Jeremiah 9:11

And I will make Jerusalem heaps, [and] a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.

And I will make {H5414} Jerusalem {H3389} heaps {H1530}, and a den {H4583} of dragons {H8577}; and I will make {H5414} the cities {H5892} of Judah {H3063} desolate {H8077}, without an inhabitant {H3427}.

"I will make Yerushalayim a heap of ruins, turn it into a lair for jackals, and make the cities of Y'hudah desolate, with no one living there."

“And I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

And I will make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling-place of jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.

Jeremiah 9:11 delivers a stark prophecy of divine judgment against the kingdom of Judah and its capital, Jerusalem. This verse vividly describes the catastrophic consequences of the nation's persistent rebellion against God.

Context

The prophet Jeremiah ministered in the turbulent decades leading up to the Babylonian exile, a period marked by profound spiritual decline in Judah. Despite repeated warnings and calls to repentance, the people, their leaders, and even the priests largely ignored God's commands, engaging in idolatry, social injustice, and false worship. Jeremiah, often called the "weeping prophet," delivered God's sorrowful yet resolute pronouncements of impending destruction. This verse is part of a larger lament and prophecy foretelling the complete devastation of Jerusalem and the surrounding cities of Judah, a direct result of their unwavering disobedience and rejection of God's covenant.

Key Themes

  • Divine Judgment: The verse underscores God's righteous wrath against sin. It is not an arbitrary act but a just response to prolonged unfaithfulness and rebellion against His laws and warnings.
  • Utter Desolation: The imagery of "heaps" and a "den of dragons" paints a picture of complete ruin and abandonment. What was once a vibrant capital and inhabited cities would become a desolate wasteland, fit only for wild creatures, signifying the profound extent of the destruction.
  • Consequences of Sin: This prophecy serves as a powerful reminder that there are severe consequences for rejecting God's word and living in persistent sin. The nation's spiritual decay directly led to its physical ruin and displacement.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "heaps" is tel (תֵּל), which refers to an artificial mound formed by the accumulated debris of successive human settlements, indicating a place that has been utterly destroyed and left as ruins. The phrase "den of dragons" uses the Hebrew word tannim (תַּנִּים), which can refer to jackals, wild dogs, or even serpents. These creatures are commonly associated with desolate, uninhabited places, further emphasizing the complete abandonment and wildness that would overtake Jerusalem and Judah, devoid of human life.

Practical Application

While this prophecy was specifically for ancient Judah, its principles remain timeless. It highlights the seriousness of sin and the certainty of God's justice. For believers today, it serves as a solemn warning against spiritual complacency and the dangers of ignoring God's word. It also implicitly points to the importance of repentance and seeking God's will. Even in the face of such dire judgment, God's ultimate plan often includes a future hope and restoration for those who turn to Him, as seen in later prophecies by Jeremiah that offer a path to reconciliation and renewal after a period of discipline.

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 25:2

    For thou hast made of a city an heap; [of] a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.

  • Jeremiah 10:22

    Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, [and] a den of dragons.

  • Jeremiah 51:37

    And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

  • Isaiah 13:22

    And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in [their] pleasant palaces: and her time [is] near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

  • Isaiah 34:13

    And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, [and] a court for owls.

  • Lamentations 2:7

    The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.

  • Lamentations 2:8

    The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.

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