Jeremiah 15:7
Jeremiah 15:7 in Multiple Translations
I will scatter them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land. I will bereave and destroy My people who have not turned from their ways.
And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.
And I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land; I have bereaved them of children, I have destroyed my people; they returned not from their ways.
And I have sent a cleaning wind on them in the public places of the land; I have taken their children from them; I have given my people to destruction; they have not been turned from their ways.
I will scatter you with a winnowing fork from every town in the country. I will destroy my people and take away their children because they refuse to give up their evil ways.
And I wil scatter them with the fanne in the gates of the earth I haue wasted, and destroyed my people, yet they would not returne from their wayes.
And I scatter them with a fan, in the gates the land, I bereaved, I have destroyed My people, From their ways they turned not back.
I have winnowed them with a fan in the gates of the land. I have bereaved them of children. I have destroyed my people. They didn’t return from their ways.
And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.
And I will scatter them with a fan in the gates of the land: I have killed and destroyed my people, and yet they are not returned form their ways.
At the gates of your cities, I will scatter you like a farmer scatters the chaff from his grain by ◄winnowing it/throwing it up to allow the wind to blow the chaff away► [MET]. You, my people, have refused to turn away from your evil behavior. So, I will get rid of you, and I will even cause your children to be killed.
Berean Amplified Bible — Jeremiah 15:7
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Jeremiah 15:7 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וָ/אֶזְרֵ֥/ם
בְּ/מִזְרֶ֖ה
בְּ/שַׁעֲרֵ֣י
הָ/אָ֑רֶץ
שִׁכַּ֤לְתִּי
אִבַּ֨דְתִּי֙
אֶת
עַמִּ֔/י
מִ/דַּרְכֵי/הֶ֖ם
לוֹא
שָֽׁבוּ
וָ/אֶזְרֵ֥/ם
zârâh
H2219
to scatter
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs | Suff
בְּ/מִזְרֶ֖ה
mizreh
H4214
pitchfork
Prep | N-ms
בְּ/שַׁעֲרֵ֣י
shaʻar
H8179
gate
Prep | N-mp
הָ/אָ֑רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
land
Art | N-cs
שִׁכַּ֤לְתִּי
shâkôl
H7921
be bereaved
V-Piel-Perf-1cs
אִבַּ֨דְתִּי֙
ʼâbad
H6
to perish
V-Piel-Perf-1cs
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
עַמִּ֔/י
ʻam
H5971
Amaw
N-ms | Suff
מִ/דַּרְכֵי/הֶ֖ם
derek
H1870
way
Prep | N-cp | Suff
לוֹא
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
שָֽׁבוּ
shûwb
H7725
to return
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Jeremiah 15:7
וָ/אֶזְרֵ֥/ם
zârâh
H2219
"to scatter"
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-1cs | Suff
This Hebrew verb means to scatter or toss something about, and can also imply diffusing or winnowing. It is used in various forms throughout the Bible, including the books of Psalms and Isaiah. The word has different meanings based on context, such as casting away or spreading out.
Definition: 1) to scatter, fan, cast away, winnow, disperse, compass, spread, be scattered, be dispersed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to scatter 1a2) to fan, winnow 1b) (Niphal) to be scattered, be dispersed 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to scatter, disperse (intensive of Qal) 1c2) to winnow, sift 1d) (Pual) to be scattered, be spread out
Usage: Occurs in 38 OT verses. KJV: cast away, compass, disperse, fan, scatter (away), spread, strew, winnow. See also: Exodus 32:20; Jeremiah 49:32; Psalms 44:12.
בְּ/מִזְרֶ֖ה
mizreh
H4214
"pitchfork"
Prep | N-ms
This word refers to a farming tool used to scatter or separate things, like a pitchfork or fan. It is used to winnow or separate grain from chaff.
Definition: pitchfork
Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: fan. See also: Isaiah 30:24; Jeremiah 15:7.
בְּ/שַׁעֲרֵ֣י
shaʻar
H8179
"gate"
Prep | N-mp
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means a gate or door, often referring to city entrances or temple doors, like in Genesis and Exodus. It can also symbolize a meeting place or marketplace. The word is used to describe important locations in the Bible.
