Jeremiah 9:15 Meaning: Wormwood and Bitter Water
Therefore Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.
Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
Therefore, thus said Jehovah of Hosts, God of Israel: Lo, I am causing them--this people--to eat wormwood, And I have caused them to drink water of gall,
therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed this people with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink,
Meaning in one sentence
What does wormwood and poisoned water mean in Jeremiah 9:15? Discover the significance of these bitter symbols of God's judgment on Israel's unfaithfulness.
Context
Jeremiah 9 finds the prophet in the midst of a nation that has broken its covenant with God. Earlier verses explain the cause: they forsook God's law and pursued idols taught by their fathers. This verse announces the consequence using the language of bitterness. Wormwood was a plant known for its sharp, unpleasant taste; gall or poisoned water evokes the cup of God's wrath mentioned throughout the Old Testament. The judgment is severe but not capricious. It is the logical fruit of choosing other gods. The chapter then calls for professional mourners, showing that the coming disaster is so great that weeping is the only proper response.
Key Words
Two key words carry the weight of this verse. Wormwood appears several times in the Old Testament always in a negative sense, as in Proverbs 5:4 'bitter as wormwood.' It is not a poison but a plant so bitter that it ruins whatever it touches. Here it pictures the complete loss of life's sweetness. The second word, translated gall or poisoned water, refers to something venomous. In Psalms 69:21 it is the drink offered to the suffering Messiah. Together these words describe a judgment that touches the basic gifts of life food and water turning them into sources of pain. The God who normally gives bread from heaven and water from the rock now gives the opposite. The verb 'I will feed them' uses the language of a shepherd providing for his flock. Now the shepherd gives not pasture but poison. When we reject God's guidance, our keepers become the very source of our bitterness.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this verse with sobriety. Reformed commentators like Calvin see it as just vengeance: the Judge giving what sin deserves. Matthew Henry emphasizes the cause: they forsook God's law, so bitterness is the natural result. Catholic interpreters often highlight the call to repentance embedded in the warning: God announces judgment not to crush but to turn hearts back. Some early readings connected the gall and vinegar offered to Christ on the cross, seeing in this verse a shadow of the suffering Servant who took the bitter cup for others. Though traditions emphasize different angles, all agree that God's judgment is real but not His final word; beyond the wormwood lies a promise of restoration.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers take this verse as evidence that God is cruel or vindictive. In fact, the passage must be read in context. God is speaking to a people who have persistently chased after other gods. The bitterness is not arbitrary; it is the logical consequence of abandoning the spring of living water for broken cisterns. God's judgment is honest: He lets them taste what they have chosen. The verse is a warning, not a definition of God's heart.
Living This Out
This week, consider where you might be drinking from bitter sources. It might be a habit you know is unhealthy, a relationship built on compromise, or a quiet drift away from prayer. The bitterness in this verse warns us that choosing our own way leads to a taste we were never meant to swallow. You do not have to finish that cup. God's judgment in Scripture is always meant to drive us back to His open hand. You could take a few minutes today to set down the bitter cup and ask God to fill you instead with what truly satisfies.
Main takeaway: Bitter consequences are real, but they are not God's final word; they call us to return to the only One who gives living water.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
This verse uses strong pictures to show that turning away from God leads to hard things, like eating something very bitter. God wants His people to choose what's good. The Bible tells us that God is good and His ways are good.
For ages 9, 12
When the people of Judah kept ignoring God, He said they would have to taste the bitterness of their choices. Wormwood and poisoned water are metaphors for the painful results of sin. This is a serious reminder that God's warnings are loving: He tells the truth so we can come back to Him. Even when life feels bitter, God is still calling you home.
Questions People Ask
What does wormwood symbolize in the Bible?
Wormwood is a bitter plant used throughout Scripture as a symbol of sorrow, injustice, and the consequences of sin. In Jeremiah 9:15, it represents the bitter affliction that comes as a result of covenant unfaithfulness. It always carries a negative connotation.
Is God being cruel when He says He will feed them wormwood?
The verse must be read in context. God is responding to persistent idolatry and covenant breaking. The judgment described is the natural outworking of choices they made. God's warnings are acts of love, meant to turn people back to Him. He does not delight in judgment.
How does this verse relate to the New Testament?
The imagery of a bitter cup appears in the Gospels, where Jesus drinks the cup of God's wrath on the cross. In that sense, Christ takes the ultimate bitterness so that we might drink living water. It connects the Old Testament judgment to the salvation offered in Christ.
What is the 'water of gall'?
Gall can refer to bile, poison, or a bitter herb. Translations vary, but all convey a drink that is toxic or repulsive. Combined with wormwood, it pictures complete bitterness in the basic provisions of life.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study