Jeremiah 21:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Jeremiah responded that the Lord would bring ruin upon the wicked for their prior transgressions, particularly emphasizing their mistreatment of the poor and the needy, whom the Jews were currently afflicting and subjugating.

And Jeremiah communicated to them, This is what the Lord God of Israel declares: Behold, I will direct against you the instruments of warfare that you wield as you contend with the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans surrounding your city walls. I will gather these instruments in the heart of this city, and I will wage war against you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, full of fury and indignation. I will strike down the inhabitants of this city; both humans and livestock will perish from a devastating plague. He explains that your attempts to resist the Chaldeans besieging you and your preparations for battle are futile; though you appear armed within your city walls, it is there that you will find no relief.

Thus declares the Lord God of Israel. Behold, I will transform the instruments of conflict that you wield, and with them, you shall confront the King of Babylon and the Chaldeans who surround you beyond your walls. I will bring these matters into the heart of this city. Furthermore, I will contend with you using an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, filled with fierce anger, wrath, and great indignation. This signifies that your weapons will prove useless, for I am the commander of your adversaries, and I will turn them against you. He then proclaims that He will deliver you into hunger, death, and captivity, and He will surrender King Zedekiah to the guard and soldiers, leading to the demise of some and the capture of others. God instructs the people to proclaim the following: