Jeremiah 29:22
And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
Original Language Analysis
וְלֻקַּ֤ח
And of them shall be taken up
H3947
וְלֻקַּ֤ח
And of them shall be taken up
Strong's:
H3947
Word #:
1 of 18
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
לְכֹל֙
H3605
לְכֹל֙
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
4 of 18
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
גָּל֣וּת
by all the captivity
H1546
גָּל֣וּת
by all the captivity
Strong's:
H1546
Word #:
5 of 18
captivity; concretely, exiles (collectively)
יְהוּדָ֔ה
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֔ה
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
6 of 18
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
7 of 18
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
בָּבֶ֖ל
of Babylon
H894
בָּבֶ֖ל
of Babylon
Strong's:
H894
Word #:
8 of 18
babel (i.e., babylon), including babylonia and the babylonian empire
יְשִֽׂמְךָ֤
make
H7760
יְשִֽׂמְךָ֤
make
Strong's:
H7760
Word #:
10 of 18
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
יְהוָה֙
The LORD
H3068
יְהוָה֙
The LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
11 of 18
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
כְּצִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ
thee like Zedekiah
H6667
כְּצִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ
thee like Zedekiah
Strong's:
H6667
Word #:
12 of 18
tsidkijah, the name of six israelites
וּכְאֶחָ֔ב
and like Ahab
H256
וּכְאֶחָ֔ב
and like Ahab
Strong's:
H256
Word #:
13 of 18
achab, the name of a king of israel and of a prophet at babylon
אֲשֶׁר
H834
אֲשֶׁר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
14 of 18
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
Cross References
Daniel 3:6And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.Isaiah 65:15And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:Daniel 3:21Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.1 Corinthians 16:22If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.Genesis 48:20And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.Ruth 4:11And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth-lehem:
Historical Context
Execution by fire was rare but attested in ancient Near Eastern law for certain offenses (Gen 38:24, Lev 20:14, 21:9). The Babylonians may have burned them for sedition or because their prophecies threatened political stability. Regardless, their deaths vindicated Jeremiah and terrified the exiles into reconsidering false hope.
Questions for Reflection
- How do false prophets' judgments serve as warnings to those tempted to believe easy messages?
- What modern equivalents exist to 'roasted in fire'—public exposure of false teachers that becomes proverbial?
- Why does Scripture preserve even gruesome details like this? What pastoral purpose does it serve?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon—The Hebrew קְלָלָה (qelalah, curse) refers not to profanity but to invocation of judgment. Ahab and Zedekiah would become proverbial—their names synonymous with divine wrath. The phrase shall be taken up (יִלָּקַח, yiqqach) suggests formal cursing formula.
The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire—The verb קָלָה (qalah, roasted) appears only here, describing execution by burning alive. This horrific death becomes a covenant curse formula: 'May God burn you like those false prophets!' The irony is brutal: they promised deliverance from Babylon; instead, Babylon became their executioner. Those who prophesy peace when God declares judgment will experience the very judgment they denied.