Jeremiah 21:10 · Bible study
Jeremiah 21:10 Commentary: God's Set Face Against Jerusalem
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God set His face for evil? Jeremiah 21:10 reveals God's determined judgment on Jerusalem for sin, yet shows His justice and mercy.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God has made an unchangeable decision to bring disaster on Jerusalem through Babylon, as a just penalty for covenant unfaithfulness.
- Key words: Panim (face, presence) + sam (set, fixed); ra‘ah (disaster, harm); esh (fire).
- Main debate: Whether “evil” implies God’s moral imperfection or describes the painful nature of His just judgment.
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty in judgment, the consequences of sin, and the paradox of judgment as a means of preserving a remnant.
- Best use: Preaching on the seriousness of sin, the reality of divine judgment, and the call to trust God’s word even when it asks for costly obedience.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For I have set My face against this city to bring disaster and not good, declares the LORD. It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.’
WEB World English Bible 2000
For I have set my face on this city for evil, and not for good,” says Yahweh. “It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.”’
KJV King James Version 1769
For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
For I have set my face upon this city for evil, and not for good, saith Jehovah: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For I have set My face against this city for evil, And not for good--an affirmation of Jehovah. Into the hand of the king of Babylon it is given, And he hath burned it with fire.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith Jehovah: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Porque mi rostro he puesto contra esta ciudad para mal, y no para bien, dice Jehová: en mano del rey de Babilonia será entregada, y quemarála á fuego.
Porque pus meu rosto contra esta cidade para o mal, e não para o bem, diz o SENHOR; nas mãos do rei de Babilônia será entregue, e ele a queimará a fogo.
Car je dirige mes regards contre cette ville pour faire du mal et non du bien, dit l’ Éternel; elle sera livrée entre les mains du roi de Babylone, qui la brûlera par le feu.
Denn ich habe mein Angesicht über diese Stadt gerichtet zum Unglück und zu keinem Guten, spricht der HERR. Sie soll dem König zu Babel übergeben werden, daß er sie mit Feuer verbrenne.
Want Ik heb Mijn aangezicht tegen deze stad gesteld ten kwade en niet ten goede, spreekt de HEERE; zij zal gegeven worden in de hand des konings van Babel, en hij zal ze met vuur verbranden.
Poiché io volgo la mia faccia contro questa città per farle del male e non del bene, dice l’Eterno; essa sarà data in mano del re di Babilonia, ed egli la darà alle fiamme.
Bom obrócił oblicze moje przeciwko temu miastu ku złemu, a nie ku dobremu, mówi Pan. W rękę króla Babilońskiego podane będzie, i spali je ogniem.
ибо Я обратил лице Мое против города сего, говорит Господь, на зло, а не на добро; он будет предан в руки царя Вавилонского, и тот сожжет его огнем.
耶和華 說： 我向這 城 變 臉，降禍 不 降福；這城必交 在巴比倫 王 的手中，他必用火 焚燒。』」
For my face is turned to this town for evil and not for good, says the Lord: it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will have it burned with fire.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 21:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that God’s decision is fixed and final. Calvin explains that ‘to set the face’ means to be resolute, what God has decreed cannot be changed. Gill echoes this, noting the phrase indicates God’s mind was set on ruin because of the people’s sins. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown connect the phrase to Leviticus, where God sets His face against those who persist in rebellion. The word rendered ‘evil’ (ra‘ah) here carries the sense of disaster or punishment, not moral wrong. As Lange and Matthew Henry observe, the city’s destruction is the unavoidable outcome of covenant rebellion, yet it also serves as a clear call to choose life by surrendering to Babylon. Clarke calls it ‘a heavy message’, sobering but honest.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Retributive justice view: The <em>ra‘ah</em> is justly deserved punishment for covenantal unfaithfulness; God remains perfectly good.
- Anthropomorphic expression view: 'Set my face' is intensely human language to convey God’s unwavering decision; it does not imply emotion or moral flaw.
