Jeremiah 18:21 · Bible study
Jeremiah 18:21 Commentary: Understanding Imprecatory Prayer
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah prays for judgment on his enemies. How can Christians reconcile this with Jesus' command to love enemies? A study of prophetic imprecation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jeremiah prays for God to bring covenant curses, famine, sword, death, upon his enemies who plot against him.
- Key words: 'give over' (תֵּן), 'famine' (רָעָב), 'sword' (חֶרֶב), 'childless' (שַׁכֻּלוֹת), 'widows' (אַלְמָנוֹת), 'slain of death' (הֲרֻגֵי מָוֶת).
- Main debate: Whether the imprecations are a personal curse or a prophetic announcement of divine judgment.
- Theological theme: God's justice in response to covenant violation and persecution of His prophet.
- Best use: Study the nature of imprecatory prayer in the Old Testament and its relationship to New Testament ethics.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives become childless and widows. Let their men be killed and their young men struck by the sword in battle.
KJV King James Version 1769
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men smitten of the sword in battle.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Therefore, give up their sons to famine, And cause them to run on the sides of the sword, And their wives are bereaved and widows, And their men are slain by death, Their young men smitten by sword in battle,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Therefore give up their children to the famine, and deliver them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of children and be widows; and let their men be swept off by death, their young men be smitten by the sword in battle.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children and widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por tanto, entrega sus hijos á hambre, y hazlos derramar por medio de la espada; y queden sus mujeres sin hijos, y viudas; y sus maridos sean puestos á muerte, y sus jóvenes heridos á cuchillo en la guerra.
Portanto entrega os filhos deles à fome, e derrama-os pelo poder da espada; e restem suas mulheres sem filhos e viúvas; e seus maridos sejam postos a morte, e seus rapazes sejam feridos à espada na guerra.
C’ est pourquoi livre leurs enfants à la famine,
So strafe nun ihre Kinder mit Hunger und laß sie ins Schwert fallen, daß ihre Weiber ohne Kinder und Witwen seien und ihre Männer zu Tode geschlagen und ihre junge Mannschaft im Streit durchs Schwert erwürgt werde;
Daarom, geef hun zonen den honger over, en doe ze wegvloeien door het geweld des zwaards, en laat hun vrouwen van kinderen beroofd en weduwen worden, en laat hun mannen door den dood omgebracht, en hun jongelingen met het zwaard geslagen worden in den strijd.
Perciò abbandona i loro figliuoli alla fame; dalli essi stessi in balìa della spada; le loro mogli siano orbate di figliuoli, rimangan vedove; i loro mariti sian feriti a morte; i loro giovani sian colpiti dalla spada in battaglia.
Dlatego dopuść głód na synów ich, a spraw, że okrutnie będą pobici od miecza, że będą żony ich osierociałe i owdowiałe, a mężowie ich że będą haniebnie zamordowani, a dzieci ich pobite mieczem na wojnie.
Итак предай сыновей их голоду и подвергни их мечу; да будут жены их бездетными и вдовами, и мужья их да будут поражены смертью, и юноши их умерщвлены мечом на войне.
故此，願你將 他們的兒女 交 與饑荒 和 刀劍；願 他們的妻 無子，且作寡婦；又願 他們的男人 被死亡 所滅，他們的少年人 在陣上 被刀 擊殺。
For this cause, let their children be without food, and give them over to the power of the sword; and let their wives be without children and become widows; let their men be overtaken by death, and their young men be put to the sword in the fight.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 18:21
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions treat this verse as a test case for understanding imprecatory prayer. Calvin argues that Jeremiah did not act on personal impulse but “was moved not otherwise than by the Holy Spirit” to utter these words as “his faithful instrument.” Clarke similarly reads the passage as “prophetic declarations of the judgments which God was about to pour out on them,” not as directives for Christians to curse enemies. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown agrees: the prophet “speaks under the dictation of the Spirit, ceasing to intercede, and speaking prophetically.” The Cambridge Bible acknowledges the “bitter imprecations” form a “harsh contrast” with New Testament teaching, suggesting the passage may be an editorial addition. Yet the majority view holds the imprecations as divinely authorized announcements of judgment, not personal malediction. This consensus keeps the text in Scripture while sharply distinguishing it from Christian ethics.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Prophetic declaration of judgment: Commentators like Calvin, JFB, and Clarke argue the Spirit dictated these words as God's judgment, not personal frustration.
