Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness—chalaqlaqoth (חֲלַקְלַקּוֹת) means slippery, smooth places where one cannot gain footing. Combined with choshek (חֹשֶׁךְ, darkness), the imagery depicts complete disorientation—unable to see where they're going or maintain stable footing. They shall be driven on, and fall therein—nadach (נָדַח) means pushed, thrust, or banished. They won't choose this path voluntarily but will be driven into judgment, inevitably falling (naphal, נָפַל).
For I will bring evil upon them—ra'ah (רָעָה) means calamity, disaster, or judgment. Even the year of their visitation uses pequddah (פְּקֻדָּה), meaning appointed time of reckoning. This echoes Hosea 9:7: 'The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come.' God's patience has limits; there comes an appointed time when accumulated sin meets divine justice. The verse combines natural imagery (slippery darkness) with divine sovereignty (I will bring) to show judgment as both natural consequence and active intervention. Those who rejected God's light stumble in darkness; those who chose crooked paths find no solid footing.
Historical Context
This judgment was fulfilled in 586 BC when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. The prophets and priests who promised peace experienced the slaughter, starvation, and exile they denied would come. Many fled to Egypt against God's command (Jeremiah 42-43), where tradition says they killed Jeremiah himself. The 'year of their visitation' arrived after decades of warnings—Jeremiah prophesied for forty years before Jerusalem fell. The judgment imagery proved literally true: refugees stumbled through darkness fleeing Babylon's army; leaders who had confidently proclaimed 'Peace!' found no secure path as their world collapsed. This vindicated Jeremiah's unpopular message and confirmed that false prophets face greater judgment than those they deceived.
Questions for Reflection
What does the imagery of 'slippery ways in darkness' teach about the inevitable consequences of rejecting divine truth?
How does the concept of God's 'year of visitation' balance His patience with His justice?
In what ways do false teachers today experience the 'slippery darkness' of judgment, even if not immediately visible?
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Analysis & Commentary
Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness—chalaqlaqoth (חֲלַקְלַקּוֹת) means slippery, smooth places where one cannot gain footing. Combined with choshek (חֹשֶׁךְ, darkness), the imagery depicts complete disorientation—unable to see where they're going or maintain stable footing. They shall be driven on, and fall therein—nadach (נָדַח) means pushed, thrust, or banished. They won't choose this path voluntarily but will be driven into judgment, inevitably falling (naphal, נָפַל).
For I will bring evil upon them—ra'ah (רָעָה) means calamity, disaster, or judgment. Even the year of their visitation uses pequddah (פְּקֻדָּה), meaning appointed time of reckoning. This echoes Hosea 9:7: 'The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come.' God's patience has limits; there comes an appointed time when accumulated sin meets divine justice. The verse combines natural imagery (slippery darkness) with divine sovereignty (I will bring) to show judgment as both natural consequence and active intervention. Those who rejected God's light stumble in darkness; those who chose crooked paths find no solid footing.