Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death.
Honest appeal: "Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me" (re'eh YHWH ki-tsar-li me'ai chomaru libי nehpakh be-kirbi). The physical descriptions—"bowels troubled" (me'ai chomaru) and "heart turned within me" (libi nehpakh be-kirbi)—convey visceral anguish. Hebrew anthropology located emotions in physical organs: bowels (me'ah) for compassion and distress, heart (lev) for thought and will. The phrase "for I have grievously rebelled" (ki marokh mariti) uses emphatic construction: "rebelling, I have rebelled"—acknowledging willful, serious disobedience. "Abroad the sword bereaveth" (ba-chus shikhelah-charev) describes death outside from warfare. "At home there is as death" (ba-bayit ka-mavet) describes conditions inside (plague, famine) as deadly as warfare. Trapped between external and internal threats, with no escape. Yet the verse begins "Behold, O LORD"—even in despair, the speaker addresses God, maintaining relationship. This models bringing our worst moments to God rather than away from Him.
Historical Context
The siege created the described conditions: warfare outside Jerusalem's walls, death inside from starvation and disease. Jeremiah 14:18 presents similar picture: 'If I go forth into the field, then behold the slain with the sword! and if I enter into the city, then behold them that are sick with famine!' Ezekiel 7:15 warns: 'The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within.' Archaeological evidence from besieged cities shows mass graves, burn layers, destruction, and evidence of malnutrition. The confession of grievous rebellion is significant. Throughout Jeremiah's 40-year ministry, leaders and people refused to acknowledge sin. False prophets promised peace (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11, 23:17). Only when judgment fell did confession come—sadly, too late to avert consequences, though never too late for mercy. The verse demonstrates that even in extremity, honest confession before God is appropriate. Psalm 51:17 promises: 'a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.'
Questions for Reflection
How does bringing our anguish honestly to God (rather than suppressing it or avoiding Him) demonstrate faith even in crisis?
What does it mean to be trapped between 'sword without' and 'death within,' and how does this describe the comprehensive nature of judgment?
How does confession of rebellion, even when consequences are unavoidable, still matter to God and affect our restoration?
Analysis & Commentary
Honest appeal: "Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me" (re'eh YHWH ki-tsar-li me'ai chomaru libי nehpakh be-kirbi). The physical descriptions—"bowels troubled" (me'ai chomaru) and "heart turned within me" (libi nehpakh be-kirbi)—convey visceral anguish. Hebrew anthropology located emotions in physical organs: bowels (me'ah) for compassion and distress, heart (lev) for thought and will. The phrase "for I have grievously rebelled" (ki marokh mariti) uses emphatic construction: "rebelling, I have rebelled"—acknowledging willful, serious disobedience. "Abroad the sword bereaveth" (ba-chus shikhelah-charev) describes death outside from warfare. "At home there is as death" (ba-bayit ka-mavet) describes conditions inside (plague, famine) as deadly as warfare. Trapped between external and internal threats, with no escape. Yet the verse begins "Behold, O LORD"—even in despair, the speaker addresses God, maintaining relationship. This models bringing our worst moments to God rather than away from Him.