I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
What does Jeremiah 18:17 mean?
Sinners call it liberty to live at large; whereas for a man to be a slave to his lusts, is the very worst slavery. They forsook God for idols.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside Jeremiah 18:14-17 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Jeremiah 18:17
I will shew them the back - The hiding of God's face is the sure sign of His displeasure Isaiah 1:15 ; Isaiah 59:2 . I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy. (Compare Genesis 41:6 ; Exodus 10:13 ; Exodus 14:21 ; Job 38:24 ; Psalm 78:26 ; Habakkuk 1:6 ). This wind was usually hot, noxious, blasting and scorching (Taylor).
Key words
- scatter
-
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy,.
- before
-
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy,.
- enemy
-
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy,.
Context in Jeremiah 18
Show chapter context
Jeremiah 18 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as conflict with kings, priests, and prophets. Jeremiah combines fierce warning, autobiographical anguish, symbolic action, the promise of a new covenant, and the trauma of Jerusalem’s fall. Read this chapter with the wider themes of judgment, tears, and new covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.
Bible verses about suffering and trials
Key passages on grief, endurance, lament, divine mystery, and the Christian claim that suffering is neither final nor meaningless.
Bible verses about justice and mercy
Key texts on public righteousness, neighbor-love, social ethics, compassion, and the prophetic refusal to separate worship from justice.