Jeremiah 5:17 · Bible study
Jeremiah 5:17 Commentary: Devoured by the Enemy
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does 'they will eat your sons and daughters' mean literal cannibalism or total devastation in Jeremiah 5:17? Scholars are divided.
Research Summary
- Meaning: An invading nation (Babylon) will consume everything Judah depends on, food, children, livestock, crops, and fortified cities, as divine judgment for covenant unfaithfulness.
- Key words: ‘Akal (eat/devour) used six times for total consumption; yərōšēš (Poel: shatter/beat down) emphasizes complete destruction of fortresses.
- Main debate: Is “the devouring of sons and daughters” literal cannibalism by invaders, or a metaphor for killing and ruin? The Hebrew allows both; context favors the metaphorical interpretation.
- Theological theme: Covenant curses materialize through historical agents; misplaced trust in human defenses brings ruin; judgment is not final, but purifying.
- Best use: A somber warning against false security and a call to examine where we place ultimate trust.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
They will eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They will eat up your flocks and your herds. They will eat up your vines and your fig trees. They will beat down your fortified cities in which you trust with the sword.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees: they shall impoverish thy fenced cities, wherein thou trustedst, with the sword.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat; they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds; they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall beat down thy fortified cities, wherein thou trustest, with the sword.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And it hath consumed thy harvest and thy bread, They consume thy sons, and thy daughters, It consumeth thy flock, and thy herd, It consumeth thy vine, and thy fig-tree, It maketh poor thy fenced cities, In which thou art trusting--by the sword.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they shall eat up thy harvest and thy bread, they shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters, they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds, they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall destroy with the sword thy strong cities, wherein thou trustedst.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they shall eat up thy corn, and thy bread: they shall devour thy sons, and thy daughters: they shall eat up thy flocks, and thy herds: they shall eat thy vineyards, and thy figs: and with the sword they shall destroy thy strong cities, wherein thou trustest.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y comerá tu mies y tu pan, que habían de comer tus hijos y tus hijas; comerá tus ovejas y tus vacas, comerá tus viñas y tus higueras; y tus ciudades fuertes en que tú confías, tornará en nada á cuchillo.
E comerão tua colheita e teu pão, que teus filhos e tuas filhas comeriam; comerão tuas ovelhas e tuas vacas, comerão tuas vides e tuas figueiras; e derrubarão por meio da espada tuas cidades fortes em que confias.
Elle dévorera ta moisson et ton pain,
Sie werden deine Ernte und dein Brot verzehren; sie werde deine Söhne und Töchter fressen; sie werden deine Schafe und Rinder verschlingen; sie werden deine Weinstöcke und Feigenbäume verzehren; deine festen Städte, darauf du dich verläßt, werden sie mit dem Schwert verderben.
En het zal uw oogst en uw brood opeten, dat uw zonen en uw dochteren zouden eten; het zal uw schapen en uw runderen opeten; het zal uw wijnstok en uw vijgeboom opeten; uw vaste steden, op dewelke gij vertrouwt, zal het arm maken, door het zwaard.
Essa divorerà le tue mèssi e il tuo pane, divorerà i tuoi figliuoli e le tue figliuole, divorerà le tue pecore e i tuoi buoi, divorerà le tue vigne e i tuoi fichi; abbatterà con la spada le tue città forti nelle quali confidi.
I zjedzą urodzaj twój, i chleb twój: pożrą synów twoich i córki twoje; poje trzody twoje i woły twoje; poje winną macicę twoję, i figi twoje, a miasta twoje obronne, w których ty ufasz, mieczem znędzi.
И съедят они жатву твою и хлеб твой, съедят сыновей твоих и дочерей твоих, съедят овец твоих и волов твоих, съедят виноград твой и смоквы твои; разрушат мечом укрепленные города твои, на которые ты надеешься.
