Jeremiah 16:21 · Bible study
Jeremiah 16:21 Commentary: Study, 'This Once' God Makes His Hand Known
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Analyze Jeremiah 16:21: the emphatic 'this once', the Hiphil causative 'cause to know', and debate over exile vs restoration as God's self-revelation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God announces a definitive revelation of His power and identity through a climactic event, likely the Babylonian exile and/or restoration, that will leave no doubt that He alone is Yahweh.
- Key words: “this once” (ba·pa·ʿam ha·zōt, emphatic, singular time); “cause to know” (Hiphil of yādaʿ, divine initiative in teaching); “hand and might” (yad and gevurah, power in action).
- Main debate: Does the “once” refer to judgment only (the exile), or does it include the restoration? Does the revelation target only Judah, or also the nations?
- Theological theme: God reveals His identity through historical events; true knowledge of God is experiential, not merely intellectual.
- Best use: A powerful text for preaching on God’s sovereignty, the purpose of judgment, and the hope that even severe discipline aims at restoring relationship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
“Therefore behold, I will inform them, and this time I will make them know My power and My might; then they will know that My name is the LORD.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“Therefore behold, I will cause them to know, this once I will cause them to know my hand and my might. Then they will know that my name is Yahweh.”
KJV King James Version 1769
Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know, this once will I cause them to know my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Therefore, lo, I am causing them to know at this time, I cause them to know My hand and My might, And they have known that My name is Jehovah!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is Jehovah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore behold I will this once cause them to know, I will shew them my hand and my power: and they shall know that my name is the Lord.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por tanto, he aquí, les enseñaré de esta vez, enseñarles he mi mano y mi fortaleza, y sabrán que mi nombre es Jehová.
Portanto eis que desta vez lhes farei conhecer, lhes farei conhecer minha mão e meu poder, e saberão que EU-SOU é o meu nome.
C’ est pourquoi voici, je leur fais connaître, cette fois,
Darum siehe, nun will ich sie lehren und meine Hand und Gewalt ihnen kundtun, daß sie erfahren sollen, ich heiße der HERR.
Daarom, ziet, Ik zal hun bekend maken op ditmaal; Ik zal hun bekend maken Mijn hand en Mijn macht; en zij zullen weten, dat Mijn Naam is HEERE.
Perciò, ecco, io farò loro conoscere, questa volta farò loro conoscere la mia mano e la mia potenza; e sapranno che il mio nome è l’Eterno.
Dlatego oto Ja sprawię, aby poznali tym razem; sprawię, mówię, aby poznali rękę moję i moc moję, i dowiedzieli się, że imię moje jest Pan.
Посему, вот Я покажу им ныне, покажу им руку Мою и могущество Мое, и узнают, что имя Мое - Господь.
耶和華說：「 我要使他們知道，就是這 一次 使他們知道 我的手 和 我的能力。他們就知道 我的名 是耶和華了。」
For this reason, truly, I will make them see, this once I will give them knowledge of my hand and my power; and they will be certain that my name is the Lord.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 16:21
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Jeremiah 16:21 promises a climactic, unmistakable self-revelation of God. The phrase “this once” (ba·pa·ʿam ha·zōt) points to a decisive moment, the Babylonian exile stands as the leading candidate, though some see the restoration as equally, or more, revealing. Barnes specifies the burning of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar as the greatest display of God's “hand” in Israel's history. Calvin, however, sees the verse encompassing both the captivity and the restoration: God first shows His power in judgment, then again in deliverance, so that the cumulative effect forces recognition of Yahweh alone. Gill notes a minority reading that extends the promise to Gentiles through the gospel, but he and most others anchor it primarily in Judah’s experience. The repeated verb “I will cause them to know” (Hiphil of yādaʿ) underscores God’s intentional action, this knowledge is not stumbled upon but actively given through events that no one can miss. The consensus holds that the result is certain: “they shall know that my name is Yahweh,” the incomparable, covenant-keeping God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Exile as exclusive referent: The immediate context (vv. 14–15 and the surrounding threats) points to the Babylonian captivity as the final, unanswerable proof of God’s power (Barnes, Wesley, Keil & Delitzsch).
- Exile and restoration together: The repetition of “I will cause them to know” suggests two phases — judgment followed by deliverance — both revealing God’s might in different ways (Calvin). The promise of restoration in vv. 14–15 supports this.
- Gentile inclusion through gospel: The nations’ confession in v. 19 and the rhetorical question about idols in v. 20 open the door to interpreting the “them” as Gentiles converted through the spread of the gospel (Gill, minority view).
