And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence—God declares He will personally strike (hikketi, הִכֵּיתִי, from nakah, נָכָה) Jerusalem's population. The comprehensive nature ('both man and beast,' me'adam ve'ad behemah, מֵאָדָם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָה) echoes the plague language of Exodus, but now directed at God's own people rather than Egypt. They shall die of a great pestilence (dever gadol, דֶּבֶר גָּדוֹל, great plague/pestilence) refers to epidemic disease, one of three judgment forms consistently prophesied: sword, famine, and pestilence (Jeremiah 14:12, 21:9, 24:10).
The inclusion of animals emphasizes total devastation—not merely human casualties but ecological collapse. This fulfills covenant curses of Leviticus 26:22, Deuteronomy 28:21. The 'great pestilence' resulted from siege conditions: starvation, contaminated water, disease from unburied corpses, and lack of sanitation in the crowded, besieged city. Lamentations 4:9-10 describes the horror: 'Better are those slain with the sword than those slain with hunger... compassionate women have boiled their own children.' The tragedy is that this suffering was preventable—God had offered terms of survival through surrender (Jeremiah 21:8-9), but Judah's leaders rejected God's word. The judgment shows that rebellion against God brings death and destruction, while repentance and obedience bring life (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).
Historical Context
The siege of Jerusalem (588-586 BC) created catastrophic conditions documented in biblical and archaeological sources. Lamentations provides eyewitness accounts of starvation (Lamentations 2:11-12, 4:4-5), cannibalism (Lamentations 4:10), and disease. Second Kings 25:3 states 'the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.' Josephus (Jewish Antiquities 10.7.3) describes similar conditions during the Roman siege in 70 AD, likely reflecting traditions about the Babylonian siege. Excavations at Jerusalem's Stepped Stone Structure and City of David reveal burnt layers, arrowheads, and mass burial sites from this period. The 'pestilence' would have included dysentery, typhoid, and other diseases spread by poor sanitation, contaminated water, and malnutrition. Ancient siege warfare deliberately created these conditions to break a city's will to resist. The fulfillment of Jeremiah's specific prophecy of sword, famine, and pestilence vindicated his authenticity as God's prophet.
Questions for Reflection
How does the comprehensiveness of this judgment ('both man and beast') reflect the totality of covenant violation and its consequences?
What does God's use of 'sword, famine, and pestilence' teach about the organic connection between sin and suffering in a fallen world?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast: they shall die of a great pestilence—God declares He will personally strike (hikketi, הִכֵּיתִי, from nakah, נָכָה) Jerusalem's population. The comprehensive nature ('both man and beast,' me'adam ve'ad behemah, מֵאָדָם וְעַד־בְּהֵמָה) echoes the plague language of Exodus, but now directed at God's own people rather than Egypt. They shall die of a great pestilence (dever gadol, דֶּבֶר גָּדוֹל, great plague/pestilence) refers to epidemic disease, one of three judgment forms consistently prophesied: sword, famine, and pestilence (Jeremiah 14:12, 21:9, 24:10).
The inclusion of animals emphasizes total devastation—not merely human casualties but ecological collapse. This fulfills covenant curses of Leviticus 26:22, Deuteronomy 28:21. The 'great pestilence' resulted from siege conditions: starvation, contaminated water, disease from unburied corpses, and lack of sanitation in the crowded, besieged city. Lamentations 4:9-10 describes the horror: 'Better are those slain with the sword than those slain with hunger... compassionate women have boiled their own children.' The tragedy is that this suffering was preventable—God had offered terms of survival through surrender (Jeremiah 21:8-9), but Judah's leaders rejected God's word. The judgment shows that rebellion against God brings death and destruction, while repentance and obedience bring life (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).