- Covenantal discipline view: God’s judgment is corrective, aiming to purify a remnant (Deuteronomy 30:1–3; Jeremiah 24).
What is clear: God’s decision to bring grave disaster upon Jerusalem is irrevocable in this situation, and the cause is the people’s persistent sin—not any caprice or moral fault in God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'evil' (ra‘ah) | All traditions agree the word refers to disaster, calamity, or punishment, not moral wrong on God’s part. | Some evangelicals stress it as purely retributive justice; some Catholic and mainline readings emphasize the pedagogical purpose of suffering within covenant discipline. |
| Whether God's face being 'set' allows for repentance | The verse declares an unalterable decree for the city’s destruction in this historical moment. | Reformed commentators (Calvin, Gill) treat it as an absolute sovereign decree. Arminian and Wesleyan traditions (Clarke, Matthew Henry) see it as the settled consequence of sin that could have been averted if the people had repented earlier. |
| Use of pagan Babylon as instrument | God alone controls history, using foreign powers to execute His purposes. | Some prioritize God’s sovereignty (Babylon is even called His servant in Jeremiah 25:9); others emphasize Babylon’s moral guilt and later judgment (Jeremiah 50, 51). |
| Interpretation of 'burn it with fire' | This refers to the literal destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC. | Some traditions (preterist readings) limit fulfillment to that event; others see it as a pattern of divine judgment that recurs in history and will culminate in final judgment. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits in the final years of Judah’s existence as a nation. King Zedekiah, a vassal of Babylon, had rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, triggering a brutal siege of Jerusalem (2 Kings 24, 25; Jeremiah 52). Zedekiah sent a delegation to Jeremiah hoping for a miraculous deliverance like those of Hezekiah’s day. Instead, Jeremiah delivers a devastating reply: escape is possible only by deserting to the Chaldeans.
Ancient Near Eastern warfare routinely used fire to obliterate conquered cities, an act of total humiliation. The phrase ‘set my face’ occurs in Leviticus (17:10; 20:3, 5; 26:17) and Psalm 34:16, where God’s face marks out opponents for judgment. Here it means God has turned from protector to adversary.
Jerusalem’s false hope rested on the temple and the Davidic covenant. Yet Jeremiah insists that God’s word, not the building, is the anchor of security. This historical crisis forced the people to choose: trust national institutions or trust the prophet’s word. The verse shatters any illusion that divine election guarantees immunity.
Textual Notes
No significant textual variants affect the meaning of this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The phrase ‘set my face … for evil’ appears consistently in all major traditions (LXX, Syriac, Targum), with the Syriac reading ‘against’ instead of ‘upon,’ as noted by Calvin. The sense remains identical.
Reception History
Early Christian writers, including Origen and Jerome, interpreted this verse as a warning of God’s judgment against a faithless covenant people, often applying it to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Medieval Jewish exegetes like Rashi focused on the historical context, stressing that Zedekiah’s rebellion caused the disaster. During the Reformation, Calvin and others used the passage to emphasize God’s sovereignty in judgment. In later centuries, liberal Protestantism sometimes struggled with the idea of God ordaining evil; many commentators clarified the semantic range of ra‘ah to preserve God’s goodness. African American preaching traditionally used texts like this to speak of God’s righteous judgment against oppressive systems, while also calling for repentance. Today the verse appears in liturgies during seasons of national lament.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s face is set. The Hebrew idiom sam panim means a settled, unchangeable purpose. God does not act capriciously; His judgment is deliberate and grounded in generations of rejected warnings.
- God’s purpose is for harm, not good. The word ra‘ah means calamity and suffering, not moral evil. Judgment is the righteous consequence of persistent sin. God’s goodness is displayed in His justice, not in exempting the guilty.