What is clear: God will take decisive action to demonstrate His power and uniqueness, resulting in experiential knowledge that He alone is Yahweh; this action is the answer to centuries of idolatry and unbelief.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The referent of “this once” | The phrase points to a single, climactic act of divine intervention that will decisively teach God’s people. | Some commentators (Barnes, Wesley) identify it exclusively with the Babylonian exile and its devastating judgment. Others (Calvin, Gill) argue it encompasses both the exile and the restoration, a two-stage revelation that first humbles, then redeems. |
| Whether the verse includes Gentiles | The context of vv. 19, 20 shows a universal horizon: nations come from afar to confess the folly of idols. | Calvin and Keil & Delitzsch limit the “them” of v. 21 to the Jewish people in exile. Gill mentions a reading that sees the verse as a promise of grace to the Gentiles through the gospel, though he considers this a minority view. |
| The nature of the knowledge gained | The goal is that people “know that my name is Yahweh”, an experiential, confessional knowledge that the one true God is self-existent and faithful to His covenant. | Are these events primarily pedagogical (teaching through discipline) or do they also carry redemptive purpose? Most see a disciplinary intent, but the inclusion of restoration in some interpretations gives the knowledge a saving dimension. |
| The role of human response | God takes full initiative: He will “cause them to know.” The knowledge is not achieved by human effort but by divine action in history. | Some emphasize that the people must still respond in repentance (implied by the confession in v. 19). Others focus on the certainty of the outcome, regardless of human response, God will be known as Yahweh. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 16 sits within a long indictment against Judah for persistent idolatry (see vv. 10, 13). The nation had polluted the land with “carcasses of their detestable things” (v. 18), adopting the religious practices of surrounding peoples. God’s response, through the prophet, is a series of judgments that culminate in exile, the “fishers” and “hunters” of v. 16 representing enemy armies that would sweep the land clean. Yet immediately before v. 21, the tone shifts in vv. 19, 20. The prophet speaks of “the nations” coming from the ends of the earth, confessing that their ancestors inherited “lies, vanity, and things in which there is no profit.” This universal horizon hints that the coming events will not only teach Judah but also demonstrate to the pagan world the emptiness of its gods. The phrase “my hand and my might” echoes the Exodus language of divine intervention (Exodus 9:14; 14:4). In the ancient Near East, a god’s “hand” and “might” were proven by victory in war and control over history. Jeremiah 16:21 therefore declares that Yahweh will prove His unique deity by acting in the political realm, through Babylon’s rise, Judah’s fall, and ultimately the return from exile, just as He had done in Egypt. The surrounding verses (14, 15) even promise a new exodus that would eclipse the old one, making the revelation even more powerful. Historically, Jeremiah ministered from the late 7th to early 6th centuries BC, witnessing the final collapse of Assyria, the rise of Babylon, and the first deportations of Judah (605, 597, 586 BC). This verse likely dates to the period when the Babylonian threat was already imminent, and Jeremiah was calling the people to surrender as God’s appointed instrument of judgment.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant Hebrew textual variants for Jeremiah 16:21. Calvin mentions that the Septuagint places “my hand” before the first colon: “Behold I will manifest to them at this time my hand”, transposing “hand” to the first clause. This does not affect the meaning and is not supported by any Hebrew manuscript evidence. The verse is textually stable across the major traditions.
Reception History
Jeremiah 16:21 has been read primarily within the framework of divine judgment and covenant instruction. Early and medieval interpreters often connected it to the Babylonian exile as God’s definitive punishment for idolatry, fulfilling the curses of Deuteronomy 28. The phrase “that they may know that my name is Yahweh” echoes Psalm 83:18, and the verse has been used in prayers for God to vindicate His name against false gods. Reformation commentators like Calvin stressed that the exile and restoration together demonstrated God’s free grace and sovereign power. Puritan writers (Gill, Henry) saw the verse as both a warning to the unrepentant and a promise that the gospel would bring the nations to know the true God. In modern preaching, the verse is often cited to affirm that God uses both hardship and deliverance to teach His people, and that His ultimate goal is relational knowledge of Himself.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- A decisive moment is coming. “This once” signals that God will do something unprecedented and unrepeatable in its force. Whether judgment or restoration, the event will be unmistakable.
- God reveals Himself through action. “My hand and my might” are not abstract titles but tangible interventions in history. God teaches by doing, not merely by speaking.
- Knowledge of God is the goal. The final purpose of discipline, mercy, or both is that people, and nations, would know that Yahweh alone is God.
Five-point outline
- “Therefore”, a consequence of persistent idolatry. God’s action is a response to Judah’s refusal to learn through lesser judgments.
- “Behold”, an urgent call to attention. The Hebrew hinnē demands active listening; something new is about to happen.
- “This once”, a singular, climactic event. The definite article with “time” stresses a unique moment, not merely another punishment but the one that will finally teach.
