Jeremiah 8:3
And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.
Original Language Analysis
וְנִבְחַ֥ר
shall be chosen
H977
וְנִבְחַ֥ר
shall be chosen
Strong's:
H977
Word #:
1 of 19
properly, to try, i.e., (by implication) select
מָ֙וֶת֙
And death
H4194
מָ֙וֶת֙
And death
Strong's:
H4194
Word #:
2 of 19
death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin
מֵֽחַיִּי֔ם
rather than life
H2416
מֵֽחַיִּי֔ם
rather than life
Strong's:
H2416
Word #:
3 of 19
alive; hence, raw (flesh); fresh (plant, water, year), strong; also (as noun, especially in the feminine singular and masculine plural) life (or livin
לְכֹ֗ל
H3605
לְכֹ֗ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
4 of 19
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הַשְּׁאֵרִית֙
by all the residue
H7611
הַשְּׁאֵרִית֙
by all the residue
Strong's:
H7611
Word #:
5 of 19
a remainder or residual (surviving, final) portion
הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙
of them that remain
H7604
הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙
of them that remain
Strong's:
H7604
Word #:
6 of 19
properly, to swell up, i.e., be (causatively, make) redundant
מִן
H4480
מִן
Strong's:
H4480
Word #:
7 of 19
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה
family
H4940
הַמִּשְׁפָּחָ֥ה
family
Strong's:
H4940
Word #:
8 of 19
a family, i.e., circle of relatives; figuratively, a class (of persons), a species (of animals) or sort (of things); by extension a tribe or people
בְּכָל
H3605
בְּכָל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
11 of 19
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הַמְּקֹמ֤וֹת
in all the places
H4725
הַמְּקֹמ֤וֹת
in all the places
Strong's:
H4725
Word #:
12 of 19
properly, a standing, i.e., a spot; but used widely of a locality (general or specific); also (figuratively) of a condition (of body or mind)
הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙
of them that remain
H7604
הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙
of them that remain
Strong's:
H7604
Word #:
13 of 19
properly, to swell up, i.e., be (causatively, make) redundant
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
14 of 19
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
הִדַּחְתִּ֣ים
whither I have driven
H5080
הִדַּחְתִּ֣ים
whither I have driven
Strong's:
H5080
Word #:
15 of 19
to push off; used in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead, strike, inflict, etc.)
שָׁ֔ם
H8033
Cross References
Revelation 9:6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.Jeremiah 29:14And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.Jeremiah 23:8But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.Jeremiah 23:3And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.Deuteronomy 30:4If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:Jonah 4:3Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.Deuteronomy 30:1And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,Daniel 9:7O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
Historical Context
The Babylonian exile (605-538 BC) scattered Judeans across the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Historical records and archaeological evidence confirm Jewish communities in Babylon proper, Egypt (Elephantine papyri), and other locations. The exile's psychological trauma is captured in Psalm 137's lament. Many who survived Jerusalem's destruction wished they had died in the siege rather than face the horrors of exile, starvation, and separation from their homeland and temple.
Questions for Reflection
- How does this judgment reveal the true cost of persistent rebellion against God?
- What hope does the phrase 'whither I have driven them' offer, suggesting God's sovereign control even in judgment?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
This verse pronounces a chilling verdict: 'death shall be chosen rather than life.' The Hebrew maveth yibbachar mechayyim (מָוֶת יִבָּחַר מֵחַיִּים) indicates that surviving exile would be so miserable that death would seem preferable. The phrase 'all the residue of them that remain of this evil family' refers to exiled survivors of judgment. Their scattering 'in all the places whither I have driven them' emphasizes divine agency—God Himself drove them into exile. The phrase 'saith the LORD of hosts' (neum YHWH Tseva'ot) adds prophetic authority. This anticipates Jeremiah's later counsel to the exiles (chapter 29) to build lives in Babylon, acknowledging their long captivity while trusting God's ultimate restoration.