- Personal imprecation/lament: The prayer is spontaneous and emotional (v.20 'they have dug a pit'), reflecting human anguish under persecution.
- Covenant lawsuit language: The curses mirror Deuteronomy 28, placing the prayer within the framework of covenant enforcement.
What is clear: The prayer arises from real persecution and is presented in Scripture as a legitimate expression of the old covenant community's cry for justice.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the imprecation | The prayer is part of inspired Scripture and reflects genuine anger against sin and injustice. | Some see it as a direct command from God (prophetic declaration); others as Jeremiah's personal prayer (human lament). |
| Relevance for Christian ethics | Christians are not permitted to curse their personal enemies. | Whether the imprecatory elements are entirely superseded by the New Testament or still valid as prayers for God's justice against unrepentant evil. |
| Authorship and integrity | The passage is part of the book of Jeremiah. | Some scholars (e.g., Cambridge Bible, Erbt, Duhm) suggest these verses may be later editorial additions due to their harsh tone, while others accept them as original to Jeremiah. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This prayer occurs immediately after Jeremiah's enemies plot to silence him (Jeremiah 18:18). They dismiss his warnings, claiming they do not need him because they have priests, sages, and prophets who will tell them what they want to hear. The prophet, who had faithfully interceded for this same people (v.20: “I stood before you to speak good for them”), now turns to God in anguish.
The imprecations mirror the covenant curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28 and 32: sword, famine, plague, bereavement. The phrase “men . . . put to death” (literally “slain of death” in Hebrew, halugei mavet) likely refers to death by plague rather than battle (so Gill, noting Kimchi). The request that wives become childless and widows echoes Exodus 22:24, where God promises judgment on oppressors. Culturally, the “hand of the sword” (ʿal yedei ḥerev) is a military metaphor for violent death.
The context of impending Babylonian invasion (fulfilled in 2 Chronicles 36:17) gives these words an edge of real historical threat. Jeremiah's prayer is not a private vendetta but a cry for divine justice against those who are actively opposing God's word and endangering the nation. The verses reflect the prophetic tradition of calling down God's judgment as part of covenant enforcement.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for this verse. Minor differences in English translations (e.g., KJV “pour out their blood” vs WEB “deliver them over to the sword”) reflect alternative renderings of the Hebrew phrase ʿal yedei ḥerev (literally “upon the hands of the sword”), not manuscript divergence.
Reception History
The church has long wrestled with this verse. Early fathers like Origen allegorized imprecatory prayers as spiritual warfare against demons. Augustine, in his City of God, interpreted them as prophetic announcements. Calvin, while uneasy, defended the prophet's Spirit-led zeal. Wesley and Methodists (e.g., Wesley's Explanatory Notes) flatly stated that such prayers are not lawful for Christians. In modern scholarship, the verse has become a touchstone for discussions on the ethics of Old Testament imprecations and the development of biblical ethics toward enemies.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Root of Imprecation: When Human Suffering Meets Divine Justice. Jeremiah's enemies have dug a pit for him (v.20,22). His prayer arises not from malice but from anguish and a plea for God to act righteously.
- The Language of Covenant Judgment. The specific curses (famine, sword, widowhood) directly echo the covenant sanctions of Deuteronomy 28. The prophet speaks within the framework of Israel's covenant with God.
- The Limit of the Old Covenant Perspective. Under the new covenant, Christ calls us to love enemies and pray for persecutors (Matthew 5:44). This passage shows the old administration of justice, which the cross transforms.
Five-point outline
- The Context: Jeremiah's faithful service is repaid with plots (v.18).
- The Cry: Jeremiah appeals to God's justice (v.19-20).
- The Content: Specific imprecations reflect covenant curses.
- The Concern: Is this a prayer or a prophetic pronouncement?
