Jeremiah 18:18 meaning

Jeremiah ministered in Judah during the decades leading up to the Babylonian invasion of 586 B.C., boldly relaying God’s word to a nation that had strayed from His covenant. In Jeremiah 18:18, the people turn against Jeremiah, saying, "Then they said, ‘Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah. Surely the law is not going to be lost by the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor the divine word to the prophet! Come on and let us strike at him with our tongue, and let us give no heed to any of his words’" (v. 18). Their hostility implies they find security in the religious practices of the priests and wise men, believing that Jeremiah’s warnings can be dismissed. Instead of repenting of their sins, they choose to conspire against the prophet and rally the religious establishment on their side.

Their decision to attack Jeremiah’s credibility reveals the depth of their spiritual stubbornness. Jeremiah was called by God to warn Judah of impending judgment unless they turned from idols and returned to covenant faithfulness—a message largely ignored by the populace. Their words, "Let us strike at him with our tongue" (v. 18), express the desire to publicly discredit him and suppress the uncomfortable truths he proclaims. This reaction echoes the way many prophets were treated by their contemporaries, and it foreshadows the persecution of Jesus in the New Testament, where religious leaders likewise refused to heed divine truth (Luke 11:47-51).

Though Jeremiah faced rejection, God continued to reinforce his calling, ensuring that His message would endure despite opposition. The people’s plan to undermine Jeremiah reflects their attempt to preserve familiar structures while dismissing a message of repentance. In reality, God’s word through Jeremiah offered the people of Judah a renewed relationship if only they would humble themselves. Ultimately, the nation’s rejection brought consequences as Babylon invaded, fulfilling the warnings Jeremiah spoke.