Definition: For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.
Explanation: Okay, letās break down this verse from Jeremiah 42:18. It's a really powerful and dramatic warning. Hereās what it means in simpler terms: The Core Message: God is incredibly angry with the people of Jerusalem because theyāve been making mistakes ā and those mistakes are causing trouble. Heās going to punish them severely if they donāt change their ways. Let's unpack it piece by piece: āFor thus saith the LORD of hostsā¦ā : This is a very formal, authoritative way of speaking from God. It emphasizes that this isnāt just a casual comment; itās a serious declaration. āā¦the God of Israelā¦ā : This tells us who is speaking ā God, the leader of the Israelites. āAs mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalemā¦ā : This is the key part. God is feeling immense frustration and wrath because of whatās happening in Jerusalem. He's not just annoyed; heās angry . Think of it like a huge, overwhelming wave of displeasure. āā¦so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egyptā¦ā : This is the promise of the punishment. God is going to unleash his full force on Jerusalem if they don't correct their behavior. "Egypt" refers to the land of Egypt, a major trading and political power at the time ā so itās a significant place for them. āā¦and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproachā¦ā : This describes the consequences they'll face if they donāt repent (change their ways). Itās going to be incredibly bad - they'll be seen as cursed, shocking, and deeply wrong. āā¦and ye shall see this place no more.ā : This is the ultimate consequence ā Jerusalem will cease to exist as a thriving city. In short: Jeremiah is warning that God is intensely displeased with Jerusalemās behavior and will punish them severely if they don't stop their mistakes. Heās essentially saying, āIf you continue down this path, there will be devastating consequences for you.ā Important Note: This verse is part of a larger story about Israelās history and Godās judgment. Itās often seen as a foreshadowing of the events leading up to the Babylonian exile (the destruction of Jerusalem). --- Would you like me to: Explain any of these parts in more detail? Give you a quick summary of what this verse is trying to convey? Discuss the significance of this verse within the context of the Old Testament?