This verse highlights God’s ultimate justice over those who oppose Him and serves as a reminder that the faithful can entrust their cause into the hands of the One who sees all things.
The prophet Jeremiah, who ministered to the people of Judah from about 626 BC until after Jerusalem’s fall in 586 BC, voices a fervent prayer in Jeremiah 17. Here he appeals to the LORD to vindicate him against his enemies. He says, “Let those who persecute me be put to shame, but as for me, let me not be put to shame; Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed. Bring on them a day of disaster, And crush them with twofold destruction!” (v.18). Jeremiah is speaking from the heart of a troubled nation—Judah, whose capital city, Jerusalem, was located in the hill country of the southern Levant. Surrounded by hostile powers, he calls on God to uphold justice by exposing and defeating those who oppose His truth.
Jeremiah’s plea is both personal and spiritual. He recognizes that his calling as a prophet has incited the anger of many who reject his warnings. By asking God to bring a “day of disaster” on his persecutors and to “crush them with twofold destruction,” Jeremiah is echoing the principle that God will ultimately hold accountable those who seek to undo His plans and harm His messengers. His cry is not an act of personal revenge, but rather a petition for divine justice. In the broader context of Scripture, Jesus also warned that those who oppose God’s truth bring judgment on themselves (reference: John 3:19-20).
This verse underscores the reality that human opposition to God’s message cannot prevail against the Almighty and that His timing and justice are sure.
Jeremiah appeals to the Lord both for his personal vindication and for the LORD’s reputation to stand—it is a prayer that underscores faith in God’s righteous governance of the world.
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Jeremiah 17:18 meaning
The prophet Jeremiah, who ministered to the people of Judah from about 626 BC until after Jerusalem’s fall in 586 BC, voices a fervent prayer in Jeremiah 17. Here he appeals to the LORD to vindicate him against his enemies. He says, “Let those who persecute me be put to shame, but as for me, let me not be put to shame; Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed. Bring on them a day of disaster, And crush them with twofold destruction!” (v.18). Jeremiah is speaking from the heart of a troubled nation—Judah, whose capital city, Jerusalem, was located in the hill country of the southern Levant. Surrounded by hostile powers, he calls on God to uphold justice by exposing and defeating those who oppose His truth.
Jeremiah’s plea is both personal and spiritual. He recognizes that his calling as a prophet has incited the anger of many who reject his warnings. By asking God to bring a “day of disaster” on his persecutors and to “crush them with twofold destruction,” Jeremiah is echoing the principle that God will ultimately hold accountable those who seek to undo His plans and harm His messengers. His cry is not an act of personal revenge, but rather a petition for divine justice. In the broader context of Scripture, Jesus also warned that those who oppose God’s truth bring judgment on themselves (reference: John 3:19-20).
This verse underscores the reality that human opposition to God’s message cannot prevail against the Almighty and that His timing and justice are sure.
Jeremiah appeals to the Lord both for his personal vindication and for the LORD’s reputation to stand—it is a prayer that underscores faith in God’s righteous governance of the world.