the kings of Judah and the princes. The dignity of their sepulchres could not secure them, nay, did the more expose them to be rifled; but it was base and barbarous thus to trample upon royal dust. We will hope that the bones of good Josiah were not disturbed, because he piously protected the bones of the man of God when he burnt the bones of the idolatrous priests, Kg2 23:18. The bones of the priests and prophets too were digged up and thrown about. Some think the false prophets and the idol-priests, God putting this mark of ignominy upon them: but, if they were God's prophets and his priests, it is what the Psalmist complains of as the fruit of the outrage of the enemies, Psa 79:1, Psa 79:2. Nay, those of the spiteful Chaldeans that could not reach to violate the sepulchres of princes and priests would rather play at small game than sit out, and therefore pulled the bones of the ordinary inhabitants of Jerusalem out of their graves. The barbarous nations were sometimes guilty of these absurd and inhuman triumphs over those they had conquered, and God permitted it here, for a mark of his displeasure against the generation of his wrath, and for terror to those that survived. The bones, being dug out of the graves, were spread abroad upon the face of the earth in contempt, and to make the reproach the more spreading and lasting. They spread them to be dried that they might carry them about in triumph, or might make fuel of them, or make some superstitious use of them. They shall be spread before the sun (for they shall not be ashamed openly to avow the fact at noon day) and before the moon and stars, even all the host of heaven, whom they have made idols of, Jer 8:2. From the mention of the sun, moon, and stars, which should be the unconcerned spectators of this tragedy, the prophet takes occasion to show how they had idolized them, and paid those respects to them which they should have paid to God only, that it might be observed how little they got by worshipping the creature, for the creatures they worshipped when they were in distress saw it, but regarded it not, nor gave them any relief, but were rather pleased to see those abused in being vilified by whom they had been abused in being deified. See how their respects to their idols are enumerated, to show how we ought to behave towards our God. 1. They loved them. As amiable being and bountiful benefactors they esteemed them and delighted in them, and therefore did all that follows. 2. They served them, did all they could in honour of them, and thought nothing too much; they conformed to all the laws of their superstition, without disputing. 3. They walked after them, strove to imitate and resemble them, according to the characters and accounts of them they had received, which gave rise and countenance to much of the abominable wickedness of the heathen. 4. They sought them, consulted them as oracles, appealed to them as judges, implored their favour, and prayed to them as their benefactors. 5. They worshipped them, gave them divine honour, as having a sovereign dominion over them. Before these light of heaven, which they had courted, shall their dead bodies be cast, and left to putrefy, and to be as dung upon the face of the earth; and the sun's shining upon them will but make them the more noisome and offensive. Whatever we make a god of but the true God only, it will stand us in no stead on the other side death and the grave, nor for the body, much less for the soul.
II. Death shall now be what it never used to be - the choice of the living, not because there appears in it any thing delightsome; on the contrary, death never appeared in more horrid frightful shapes than now, when they cannot promise themselves either a comfortable death or a human burial; and yet every thing in this world shall become so irksome, and all the prospects so black and dismal, that death shall be chosen rather than life (Jer 8:3), not in a believing hope of happiness in the other life, but in an utter despair of any ease in this life. The nation is now reduced to a family, so small is the residue of those that remain in it; and it is an evil family, still as bad as ever, their hearts unhumbled and their lusts unmortified. These remain alive (and that is all) in the many places whither they were driven by the judgments of God, some prisoners in the country of their enemies, others beggars in their neighbour's country, and others fugitives and vagabonds there and in their own country. And, though those that died died very miserably, yet those that survived and were thus driven out should live yet more miserably, so that they should choose death rather than life, and wish a thousand times that they had fallen with those that fell by the sword. Let this cure us of the inordinate love of life, that the case may be such that it may become a burden and terror, and we may be strongly tempted to choose strangling and death rather.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–3. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Chapter 8, verses 1 and following) In that time, says the Lord, the bones of the king of Judah and the bones of his princes and the bones of the priests and the bones of the prophets and the bones of those who lived in Jerusalem will be thrown out of their tombs. And they will spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of the heavens, which they loved and served and after which they walked and which they sought and worshiped. They shall not be gathered nor buried; they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth. And all those who remain from this wicked kinship will choose death over life, in all the places that have been abandoned, to which I have cast them out," says the Lord of Hosts. "We witness in our time that everything that the prophetic word describes has happened: not only to Jerusalem, which suffered these things from the Chaldeans and Romans, but to the whole world, so that tears have dried up, and everything is filled with the bones of the dead. And because they used to bury gold and certain ornaments, either of women or men, in tombs according to the ancient custom, greed also broke and dug them up so that they would be exposed to the sky and light. And therefore the bones of the kings of Judah, and its princes, and of the priests and prophets, and of all the people who had been in Jerusalem, were brought forth from the tombs, exposed to the sun and moon, and to the sight of all the stars, so that those whom they had served, abandoning God, would be exposed to their sights, and consumed in dung and ashes. But if anyone were able to escape from the crowd and go to whatever place, he would prefer death to life: and he would think that the destruction of an unfortunate soul is a remedy.
