Jeremiah 16:19

Jeremiah 16:19

O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.

a. ASV: O Jehovah, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, unto thee shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited nought but lies, even vanity and things wherein there is no profit.

b. YLT: O Jehovah, my strength, and my fortress, And my refuge in a day of adversity, Unto Thee nations do come from the ends of earth, And say, Only falsehood did our fathers inherit, Vanity, and none among them is profitable.

c. Classic Amplified: [Then said Jeremiah] O Lord, my Strength and my Stronghold, and my Refuge in the day of affliction, to You shall the nations come from the ends of the earth and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, emptiness, and futility, worthless things in which there is no profit!

d. Septuagint: O Lord, thou art my strength, and mine help, and my refuge in days of evil: to thee the Gentiles shall come from the end of the earth, and shall say, How vain [were the] idols [which] our fathers procured to themselves, and there is no help in them.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: HASHEM, my Strength, my Stronghold and my Refuge on the day of distress! To you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say: “It was all falsehood that our ancestors inherited, futility that has no purpose.

1. “O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction…”

a. [O] LORD [Strong: 3068 Yᵉhôvâh, yeh-ho-vaw'; from H1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jeho-vah, Jewish national name of God:—Jehovah, the Lord.]

b. [my] strength [Strong: 5797 ʻôz, oze; or (fully) עוֹז ʻôwz; from H5810; strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise):—boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong.]

c. [and my] fortress [Strong: 4581 mâʻôwz, maw-oze'; (also מָעוּז mâʻûwz ); or מָעֹז mâʻôz (also מָעֻז mâʻuz; from H5810; a fortified place; figuratively, a defence:—force, fort(-ress), rock, strength(-en), (× most) strong (hold).]

d. [and my] refuge [Strong: 4498 mânôwç, maw-noce'; from H5127; a retreat (literally or figuratively); abstractly, a fleeing:—× apace, escape, way to flee, flight, refuge.]

e. [in the] day [Strong: 3117 yôwm, yome; from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb):—age, always, chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), elder, × end, evening, (for) ever(-lasting, -more), × full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, old, outlived, perpetually, presently, remaineth, × required, season, × since, space, then, (process of) time, as at other times, in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), × whole ( age), (full) year(-ly), younger.]

f. [of] affliction [Strong: 6869 tsârâh, tsaw-raw'; feminine of H6862; tightness (i.e. figuratively, trouble); transitively, a female rival:—adversary, adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation, trouble.]

1). Here Jeremiah was addressing God as his refuge in the day of Jeremiah’s affliction. I do not know the context but Jeremiah could have been in distress. This is before the invasion of Babylon.   

2. “...the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth…”

a. [the] Gentiles [Strong: 1471 gôwy, go'-ee; rarely (shortened) גֹּי gôy; apparently from the same root as H1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts:—Gentile, heathen, nation, people.]

b. [shall] come [Strong: 935 bôwʼ, bo; a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):—abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, × certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, × doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.]

c. unto [thee] [Strong: 413 'el ale (but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el}); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).]

d. [from the] ends [Strong: 657 ʼepheç, eh'-fes; from H656; (sometimes like H6466) cessation, i.e. an end (especially of the earth); often used adverb, no further; also the ankle (in the dual), as being the extremity of the leg or foot:—ankle, but (only), end, howbeit, less than nothing, nevertheless (where), no, none (beside), not (any, -withstanding), thing of nought, save(-ing), there, uttermost part, want, without (cause).]

e. [of the] earth [Strong: 776 ʼerets, eh'-rets; from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):—× common, country, earth, field, ground, land, × natins, way, + wilderness, world.]

1). The LORD is telling Jeremiah that the Gentiles are going to come to the LORD. This is referring to the New Covenant. The prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the inclusion of the Gentiles in the salvation of God are numerous. The Apostle Paul in Romans 15 lists four Old Testament passages that confirm God’s intention of including the Gentiles in salvation.

a). Romans 15:8, 9 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

15:9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

(1) This first quote is from 2 Samuel.

(2) 2 Samuel 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.

b). Romans 15:10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 

(1) The second quote is from Deuteronomy.

(2) Deuteronomy 32:43 Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.

c). Romans 15:11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

(1) The third is from Psalms.

(2) Psalm 117:1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

d). Romans 15:12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

(1) The fourth is from Isaiah.

(2) Isaiah 11:10 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

2). Not included here, in this list, but cited elsewhere in Romans by Paul is the warning given to Moses. 

a). Deuteronomy 32:21 They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

b). Romans 10:19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

3). It was literally fulfilled more than once in the book of Acts during Paul’s ministry.

a). Acts 13:42-52 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.

13:43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

13:44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

13:49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

13:50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

13:51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

3. “...and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.”

a. [and shall] say [Strong: 559 ʼâmar, aw-mar'; a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude):—answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.]

b. Surely [Strong: 389  'ak ak akin to 403; a particle of affirmation, surely; hence (by limitation) only:--also, in any wise, at least, but, certainly, even, howbeit, nevertheless, notwithstanding, only, save, surely, of a surety, truly, verily, + wherefore, yet (but).]

c. [our] fathers [Strong: 1 ʼâb, awb; a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application:—chief, (fore-) father(-less), × patrimony, principal.]

d. [have] inherited [Strong: 5157 nâchal, naw-khal'; a primitive root; to inherit (as a (figurative) mode of descent), or (generally) to occupy; causatively, to bequeath, or (generally) distribute, instate:—divide, have (inheritance), take as a heritage, (cause to, give to, make to) inherit, (distribute for, divide (for, for an, by), give for, have, leave for, take (for)) inheritance, (have in, cause to, be made to) possess(-ion).]

e. lies [Strong: 8267 sheqer, sheh'-ker; from H8266; an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial):—without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, lie, lying, vain (thing), wrongfully.]

1). Isaiah 44:9-20 Isaiah’s sarcasm regarding idolatry, there is a lie in the idolaters right hand as he holds the idol.

f. vanity [Strong: 1892 hebel, heh'bel; or (rarely in the abs.) הֲבֵל hăbêl; from H1891; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb:—× altogether, vain, vanity.]

g. [and things wherein there is] no [Strong: 369 'ayin ah'-yin as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without.]

h. profit [Strong: 3276 yâʻal, yaw-al'; a primitive root; properly, to ascend; figuratively, to be valuable (objectively; useful, subjectively; benefited):—× at all, set forward, can do good, (be, have) profit, (able).]