- God’s tool is Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar becomes the instrument of fire. Fire in Scripture often symbolizes God’s judgment (Jeremiah 17:27; 2 Chronicles 36:19). The city that trusted in its own strength is consumed by the very power it defied.
Five-point outline
- The context of crisis. Zedekiah’s rebellion and false confidence in the temple.
- The fixed decree. God’s face set, irrevocable, not impulsive.
- The purpose declared. For evil (disaster), not good, a painful but necessary chastening.
- The agency named. The king of Babylon, God uses pagan nations to accomplish His will.
- The outcome described. Fire destroys the city, yet even in judgment, a way of escape is offered (v.9).
Illustration hooks
- A judge who must sentence a loved one. The grief of the judge does not cancel the justice required by the crime.
- A homeowner watching firefighters demolish his garage to save the house. What looks like destruction is actually a necessary means to a greater end.
- A sports team that refuses to change its losing strategy, hoping for a miracle win, when the coach already told them the only way forward is a new plan.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really bring disaster? How can a good God cause suffering?
- If God’s face is set, is there any hope for change?
- Why would God use a wicked nation like Babylon to judge His own people?
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah 21:10 forces us to face a difficult truth: God’s patience has limits, and His judgment is real. But verse 9 reveals that even in judgment, God offers a path to life. This passage invites us to examine where we place our security, in institutions, rituals, or in surrender to God’s word.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 21:1, 10. What did Zedekiah expect from Jeremiah? Why would God’s answer have been so shocking?
- The phrase “set my face” appears in Leviticus 17:10 and 20:3, 6. What does it communicate about God’s resolve?
- Why does the Bible use the word “evil” (ra‘ah) for God’s action? How do the commentators help us understand this?
- Why would God command His own people to surrender to Babylon? What does that reveal about priorities?
- In what ways might we trust in “Jerusalem” today, our church, traditions, or status as Christians, rather than in God’s direct word?
- Do you believe God ever brings hardship as judgment? How does this passage shape your understanding of difficult seasons?
- Where do you see God’s mercy even inside a message of judgment? What hope does verse 9 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)
| Leviticus 17:10 | “‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. |
| Leviticus 20:3 | I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. |
| Leviticus 20:5 | then I will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people. |
| Leviticus 26:17 | I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you. |
| II Chronicles 36:19 | They burned God’s house, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all of its valuable vessels. |
| Psalms 34:16 | Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth. |
| Jeremiah 17:27 | But if you will not listen to me to make the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem. It will not be quenched.”’” |
| Jeremiah 26:6 | then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’” |
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
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke observes that the command to burn something with fire carries a heavy message, especially for those who fear God and revere the temple and its sacred services. He emphasizes that the severity of this judgment would strike hardest the most devout.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights that God "set his face" against Jerusalem, meaning he was resolutely determined to punish it. He compares futile human resistance to someone who violently stumbles against a stone, breaking limbs. For Calvin, any hope of escape was equivalent to struggling against God himself, leading to final ruin.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Jeremiah's blunt warnings about Jerusalem's fall led his own countrymen to accuse him of treason and disloyalty. The phrase "I have set my face against this city" carries a fixed, stern divine resolve, showing that God's judgment is deliberate and not impulsive.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
For I haue set my face against this citie, for euill and not for good, saith the Lord: it shalbe giuen into the hande of the King of Babel, and he shall burne it with fire.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that when God sets his face against a city, it expresses settled fury and an irreversible decision to destroy. He notes that God delivers Jerusalem to Babylon not for any good but to execute deserved punishment for sin, and the burning that follows is God's own doing through human agents.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the phrase "set my face against" expresses a settled, deliberate purpose to punish. It is not a casual or half-hearted action but a determined divine judgment, as seen in a parallel usage in Leviticus.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that God's reply forced Jeremiah to give advice that would destroy any goodwill the king and people had begun to show him. The prophet had to tell them the only way to live was to surrender to the Babylonians, a message bound to make him hated even more.