Definition: : gate 1) gate 1a) gate (of entrance) 1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place) 1b1) city, town 1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle) 1d) heaven
Usage: Occurs in 302 OT verses. KJV: city, door, gate, port ([idiom] -er). See also: Genesis 19:1; 1 Chronicles 9:18; Psalms 9:14.
הָ/אָ֑רֶץ
ʼerets
H776
"land"
Art | N-cs
The land or earth refers to the soil or ground, and can also mean a country, territory, or region. In the Bible, it is used to describe the earth and its inhabitants, and is often translated as 'land' or 'country'.
Definition: : soil 1) land, earth 1a) earth 1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part) 1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven) 1a3) earth (inhabitants) 1b) land 1b1) country, territory 1b2) district, region 1b3) tribal territory 1b4) piece of ground 1b5) land of Canaan, Israel 1b6) inhabitants of land 1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world 1b8) city (-state) 1c) ground, surface of the earth 1c1) ground 1c2) soil 1d) (in phrases) 1d1) people of the land 1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance) 1d3) level or plain country 1d4) land of the living 1d5) end(s) of the earth 1e) (almost wholly late in usage) 1e1) lands, countries 1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
Usage: Occurs in 2190 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 42:13.
שִׁכַּ֤לְתִּי
shâkôl
H7921
"be bereaved"
V-Piel-Perf-1cs
Barrenness refers to the inability to have children. In the Bible, this word is used to describe someone who has lost a child or is unable to conceive, like Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:5-6.
Definition: 1) to be bereaved, make childless, miscarry 1a) (Qal) to be bereaved 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to make childless 1b2) to cause barrenness, show barrenness or abortion 1b3) to miscarry 1c) (Hiphil) miscarrying (participle)
Usage: Occurs in 22 OT verses. KJV: bereave (of children), barren, cast calf (fruit, young), be (make) childless, deprive, destroy, [idiom] expect, lose children, miscarry, rob of children, spoil. See also: Genesis 27:45; Isaiah 49:21; Jeremiah 15:7.
אִבַּ֨דְתִּי֙
ʼâbad
H6
"to perish"
V-Piel-Perf-1cs
To perish means to be destroyed or lost, whether it's a person, animal, or thing, like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.
Definition: 1) perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) perish, die, be exterminated 1a2) perish, vanish (fig.) 1a3) be lost, strayed 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to destroy, kill, cause to perish, to give up (as lost), exterminate 1b2) to blot out, do away with, cause to vanish, (fig.) 1b3) cause to stray, lose 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to destroy, put to death 1c1a) of divine judgment 1c2) object name of kings (fig.) Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (אֲבַד "to destroy" H0007)
Usage: Occurs in 174 OT verses. KJV: break, destroy(-uction), [phrase] not escape, fail, lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, [idiom] and surely, take, be undone, [idiom] utterly, be void of, have no way to flee. See also: Exodus 10:7; Psalms 112:10; Psalms 1:6.
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
עַמִּ֔/י
ʻam
H5971
"Amaw"
N-ms | Suff
A people or nation is what this Hebrew word represents, like the nation of Israel in Exodus 33:13. It can also mean a tribe, troops, or attendants, and is used to describe a group of people gathered together. The word is often used to refer to the people of God.
Definition: This name means nation, people
Usage: Occurs in 1655 OT verses. KJV: folk, men, nation, people. See also: Genesis 11:6; Exodus 16:4; Leviticus 17:9.
מִ/דַּרְכֵי/הֶ֖ם
derek
H1870
"way"
Prep | N-cp | Suff
Derek refers to a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action. It is often used to describe a journey or direction, and can be used figuratively to describe a person's character or moral path.
Definition: : road/route 1) way, road, distance, journey, manner 1a) road, way, path 1b) journey 1c) direction 1d) manner, habit, way 1e) of course of life (fig.) 1f) of moral character (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 626 OT verses. KJV: along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever). See also: Genesis 3:24; Deuteronomy 28:29; 1 Kings 15:34.
לוֹא
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
שָֽׁבוּ
shûwb
H7725
"to return"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
This Hebrew word means to return or turn back, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often used to describe someone returning to God or repenting from sin, as seen in the book of Psalms and the prophets.
