Jeremiah 13:20

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

and: Jeremiah 1:14, Jeremiah 6:22, Jeremiah 10:22, Habakkuk 1:6

where: Jeremiah 13:17, Jeremiah 23:2, Isaiah 56:9-12, Ezekiel 34:7-10, Zechariah 11:16, Zechariah 11:17, John 10:12, John 10:13, Acts 20:26-29

Reciprocal: Proverbs 14:8 - folly Ezekiel 16:13 - and thou wast Acts 20:28 - all Acts 20:29 - not 1 Peter 5:2 - the flock

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north,.... There are a Keri and a Cetib of the words "lift up" and "behold"; they are written in the singular number, and may be considered as directed to the king, as the words following are; and they are read in the plural number, the state and whole body of the people being called upon to observe the Chaldean army, which came from the north; and is represented as on the march, just at hand to invade, besiege, take, and carry them captive. The Septuagint version renders it, "lift up thine eyes, O Jerusalem"; and the Arabic version, "O Israel: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?" that is, the people, as the Targum interprets it, which were committed to the care and charge of the king, as sheep into the hands of a shepherd; and were a fine body of people, chosen of God and precious, distinguished above all others by wholesome and righteous laws and statutes, and special privileges; a people who were a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, and a peculiar people, the glory of the whole earth; but now carried, or about to be carried, captive. It is no unusual thing to represent a king as a shepherd, and his people as a flock, guided, governed, and protected by him, and who is accountable for his trust to the King of kings; see Psalms 78:71.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jerusalem is asked where the cities, which once lay grouped round her, like a goodly flock of sheep, are gone? The question implies blame.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 13:20. Where is the flock - thy beautiful flock? — Jerusalem is addressed. Where are the prosperous multitudes of men, women, and children? Alas! are they not driven before the Babylonians, who have taken them captive?