他們必吃盡 你的莊稼 和你的糧食，是你兒 女 該吃的；必吃盡 你的牛 羊，吃盡 你的葡萄 和無花果；又必用刀 毀壞 你 所 倚靠 的堅固 城。
They will take all the produce of your fields, which would have been food for your sons and your daughters: they will take your flocks and your herds: they will take all your vines and your fig-trees: and with the sword they will make waste your walled towns in which you put your faith.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 5:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Jeremiah 5:17 announces total devastation as divine judgment through a foreign invader. The Hebrew verb ‘akal (to eat) is used repeatedly for harvest, bread, flocks, vines, and fig trees. When it reaches “your sons and your daughters,” the same verb takes a direct object: the children. Calvin and Keil & Delitzsch read this as “destroy” in a wider sense, not literal cannibalism. Cambridge Bible notes that no known invaders were cannibals, so the phrase is likely metaphorical, shaped by Deuteronomy 28:49, 52 where the besieged themselves eat their children. Gill, however, reports that the Targum and Rabbi Kimchi understood it as killing by the sword. The shift in Hebrew between singular (“it will devour”) and plural (“they will devour”) highlights the nation as a unified force.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal: enemy kills children: The Hebrew directly says 'they will devour your sons and daughters'; early Jewish interpreters like Kimchi and the Targum understood it as violent death by the sword (the 'eat' of the sword).
- Metaphorical: total devastation: Cannibalism by a foreign army is unattested; Deuteronomy 28:49–52 describes the enemy consuming crops and livestock, not children (the besieged eat their own children in famine). Most modern commentaries read it as a metaphor for complete loss.
What is clear: The verse announces that Judah’s rebellion against God will result in a devastating invasion that strips away every source of security and life, leaving nothing untouched.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The identity of the invading nation | All commentators identify the nation as Babylon (or the Chaldeans), based on Jeremiah 5:15 and the historical context of the 6th century BC. | Some early interpreters (e.g., Theodoret) considered the Scythians; most modern scholarship follows the Babylonian identification. |
| Whether 'eat your sons and daughters' is literal cannibalism | The Hebrew verb for 'eat' is the same for all objects, so the language is deliberately stark and shocking. | Literal interpretation (Targum, Kimchi) sees it as killing by the sword; metaphorical interpretation (Calvin, Keil, Cambridge Bible) understands it as total destruction, not cannibalism, influenced by Deuteronomy 28 where the besieged themselves eat their children. |
| The relationship to Deuteronomy 28 covenant curses | Jeremiah 5:17 consciously echoes Deuteronomy 28:49, 52, applying the ancient curses to Judah’s situation. | Whether the echo is a direct quote or a free adaptation; Keil sees it as a 'reminiscence', while others argue it is a deliberate reapplication. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 5:17 belongs to a judgment oracle against Judah (Jeremiah 5:10, 19). The “nation from far away” (v. 15) refers to Babylon, ancient, mighty, speaking an unknown tongue. The prophet draws directly from the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28:49, 52, where Moses warned that a ruthless nation would “eat the fruit of your livestock and the produce of your land.” In the ancient Near East, siege warfare meant total consumption: enemy armies would strip fields, take livestock, and destroy food stores to starve out a city. The phrase “fenced cities wherein thou trustest” echoes Deuteronomy 28:52, and the verb yərošēš (beat down, shatter) in the Poel stem intensifies the image of complete demolition. Jeremiah’s audience trusted in fortified cities, but the sword, not the city walls, would decide the outcome. The list of consumed goods (harvest, bread, flocks, herds, vines, fig trees) covers every source of life, leaving nothing. This is not a random raid but a covenantal reversal: the land that once flowed with milk and honey now flows with the blood of conquest.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The shift between singular verbs (the nation) and plural verbs (the invaders) appears in the Hebrew (Calvin comments on the singular for harvest, flocks, vines; plural for sons and daughters). The Septuagint pluralizes all verbs, but the Hebrew Masoretic Text consistently uses singular for the destructive acts and plural for the devouring of children. This difference does not affect meaning substantially.
Reception History
Early Jewish interpretation, as seen in the Targum and the commentary of Rabbi David Kimchi (12th, 13th century), took the verse literally: the enemies would kill the children with the sword (Kimchi) or the enemy would slay them. Calvin (16th century) interpreted it as the cruelty of the conquerors, not cannibalism but total desolation. The Geneva Bible notes echoed this, stressing that the loss of children was an aggravation of judgment. Modern critical scholars (Keil, Cambridge Bible) have emphasized the metaphorical force and the literary influence of Deuteronomy 28. Across traditions, the verse has been read as a sobering example of covenant curse realized in history.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The enemy comes as God’s instrument. The invading nation is not independent; God brings them (v. 15). Their success is His judgment on covenant unfaithfulness.
- Total devastation is the result. Every resource, food, children, livestock, crops, fortresses, is consumed or shattered. The repetition of “eat up” drives home completeness.