Definition: : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back 1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment 1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore 1d3) to bring back, report to, answer 1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense) 1d5) to turn back or backward, repel, defeat, repulse, hinder, reject, refuse 1d6) to turn away (face), turn toward 1d7) to turn against 1d8) to bring back to mind 1d9) to show a turning away 1d10) to reverse, revoke 1e) (Hophal) to be returned, be restored, be brought back 1f) (Pulal) brought back
Usage: Occurs in 953 OT verses. KJV: ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw. See also: Genesis 3:19; Numbers 8:25; Judges 8:13.
Study Notes — Jeremiah 15:7
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Jeremiah 15:7 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 15:7
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 15:7
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
- Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
- Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
- Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 15:7
- Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 15:7
- Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
- Sermons on Jeremiah 15:7
Context — Judgment to Continue
5Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?
6You have forsaken Me, declares the LORD. You have turned your back. So I will stretch out My hand against you and I will destroy you; I am weary of showing compassion.
7I will scatter them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land. I will bereave and destroy My people who have not turned from their ways.
8I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon against the mothers of young men. I will suddenly bring upon them anguish and dismay. 9The mother of seven will grow faint; she will breathe her last breath. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. And the rest I will put to the sword in the presence of their enemies,” declares the LORD.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew 3:12 | His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” |
| 2 | Jeremiah 51:2 | I will send strangers to Babylon to winnow her and empty her land; for they will come against her from every side in her day of disaster. |
| 3 | Isaiah 41:16 | You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel. |
| 4 | Isaiah 9:13 | But the people did not return to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 5:3 | O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. |
| 6 | Psalms 1:4 | Not so the wicked! For they are like chaff driven off by the wind. |
| 7 | Jeremiah 8:4–5 | So you are to tell them this is what the LORD says: “Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not return? Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. |
| 8 | Jeremiah 18:21 | Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle. |
| 9 | Zechariah 1:4 | Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Turn now from your evil ways and deeds.’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me, declares the LORD. |
| 10 | Deuteronomy 28:41 | You will father sons and daughters, but they will not remain yours, because they will go into captivity. |
Jeremiah 15:7 Summary
Jeremiah 15:7 is a verse about God's judgment on His people who have not turned away from their sinful ways. He uses the image of a winnowing fork to show how He will separate the good from the bad, just like a farmer separates grain from chaff (as seen in Matthew 3:12). This verse reminds us that God is a holy God who must punish sin, but He also loves us and wants us to turn to Him (as promised in John 3:16 and Romans 5:8). By turning to God and following His ways, we can avoid His judgment and experience His love and mercy instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be scattered with a winnowing fork?
In Jeremiah 15:7, the winnowing fork is a tool used to separate grain from chaff, symbolizing God's judgment and separation of His people from their sinful ways, as also seen in Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17.
Why does God say He will bereave and destroy His people?
God's people had not turned from their sinful ways, despite His warnings, and as a result, He would bring destruction upon them, as stated in Jeremiah 15:7, similar to the consequences faced by the Israelites in Deuteronomy 28:15 and Leviticus 26:14-39.
Is this verse talking about the end of the world?
While Jeremiah 15:7 does speak of judgment and destruction, it is specifically addressing God's people, the Israelites, and their disobedience, rather than the end of the world, which is discussed in other passages like Revelation 20:1-15 and Matthew 24:1-31.
How can a loving God bring such destruction?
God's love and justice are not mutually exclusive, and as a holy God, He must punish sin, as seen in Jeremiah 15:7, while also offering redemption and mercy to those who turn to Him, as promised in Jeremiah 31:3 and Romans 5:8.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I have turned my back on God, and how can I turn back to Him?
- How can I apply the lesson of God's judgment in Jeremiah 15:7 to my own life and relationships?
- In what ways can I be a witness to others of God's love and redemption, despite the presence of judgment and destruction in the world?
- How can I balance the concepts of God's love and His justice in my understanding of His character?
Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 15:7
I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land,.... Either of their own land, the land of Judea; and so the Septuagint version, "in the gates of my people"; alluding to the custom of winnowing
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 15:7
And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; not a purging fan by affliction, to separate their chaff and dross from them, but a scattering fan. Some translate it into the gates of the earth; so it is the same that God had before said, that he would remove them into all nations (gates being put for cities): but it is more probable that this is added in pursuit of the metaphor of fanning, men usually choosing barn-doors to fan at, that they may have the advantage of the wind. I will bereave them of children; of children is not in the Hebrew, and is needlessly supplied; it may as well be, of any or all their comforts or good things. I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways; their privilege claimed of being my people shall not protect them, so long as they go on in their lewd and sinful courses.
Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
Jeremiah 15:7 And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave [them] of children, I will destroy my people, [since] they return not from their ways.Ver. 7. And I will fan them with a fan.] Not of purgation but of perdition. Such as that, Jeremiah 51:2. In the gates of the land.] As men use to winnow grain at a windy door, where the chaff is blown quite away. Deo gratias quod lingua Petiliani non sit ventilabrum Christi. - Jerome.
Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
(7) I will fan them with a fan.—The image is, of course, the familiar one of the threshing-floor and the winnowing-fan or shovel (Psalms 1:4; Psalms 35:5; Matthew 3:12). The tenses should be past in both clauses—I have winnowed . . . I have bereaved . . . I have destroyed.In the gates of the land . . .—Possibly the “gates” stand for the fortified cities of Judah, the chief part being taken for the whole, more probably for the “approaches” of the land. So the Greeks spoke of the passes of the Taurus as the Cilician gates, and so we speak of the Khyber and Bolam passes as “the gates of India.” Since they return not.—The insertion of the conjunction, which has nothing corresponding to it in the original, weakens the vigour of the abruptness of the clause, and probably suggests a wrong sequence of thought. Jehovah had chastened them, but it was in vain. They returned not from their ways. Yet, as in the Vulgate, rather than “since,” is the implied conjunction.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
Verse 7. I will fan them with a fan] There is no pure grain; all is chaff. In the gates of the land] The places of public justice: and there it shall be seen that the judgments that have fallen upon them have been highly merited. And from these places of fanning they shall go out into their captivity.
Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 15:7
7. I have fanned them with a fan] “Fan, whether verb or noun, is now practically obsolete in the sense here intended.” Dr. p. 360. We should rather render, Have winnowed them with a winnowing-fork. The Arabic word midhra, corresponding to the Heb. mizreh here and in Isaiah 30:24, is “in use in modern Syria, and denotes a wooden fork almost six feet in length, with five or six prongs, bound together by fresh hide, which, on shrinking, forms a tight band.… The wooden shovel of Isa 30:24 was used with it. The mixture of corn, chaff, and broken straw, produced by threshing, was shaken about with these two implements, usually in some exposed spot, when a wind was blowing (generally in the afternoon or evening, Rth 3:2), and the wind carried away the chaff and the straw (Psalms 1:4). If however the wind was too violent it would blow away the corn as well: hence the point of Jer 4:11.” Ibid. the gates of the land] the borders (the parts by which men enter and leave the country). Cp. Nahum 3:13. they have not returned from their ways] LXX have, on account of their evils (wicked deeds), probably meant as a free paraphrase, unless we suppose the word for evils to have fallen out of MT.
Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 15:7
I will fan them ... - Or, “I have winnowed them with a winnowing shovel.” The “gates of the land” mean the places by which men enter or leave it.
Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 15:7
7. Will fan, etc. — The verb is a preterite used prophetically. Gates of the land — Frequently used in the sense of cities, but here in the more ordinary sense of places of ingress and egress.
Sermons on Jeremiah 15:7
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Husbanding by Abner Kauffman | In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the importance of taking care of our homes and families. He uses the analogy of threshing instruments to emphasize that each family is uniqu |
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The Threshing Floor of Ornan by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a genuine and real relationship with God. He highlights the need for believers to have a solid foundation in their f |
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(Daniel) Daniel's Great Vision by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the speaker, Daniel, expresses his grief and troubled spirit. He seeks the interpretation of his dream from a created being. The interpretation reveals that the fou |
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Will God Change Me by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the concept of transformation and newness of life through Jesus Christ. He emphasizes the role of John the Baptist in introducing Jesus to t |
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We Must Return to the Apostolic Message by Miki Hardy | In this sermon on 2 Corinthians chapter 6, the speaker shares his personal journey of understanding the Gospel and the call of God in his life. He emphasizes that true ministry is |
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(Church Life) an Overview of the Kingdom by Mose Stoltzfus | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the prophecy of the image in the book of Daniel. The image represents four major world kingdoms, with the fifth being the kingdom of God. Thes |
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The Burning Hell That Jesus Preached by Ian Paisley | In this sermon, the preacher addresses the topic of hell and responds to a television program that ridiculed the teaching of the Word of God. He emphasizes the eternal nature of he |