- “I will cause them to know”, divine initiative in revelation. The Hiphil causative shows that God does not wait for human discovery; He breaks in with overwhelming evidence of His power.
- “My name is Yahweh”, the unshakable conclusion. The name itself means “I AM,” the self-existent, covenant God. When this lesson lands, idolatry loses its grip.
Illustration hooks
- A parent who has warned a child repeatedly about a hot stove finally lets the child touch it, a painful but unforgettable lesson about cause and effect.
- A patient who ignores a doctor’s advice for years and then faces a major surgery that forces a complete lifestyle change.
- An athlete who coasts on natural talent until a crushing defeat teaches the discipline that was always needed.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God sometimes let things get worse before they get better?
- How can I tell if a difficult event is God teaching me or just random suffering?
- Does God still reveal His power today, or was that only in Bible times?
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah 16:21 is a watershed verse: God declares that He will take decisive action so that His people, and through them the nations, finally acknowledge Him as Yahweh. The group leader should note that the surrounding chapters balance judgment with a hope of restoration, and the group should explore how both sides of God’s character are revealed through this “once” moment.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 16:19, 21 together. What do you notice about the sequence of events? Who is speaking, and what seems to prompt God’s declaration in v. 21?
- The Hebrew phrase “this once” (ba·pa·ʿam ha·zōt) emphasizes a single, decisive event. Why do you think God stresses that this time will be different from earlier judgments?
- How does the Exodus background (Exodus 9:14; 14:4) shape the meaning of “my hand and my might” in verse 21? What does that language tell you about the kind of revelation God intends?
- Commentators disagree on whether the “once” refers primarily to the Babylonian exile, the restoration from exile, or both. Which reading makes the most sense to you, and why? What difference does it make for understanding God’s character?
- Verse 20 asks, “Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?” How does the empty promise of idols contrast with the certainty of “my name is Yahweh”?
- If God’s goal is that people “know” Him (the verb yādaʿ implies experiential knowledge), what does that suggest about how God teaches us today? Are there events in your own life that you now see as times when God was making Himself known?
- How can this verse encourage a church that feels its culture or nation has turned away from God? What hope does the promise of revelation, even through hardship, offer?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 9:14 | For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. |
| Exodus 9:18 | Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. |
| Exodus 14:4 | I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies; and the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh.” They did so. |
| Exodus 15:3 | Yahweh is a man of war. Yahweh is his name. |
| Psalms 9:16 | Yahweh has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah. |
| Psalms 83:18 | that they may know that you alone, whose name is Yahweh, are the Most High over all the earth. |
| Isaiah 43:3 | For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. |
| Jeremiah 33:2 | “Yahweh who does it, Yahweh who forms it to establish it—Yahweh is his name, says: |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights the irony that those who refused to know God through His abundant mercies will be forced to know Him through devastating judgment. Their captivity is not a change in God's plan but the inevitable consequence of rejecting His grace, revealing His power in a way they cannot ignore.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes singles out the burning of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity as the supreme display of God’s “hand” in all His dealings with Israel. He argues that no other event, whether measured by the scale of national disgrace and suffering or by its lasting impact on the Jewish psyche, compares to this one.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible points out that many scholars doubt the authenticity of large parts of this passage, though their arguments are not conclusive except for two specific verses. The commentary notes a broad consensus against the passage, yet it does not consider the case proven for most of the disputed material.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes that God declares a unique, decisive act of teaching. He will display His hand and power so the people finally recognize that His name is the Lord. This is a singular demonstration meant to compel acknowledgment, not repeated instruction.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that most interpreters see this verse as a threat of punishment to idolatrous Jews rather than a promise of grace to Gentiles. He explains that through the Babylonian captivity, God would make them know His hand and might in judgment, causing them to acknowledge His name as the Lord.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
The commentator sees God's purpose in judgment as turning people from idols back to Himself. The use of God's personal name, Jehovah, is crucial: it belongs only to the true God, and applying it to idols is blasphemy. This judgment reinforces both God's threats and promises.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the fishermen and hunters in this passage do not represent gathering the people back to their land, but rather capturing them for punishment. The hunters specifically pursue those who flee to hiding places, ensuring that no one escapes judgment. By requiting "double," God repays their sins in full measure before any restoration.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that judgment and mercy are so tightly interwoven in these verses that it is hard to tell which is which, and some passages seem to look ahead to gospel times. He stresses that God sees every hidden sin and will certainly punish idolatry.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that God's mercy failed to teach His people about His might, so He will now use judgment to force that understanding. Through dreadful strokes of vengeance they will finally grasp that His name is Jehovah, the self-existent God who has all power, unlike their powerless idols.