- The Conclusion: Christians read this as Scripture but not as a model for personal prayer.
Illustration hooks
- A parent whose child was harmed by a drunk driver may pray for justice. The rage feels just, but the Christian is called to forgive. Jeremiah's prayer can be a prayer of lament, not of personal vengeance.
- In a courtroom, a judge pronounces a sentence. That is the role of one with authority. Jeremiah is not taking the role of judge; he is appealing to the ultimate Judge.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God hate my enemies as much as Jeremiah seems to?
- Is it a sin to feel like praying for bad things to happen to someone who hurt me?
- How do I reconcile “love your enemies” with passages like this?
Leading a Discussion
The tension in this passage is real. Jeremiah's prayer sounds nothing like “love your enemies.” Yet it is Scripture. Use this discussion to wrestle honestly with the text.
Discussion questions
- What is your immediate emotional reaction to reading verse 21?
- From verses 19-20, what can you tell about Jeremiah's relationship with his enemies?
- How does the surrounding context (v.18) help explain why Jeremiah prays this way?
- What does this passage reveal about God's justice?
- Compare this prayer with Psalm 109:9 and Exodus 22:24. How does the Old Testament treat the subject of divine judgment on enemies?
- In what ways does Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:44 challenge or reinterpret passages like this?
- How can we pray for justice without becoming vengeful?
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 22:24 | and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. |
| Deuteronomy 32:25 | Outside the sword will bereave, and in the rooms, terror on both young man and virgin, the nursing infant with the gray-haired man. |
| II Chronicles 36:17 | Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm. He gave them all into his hand. |
| Psalms 109:9 | Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. |
| Psalms 109:20 | This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh, of those who speak evil against my soul. |
| Jeremiah 9:21 | For death has come up into our windows. It has entered into our palaces to cut off the children from outside, and the young men from the streets. |
| Jeremiah 11:20 | But, Yahweh of Armies, who judges righteously, who tests the heart and the mind, I will see your vengeance on them; for to you I have revealed my cause. |
| Jeremiah 11:23 | There will be no remnant to them, for I will bring evil on the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.’” |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws a sharp line between prophetic pronouncements of judgment and personal vindictiveness. For him, these words are God's
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the prophet's phrase literally says "pour them out upon the hands of the sword," meaning to give them over to the sword, not a specific execution method. He points out that "put to death" is actually "slain of death," making the manner of death entirely indefinite and focusing on the certainty of judgment.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists Jeremiah did not curse his enemies from personal anger but as the Holy Spirit's obedient instrument. He warns that unless we are certain someone is reprobate, we must not imitate such imprecations, because we lack the divine knowledge to pray in this way from pure motives rather than private revenge.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary notes that the bitter curses in this passage stand in sharp contrast to the prophet's usual affectionate grief for his people, and also contradict Christ's teaching in the New Testament. Some scholars therefore regard these verses as a later editorial addition.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note presents this imprecation as a straightforward plea for total divine judgment, listing every
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill assigns specific fates to each group: children perish by famine, parents by the sword, men by pestilence, and young men by the sword in battle. Wives are left both childless and widowed, intensifying their grief. He draws on Jewish interpreters for the distinction between the sword and the pestilence.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB insists this prayer is not a model for personal revenge but a prophetic statement spoken under the Spirit's dictation against those already doomed. He distinguishes the "men" as married past middle age and the "young men" as the flower of unmarried youth.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that Jeremiah’s harsh prayer for judgment is not a cry of personal vengeance. Rather, it flows from pure, selfless zeal for God’s glory. The prophet gives the wicked over to the very judgments he had sought to avert, asking God to deal with them without further intercession.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry draws a lesson from how Jeremiah responds to his enemies: they conspire and attack him with their words, but he appeals to God, reminding Him that he once prayed for these very people and sought to turn away God's wrath from them. For Henry, the prophet's plea for judgment is grounded in that stark contrast—evil repaid for good.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley insists that it is not lawful for Christians to pray for evil against their enemies. Instead, the clear duty of believers is to pray for their enemies' conversion, forgiveness, and eternal salvation.