Jeremiah 16:19
What does Jeremiah 16:19 mean?
A plain-English look at Jeremiah 16:19 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Jeremiah 16:19 means
Jeremiah 16:19 is a prayer and prophecy. Jeremiah addresses God as his personal strength, stronghold, and refuge, acknowledging divine protection amidst suffering. The core of the verse is a future declaration concerning Gentile nations. These nations, coming from afar, will recognize the emptiness of their ancestral idolatry—describing it as lies, futility, and unprofitable. This signifies a profound spiritual awakening where pagan understandings of the divine are rejected in favor of the one true God, Yahweh. It highlights a future ingathering where those outside the covenant will confess their spiritual bankruptcy and God’s sole supremacy.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000O Jehovah, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, unto thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, even vanity and things wherein there is no profit.
KJV
King James Version · 1611O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901O Jehovah, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, unto thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, even vanity and things wherein there is no profit.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949O Lord, my strength and my strong tower, my safe place in the day of trouble, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, and say, The heritage of our fathers is nothing but deceit, even false things in which there is no profit.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862O Jehovah, my strength, and my fortress, And my refuge in a day of adversity, Unto Thee nations do come from the ends of earth, And say, Only falsehood did our fathers inherit, Vanity, and none among them is profitable.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752O Lord, my might, and my strength, and my refuge in the day of tribulation: to thee the Gentiles shall come from the ends of the earth, and shall say: Surely our fathers have possessed lies, a vanity which hath not profited them.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Jehovah, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of distress, unto thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and they shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited falsehood [and] vanity; and in these things there is no profit.
Context
Jeremiah 16 portrays a period of immense judgment on Judah, with Jeremiah forbidden from typical expressions of mourning and celebration to underscore the severity of the impending desolation. This verse immediately follows stark warnings of exile, famine, and war as consequences for Judah’s sin. Jeremiah’s cry to Yahweh and the subsequent prophecy of Gentile conversion serve as a dramatic interlude of hope amidst the pronouncements of judgment. It contrasts Judah’s idolatry with the future repentance of the nations, preparing for a later promise of restoration and return from God.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Psalms 72:8
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River unto the ends of the earth.
- Psalms 91:1
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
- Psalms 67:2
That thy way may be known upon earth, Thy salvation among all nations.
- Isaiah 44:10
Who hath fashioned a god, or molten an image that is profitable for nothing?
- Psalms 27:5
For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion: In the covert of his tabernacle will he hide me; He will lift me up upon a rock.
- Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is becomethe kingdomof our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever.
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