Jeremiah 13:16

Lexham English Bible

Contextual Overview

¹² "Therefore, you shall say to them this word, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: "Every jar must be filled with wine."' And they will say to you, ‘Do we not certainly know that every jar should be filled with wine?' ¹³ Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says Yahweh: "Look, I am about to fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings who sit on David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness. ¹⁴ And I will smash them, each one against his brother, and the fathers and the sons together," declares Yahweh. "I will not have compassion, and I will not take pity, and I will not show compassion from destroying them."'" ¹⁵ Listen, and pay attention, you must not be haughty, for Yahweh has spoken. ¹⁶ Give glory to Yahweh your God before he brings darkness, and before your feet stumble on the mountains at twilight. And you will hope for light, but he makes it as gloom, he makes it as thick darkness. ¹⁷ But if you will not listen to it, my inner self will weep in secret places, because of the presence of your pride. And my eyes will weep bitterly, and they will melt in tears, because the flock of Yahweh has been taken captive. ¹⁸ "Say to the king and to the queen mother, ‘Take a lower seat, for your beautiful crown has come down from your head.' ¹⁹ The towns of the Negev are shut up, and there is no one who opens them. All of Judah is deported; it is deported in completeness. ²⁰ Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your magnificent flock? ²¹ What will you say when he sets over you— and you have taught them—allies as head over you? Will not labor pains take hold of you, like a woman giving birth?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Give: Joshua 7:19, 1 Samuel 6:5, Psalms 96:7, Psalms 96:8

before: Jeremiah 4:23, Ecclesiastes 11:8, Ecclesiastes 12:1, Ecclesiastes 12:2, Isaiah 5:30, Isaiah 8:22, Isaiah 59:9, Amos 8:9, Amos 8:10, John 12:35

your: Proverbs 4:19, 1 Peter 2:8, 1 John 2:10, 1 John 2:11

while: Jeremiah 8:15, Jeremiah 14:19, Isaiah 59:9, Lamentations 4:17

the shadow: Psalms 44:19

gross: Exodus 10:21, Isaiah 60:2

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 32:35 - their foot Job 3:5 - the shadow Job 3:9 - look for light Job 10:22 - the shadow of death Job 12:5 - ready Job 19:8 - set Job 38:15 - from Job 38:19 - darkness Psalms 29:1 - Give Psalms 35:6 - their Isaiah 9:19 - is the land Isaiah 45:7 - create darkness Isaiah 59:10 - grope Jeremiah 6:21 - I will Jeremiah 9:10 - the mountains Jeremiah 23:12 - as Lamentations 3:2 - brought Ezekiel 32:7 - I will cover the heaven Ezekiel 34:6 - wandered Ezekiel 34:12 - in the cloudy Joel 2:2 - A day of darkness Amos 4:13 - that maketh Micah 3:6 - night Nahum 1:8 - darkness Zechariah 1:4 - unto Malachi 2:2 - to give Matthew 4:16 - shadow John 11:10 - General 2 Corinthians 5:20 - be Ephesians 5:8 - ye were Revelation 11:13 - gave

Cross-References

Genesis 13:1
Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that was with him. And Lot went with him to the Negev.

Genesis 13:2
Now Abram was very wealthy in livestock, in silver, and in gold.

Genesis 13:3
And he went according to his journey from the Negev, then to Bethel, to the place where his tent was at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

Genesis 13:14
And Yahweh said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, "Now, lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are to the north, and to the south, and to the east and to the west,

Genesis 13:16
I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth which, if anyone were able to count the dust of the earth, your descendants would be so counted.

Genesis 13:18
So Abram pitched his tent, and he came and settled at the oaks of Mamre, which were at Hebron. And there he built an altar to Yahweh.

Genesis 15:5
And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward the heavens and count the stars if you are able to count them." And he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Genesis 17:6
And I will make you exceedingly fruitful. I will make you a nation, and kings shall go out from you.