- Trust misplaced is trust punished. The phrase “wherein thou trustest” points to the false security in fortifications, not God. The sword proves that trust vain.
Five-point outline
- Harvests and bread, the staple of life, confiscated.
- Sons and daughters, the future of the nation, devoured.
- Flocks and herds, the economy, eaten.
- Vines and fig trees, the symbol of peace, stripped.
- Fortified cities, the pride of defense, shattered by the sword.
Illustration hooks
- A family losing their farm to a corporate takeover, watching years of work consumed by someone else.
- A city that trusted in its flood walls, only to see the water top them and wash everything away.
- The experience of refugees who fled with nothing, watching their homes and livelihoods destroyed.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would God use a cruel nation to punish His own people? Is God responsible for evil?
- Does this passage mean God still brings such judgment today, or is it limited to Old Testament covenant context?
- What does it mean to trust in God versus trusting in things like military power or financial security?
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts us with the reality of divine judgment expressed through total loss. As you discuss, remember that Jeremiah spoke to a people who had broken covenant, yet God also promised that the destruction would not be complete (v. 18). Let the weight of the language move you to consider where you place your trust.
Discussion questions
- Read the verse aloud. What immediate feelings does the repetition of “eat up” create?
- The Hebrew verb ‘akal appears six times. Why do you think the prophet chose this word for crops, children, and livestock alike?
- Look at Deuteronomy 28:49, 52. How does Jeremiah 5:17 echo that earlier covenant warning?
- Some interpreters take “they will eat your sons and daughters” as literal (invaders killing children); others as metaphor for total loss. Which reading seems more faithful to the context? Why?
- What does the phrase “wherein thou trustest” (the fortified cities) reveal about Judah’s security? What do we trust in today that might compete with God?
- Verse 18 says God “will not make a full end.” How does that promise shape your understanding of the judgment?
- If you were to hear this prophecy as one of the original hearers, how would you respond?
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 26:16 | I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. |
| Deuteronomy 28:30 | You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. You will build a house, and you won’t dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, and not use its fruit. |
| Deuteronomy 28:31 | Your ox will be slain before your eyes, and you will not eat any of it. Your donkey will be violently taken away from before your face, and will not be restored to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you. |
| Deuteronomy 28:33 | A nation which you don’t know will eat the fruit of your ground and all of your work. You will only be oppressed and crushed always, |
| Judges 6:3 | So it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east came up against them. |
| Judges 6:4 | They encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, until you come to Gaza. They left no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep, ox, or donkey. |
| Isaiah 62:9 | but those who have harvested it will eat it, and praise Yahweh. Those who have gathered it will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.” |
| Isaiah 65:22 | They will not build and another inhabit. They will not plant and another eat; for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my chosen will long enjoy the work of their hands. |
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
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies the "it" as a battering-ram, the very weapon the Assyrians used to smash through fortified walls. The threat is not just starvation or loss of children and livestock, but the systematic destruction of the cities themselves, broken down by siege engines.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the prophet speaks of the Chaldeans as already victorious because they come as God's appointed scourges. Their cruelty toward the vanquished is an additional point, not the main one. The real emphasis falls on the certainty of judgment: the enemy's triumph is from above.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator argues that the phrase about eating sons and daughters should not be taken literally, since cannibalism is not ascribed to the Scythians. The more likely reading is metaphorical, or the clause may have been shaped by a nearby passage where besieged people resort to such extremes.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses the totality of the judgment: not one thing the people relied on will survive. Their food, children, livestock, crops, and even their fortified cities will all be consumed or destroyed. Nothing they trusted in is left untouched.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the enemy's devastation goes beyond crops and livestock to include the people themselves. He notes that the Hebrew phrase "eat up" can mean being killed by the sword, and may even imply literal cannibalism as described in Lamentations, making the calamity as severe as possible.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch explain that "devour" in this context means destroy rather than literal eating, rejecting any notion of cannibalism. They also note the description of fortified cities directly recalls Moses' threat in Deuteronomy, indicating the prophet shaped his warning from that earlier judgment.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes that the people's sin is twofold: they have forsaken God's law and claimed the Lord is not involved in their affairs. Their punishment fits the crime—as they served foreign gods in their own land, they will serve foreign masters in a land not theirs. Yet God tempers judgment by promising not to make a full end.