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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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 8:3 delivers a chilling and profound prophecy of God's severe judgment upon the unrepentant people of Judah, foretelling a future so utterly dire for the survivors of the impending destruction and exile that they would actively prefer the release of death to the continuation of their miserable existence. This verse powerfully underscores the profound despair and hopelessness that would engulf those scattered across foreign lands, serving as a stark testament to the ultimate and devastating consequences of persistent rebellion against the Divine will and the sovereign hand of the LORD in orchestrating both judgment and dispersion.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 8:3 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its stark and chilling message with maximum impact. The most prominent is Hyperbole, where the choice of death over life is an extreme exaggeration designed to emphasize the profound, unimaginable, and utterly unbearable suffering that awaits the survivors. This is not a literal instruction to choose death, but a vivid, emotionally charged portrayal of utter despair. There is also a strong sense of Irony present; life, which is normally cherished, becomes an unbearable burden, and death, typically feared, becomes a longed-for escape. The phrase "this evil family" functions as a Metonymy or Synecdoche, representing the entire corrupt nation of Judah through the familial term, powerfully highlighting their collective guilt and the pervasive depth of their moral and spiritual decay. Finally, the concluding Divine Pronouncement ("saith the LORD of hosts") serves as a powerful rhetorical device, lending absolute authority, certainty, and solemnity to the prophecy, underscoring the irreversible and divinely ordained nature of God's judgment.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 8:3 stands as a profound theological statement on the gravity of persistent sin and the absolute certainty of divine judgment for unrepentant rebellion against God's covenant. It reveals that God's patience has limits, and His justice will ultimately prevail, even if it means bringing His chosen people to a state of utter despair and existential anguish. The preference for death over life is a chilling illustration of the spiritual death and desolation that results from persistent separation from God, where all hope, meaning, and purpose are stripped away. This verse powerfully reminds us that true life, flourishing, and well-being are found only in covenant relationship with the LORD, and turning away from Him leads to a desolate and unbearable existence, even if physically alive. It is a stark warning that the consequences of spiritual apostasy are not merely temporal but can impact the very will to live, demonstrating the ultimate futility of a life lived apart from its Creator.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 8:3, though rooted in the specific historical context of ancient Judah's impending judgment, carries timeless spiritual weight and profound implications for believers today. It serves as a potent and sobering reminder of the devastating consequences of spiritual apathy, hardened hearts, and persistent disobedience to God's revealed will. While we may not face physical exile in the same manner, the underlying spiritual principle remains: a life lived apart from God's guidance, grace, and truth inevitably leads to a profound spiritual emptiness and despair that can make even existence feel unbearable. This verse calls us to deep introspection, urging us to honestly examine our own lives for areas of rebellion, compromise, or spiritual indifference. It challenges us to heed God's warnings in His Word, to cultivate a tender and responsive heart towards His commands, and to actively pursue genuine repentance and steadfast obedience. Ultimately, it underscores the preciousness of life lived in vibrant communion with God, and the tragic alternative of a life lived in spiritual barrenness, where even the gift of existence itself becomes a heavy and unwanted burden.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why would the survivors prefer death over life?
Answer: The preference for death over life in Jeremiah 8:3 signifies an unimaginable level of suffering and despair. It's not a literal choice but a powerful hyperbole emphasizing that the conditions of their existence in exile—marked by extreme hardship, the loss of their homeland, the desecration of their dead, constant fear, and the profound spiritual consequence of God's judgment—would be so utterly unbearable that the natural human instinct for survival would be completely inverted. They would long for the peace and release that death offers, rather than enduring the agony of their continued, hopeless existence, a sentiment powerfully echoed in Job 3:20-22.
Who is referred to as "this evil family"?
Answer: "This evil family" refers to the people of Judah, particularly the generation living during Jeremiah's ministry, who had persistently engaged in widespread idolatry, social injustice, and spiritual rebellion against the covenant God. Despite repeated warnings and urgent calls to repentance through His prophets, they hardened their hearts and stubbornly refused to turn back to the LORD, thus earning this severe and damning divine indictment. Their collective sin and pervasive moral decay made them deserving of the severe judgment prophesied, demonstrating the corporate consequences of national apostasy.
What is the significance of the title "LORD of hosts" in this context?
Answer: The title "LORD of hosts" (Hebrew: Yahweh Sabaoth) is profoundly significant here. It emphasizes God's supreme power, absolute authority, and sovereign control over all creation, including heavenly armies and earthly nations. By concluding the prophecy with "saith the LORD of hosts," Jeremiah underscores that this dire prediction is not merely a human opinion or a political forecast, but a certain, immutable, and irreversible decree from the Almighty God, who commands all forces and orchestrates all events, including the exile and suffering of His people as a precise form of divine discipline. It highlights the absolute certainty and divine origin of the judgment, ensuring the audience understood its ultimate source.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 8:3, with its chilling depiction of a people preferring death to life due to the crushing weight of sin and divine judgment, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the profound contrast of the Gospel. While Judah faced a judgment that stripped away all hope, leading to a longing for death, Jesus Christ came to offer true life in abundance, even in the face of spiritual death. Humanity, enslaved by sin, was truly in a state worse than physical death, utterly separated from God and without hope (Ephesians 2:1-3). Yet, Christ, through His sacrificial death on the cross and glorious resurrection, decisively conquered the power of sin and death, offering a way out of humanity's deepest despair. He is the Resurrection and the Life, promising that those who believe in Him, though they die physically, yet shall live eternally. The despair of Jeremiah 8:3, born from rebellion against God, is utterly overcome by the vibrant hope found in Christ, who graciously invites all who are weary and burdened by the weight of sin and life to find rest in Him. He transforms the longing for death into a longing for eternal life with God, a life secured not by human choice to escape suffering, but by divine grace through faith in the One who gives life to the world and promises to give abundant life.