Genesis 17:16
And I will bless her; moreover, I give to you from her a son. And I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations. Kings of peoples shall come from her."

Genesis 17:20
And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I will bless him and I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Give glory to the Lord your God,.... By confessing sin unto him; by humiliation for it before him; by believing what he says, hearkening to his word, and obeying his commands, and living to his honour and glory; see Joshua 7:19, especially by believing in Christ, the true God, and true Messiah, embracing his Gospel, and his ordinances:

before he cause darkness; before the Lord brings on the dark dispensation threatened, the calamity before spoken of; repent while space is given, before it is too late; so the Targum,

"before tribulation comes upon you, and ye be like to those that walk in darkness.''

The Babylonish captivity may be meant, which was a dark day with the Jews, as is their present case, and which may be included; and it is applicable to any dark state of the church of God, such as may be now apprehended as near, through the spread of Popery, the growth of errors and heresies, the persecution of the saints, the slaying of the witnesses, the cessation of the Gospel ministry and ordinances for a while; which is that day of darkness and gloominess, that hour of temptation that shall come upon all the earth, to try its inhabitants; happy those that give glory to God by their faith in him, and by keeping the word of his patience:

and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains; or, "of twilight"; or, "of the evening"; or rather, "upon the mountains in the evening" y; at eventide; at which time it is troublesome and dangerous travelling on mountains. These may design either the mountains to which they would flee for shelter, Matthew 24:16, or those which lay in the way to Babylon, over which they should travel when carried captive; or rather the kingdoms of Babylon and Media, whither they should be carried, and where they should endure much affliction and hardship; it being usual to signify kingdoms by mountains; so Babylon itself is, Jeremiah 51:25, perhaps there may be some allusion, as Sanctus thinks, to Babylon itself, which being situated in a marshy place, might be generally covered with a cloud or mist, and, together with the smoke of the city, might look like a dark mountain; and especially the hanging gardens in it looked at a distance like z mountains with forests on them. It may be applied to the eventide of the latter day, when many shall stumble and fall through mountains of difficulties and discouragements in the way of religion; of professing the pure Gospel and ordinances of it, through the prevailing darkness of the age, and the persecution of men; and to the evening of life, and the dark mountains of death and eternity, on which men may be said to stumble and fall when they die; and when their everlasting state will appear to be fixed as immovable as mountains; and there will be no more means of grace, of faith, repentance, and conversion, but blackness of darkness for evermore, outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth; wherefore, before this time comes, it behooves persons to be concerned for the glory of God, and the everlasting welfare of their souls:

and while ye look for light; prosperity and happiness, as the false prophets gave out they should have; or for help and assistance from the Egyptians, to whom they sent:

he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness; that is, the Lord, who would disappoint them, and, instead of having that relief and comfort they were promised, would bring upon them such shocking calamities, which would be as terrible as death itself, or at least as the shadow of death, and be like gross darkness, even such as was in Egypt, which might be felt; see Isaiah 49:9.

y על הרי נשף "in montibus crepusculi", Montanus, Piscator; "montibus caecioribus intempesta nocte", Junius Tremellius. z See Berosus apud Joseph. Antiqu. l. 10. c. 11. sect. 1. & Contr. Apion. l. 1. c. 19. & Curtius, Hist. l. 5. c. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The dark mountains - Rather, “the mountains of twilight.” Judah is not walking upon the safe highway, but upon dangerous mountains: and the dusk is closing round her. While then the light still serves let her return unto her God.

And, while ye look ... - Translate, “and ye wait for light, and He turn it (the light) into the shadow of death, yea change it into clouded darkness.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 13:16. Give glory to - God — Confess your sins and turn to him, that these sore evils may be averted.

While ye look for light — While ye expect prosperity, he turned it into the shadow of death - sent you adversity of the most distressing and ruinous kind.

Stumble upon the dark mountains — Before you meet with those great obstacles, which, having no light - no proper understanding in the matter, ye shall be utterly unable to surmount.