Jeremiah 21:11-12 reminds leaders that God holds them accountable to seek justice continually, warning that persistent wrongdoing invites divine judgment.
With Babylon at the gates and King Zedekiah (597-586 BC) seeking an oracle, the LORD turns from general warnings to a pointed word for the authority over Judah. The Davidic court in Jerusalem—set on the ridge between the Kidron and Hinnom valleys—must listen and act. The oracle calls its audience from the city at large to the palace: “Then say to the household of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD’” (v. 11). This summons confronts Zedekiah’s administration in the very season when Babylon presses Judah’s borders; it recalls the covenant identity of the monarchy—the “household of the king” stands as steward of David’s throne (2 Samuel 7) and is therefore accountable to the King of kings. Geography reinforces the gravity: the Davidic court occupies Mount Zion’s high ground, overlooking the Kidron on the east and Hinnom on the south—vantage points from which royal decisions shaped the life and security of the nation.
“Hear the word of the LORD” (v. 11) is more than a liturgical formula; it is a covenant lawsuit that tests whether the throne will align with God’s revealed will (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Jeremiah has repeatedly charged the leadership with deafness (Jeremiah 7:27; 17:23), and here he puts the remedy plainly: the palace must move from hearing to heeding. Scripture consistently weighs rulers by this measure (Psalm 72:1-4), and Israel’s history shows that when kings listen, people flourish; when kings harden, nations crumble (Jeremiah 22:1-5).
The content of obedience is concrete and daily: “O house of David, thus says the LORD:"Administer justice every morning; And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor, That My wrath may not go forth like fire And burn with none to extinguish it, Because of the evil of theirdeeds" (v. 12). To “administerjustice” (in Hebrew, mishpat) is the king’s core vocation (Jeremiah 23:5-6). And the king is to do this every morning,evoking the customary time for court at the city gate (2 Samuel 15:2; Psalm 101:8). Rulers are to make right judgments early and consistently so that violence does not metastasize through the day. The following command to “deliver the person who has been robbed” (v. 12) then presses the active side of justice—power must be used to protect the powerless (Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8). God measures the legitimacy of a throne by how it treats the exploited.
The LORD has always shown in His character and instructed to His people that caring for the weak and the outcast is of the utmost importance. Part of the Law given to Israel in Leviticus specifically commands that those who have not are to be provided for by those who have:
"Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God" (Leviticus 19:9-10).
Additionally, in the Gospels Jesus quotes the passage in Isaiah that proclaims final redemption for the oppressed:
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD” (Luke 4:18-19).
God always accounts for the less—fortunate, and Jesus is the final Savior and Judge who will bring true justice to them. Furthermore, all of God's commands point to loving people like He does (Matthew 22:37-40), and there is punishment for not doing so, as Jeremiah 21:12 affirms.
The warning of Jeremiah 21:12 is concrete: refuse this charge and “My wrath [will] go forth like fire and burn with none to extinguish it, because of the evil of their deeds” (v. 12). Jeremiah has already warned that neglecting God’s word would ignite an unquenchable blaze in Jerusalem’s gates (Jeremiah 17:27); that metaphor became grim history when Nebuchadnezzar’s forces burned the palace and temple in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:9). Royal injustice is not a private vice; it heavily implicates the populace. In biblical theology the Davidic ideal reaches its fulfillment in Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom rests on“justice and righteousness” (Isaiah 9:7) and who proclaims liberty for the oppressed (Luke 4:18). Where earthly rulers fail, He succeeds; where palaces ignore morningjustice, He vindicates the robbed and judges the oppressor. For leaders and people alike, the path remains the same: hear, repent, obey, and hasten to do right—before the fire spreads.
Jeremiah 21:11-12
11 “Then say to the household of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD,
12 O house of David, thus says the LORD:
“Administer justice every morning;
And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor,
Set to dark mode
Jeremiah 21:11-12 meaning
With Babylon at the gates and King Zedekiah (597-586 BC) seeking an oracle, the LORD turns from general warnings to a pointed word for the authority over Judah. The Davidic court in Jerusalem—set on the ridge between the Kidron and Hinnom valleys—must listen and act. The oracle calls its audience from the city at large to the palace: “Then say to the household of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD’” (v. 11). This summons confronts Zedekiah’s administration in the very season when Babylon presses Judah’s borders; it recalls the covenant identity of the monarchy—the “household of the king” stands as steward of David’s throne (2 Samuel 7) and is therefore accountable to the King of kings. Geography reinforces the gravity: the Davidic court occupies Mount Zion’s high ground, overlooking the Kidron on the east and Hinnom on the south—vantage points from which royal decisions shaped the life and security of the nation.
“Hear the word of the LORD” (v. 11) is more than a liturgical formula; it is a covenant lawsuit that tests whether the throne will align with God’s revealed will (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). Jeremiah has repeatedly charged the leadership with deafness (Jeremiah 7:27; 17:23), and here he puts the remedy plainly: the palace must move from hearing to heeding. Scripture consistently weighs rulers by this measure (Psalm 72:1-4), and Israel’s history shows that when kings listen, people flourish; when kings harden, nations crumble (Jeremiah 22:1-5).
The content of obedience is concrete and daily: “O house of David, thus says the LORD: "Administer justice every morning; And deliver the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor, That My wrath may not go forth like fire And burn with none to extinguish it, Because of the evil of their deeds" (v. 12). To “administer justice” (in Hebrew, mishpat) is the king’s core vocation (Jeremiah 23:5-6). And the king is to do this every morning, evoking the customary time for court at the city gate (2 Samuel 15:2; Psalm 101:8). Rulers are to make right judgments early and consistently so that violence does not metastasize through the day. The following command to “deliver the person who has been robbed” (v. 12) then presses the active side of justice—power must be used to protect the powerless (Isaiah 1:17; Micah 6:8). God measures the legitimacy of a throne by how it treats the exploited.
The LORD has always shown in His character and instructed to His people that caring for the weak and the outcast is of the utmost importance. Part of the Law given to Israel in Leviticus specifically commands that those who have not are to be provided for by those who have:
"Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God"
(Leviticus 19:9-10).
Additionally, in the Gospels Jesus quotes the passage in Isaiah that proclaims final redemption for the oppressed:
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD”
(Luke 4:18-19).
God always accounts for the less—fortunate, and Jesus is the final Savior and Judge who will bring true justice to them. Furthermore, all of God's commands point to loving people like He does (Matthew 22:37-40), and there is punishment for not doing so, as Jeremiah 21:12 affirms.
The warning of Jeremiah 21:12 is concrete: refuse this charge and “My wrath [will] go forth like fire and burn with none to extinguish it, because of the evil of their deeds” (v. 12). Jeremiah has already warned that neglecting God’s word would ignite an unquenchable blaze in Jerusalem’s gates (Jeremiah 17:27); that metaphor became grim history when Nebuchadnezzar’s forces burned the palace and temple in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:9). Royal injustice is not a private vice; it heavily implicates the populace. In biblical theology the Davidic ideal reaches its fulfillment in Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom rests on “justice and righteousness” (Isaiah 9:7) and who proclaims liberty for the oppressed (Luke 4:18). Where earthly rulers fail, He succeeds; where palaces ignore morning justice, He vindicates the robbed and judges the oppressor. For leaders and people alike, the path remains the same: hear, repent, obey, and hasten to do right—before the fire spreads.