Jeremiah 18:22
Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
Original Language Analysis
תִּשָּׁמַ֤ע
be heard
H8085
תִּשָּׁמַ֤ע
be heard
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
1 of 15
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם
from their houses
H1004
מִבָּ֣תֵּיהֶ֔ם
from their houses
Strong's:
H1004
Word #:
3 of 15
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
4 of 15
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
תָבִ֧יא
when thou shalt bring
H935
תָבִ֧יא
when thou shalt bring
Strong's:
H935
Word #:
5 of 15
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם
H5921
עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
6 of 15
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
כִּֽי
H3588
כִּֽי
Strong's:
H3588
Word #:
9 of 15
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
כָר֤וּ
upon them for they have digged
H3738
כָר֤וּ
upon them for they have digged
Strong's:
H3738
Word #:
10 of 15
properly, to dig; figuratively, to plot; generally, to bore or open
לְלָכְדֵ֔נִי
to take
H3920
לְלָכְדֵ֔נִי
to take
Strong's:
H3920
Word #:
12 of 15
to catch (in a net, trap or pit); generally, to capture or occupy; also to choose (by lot); figuratively, to cohere
Cross References
Jeremiah 6:26O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.Psalms 140:5The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.Zephaniah 1:16A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
Historical Context
The Babylonian invasion came suddenly in 588-586 BC, fulfilling this prayer. Soldiers breached Jerusalem's walls, ransacked homes, killed resisters, and dragged survivors into exile. The terror Jeremiah's enemies plotted for him came upon them instead. Archaeological evidence shows violent destruction throughout Judah from this period, validating the prophetic word. The cries from houses became the lamentations recorded in the book of Lamentations.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the principle that people reap what they sow operate in your life and society?
- What's the difference between praying for God's justice and taking personal revenge?
- How does Christ's breaking the retaliation cycle provide a model for responding to those who plot against you?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Continuing the imprecation: "Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them." The prayer asks for the terror of invasion—enemy troops bursting into homes, causing screams of panic. The justification: "for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet." The hunting imagery depicts premeditated conspiracy to trap and destroy Jeremiah.
The lex talionis principle appears—let them experience terror proportionate to the violence they planned. This isn't excessive vengeance but appropriate justice. The prayer asks God to act as Righteous Judge, applying His own standards. Significantly, Jeremiah doesn't take personal revenge or hire assassins—he prays for divine intervention, demonstrating restraint and submission to God's timing and methods.
The principle that persecutors will experience what they intended for others recurs throughout Scripture (Esth 7:10, Ps 7:15-16, 9:15, Prov 26:27). God's justice is poetic—the punishment fits the crime. For believers, this warns that those who sow violence reap violence (Gal 6:7, Rev 13:10). Yet Christ broke this cycle by bearing what we deserved, offering forgiveness rather than retaliation (1 Pet 2:23-24).