Jeremiah 13:19

Verse

The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive.

American Standard Version (1901)

The cities of the South are shut up, and there is none to open them: Judah is carried away captive, all of it; it is wholly carried away captive.

Bible in Basic English

The towns of the south are shut up, and there is no one to make them open: Judah is taken away as prisoners; all Judah is taken away as prisoners.

Douay-Rheims 1899

The cities of the south are shut up, and there is none to open them: all Juda is carried away captive with an entire captivity.

Free Bible Version

The towns in the Negev are surrounded; no one can get through to them. The whole of Judah has been taken away into exile, everyone has been exiled.

Geneva Bible 1599

The cities of the South shall be shut vp, and no man shall open them: all Iudah shall be caried away captiue: it shall be wholy caried away captiue.

King James (Authorized) Version

The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

Translation for Translators

The towns in the southern part of Judah will be surrounded by your enemies, and no one will be able to get through their lines to rescue the people in those towns. You people of Judah will be captured and taken away; you will all be ◄exiled/taken to foreign countries►.

Unlocked Literal Bible

The cities in the Negev will be shut up, with no one to open them. All Judah will be taken captive, completely taken captive.

Noah Webster Bible

The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them ; Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.

World English Bible

The cities of the South are shut up, and there is no one to open them. Judah is carried away captive: all of them. They are wholly carried away captive.

Young's Literal Translation

The cities of the south have been shut up, And there is none opening, Judah hath been removed — all of her, She hath been removed completely —

Context

Captivity Threatened

¹⁸Say to the king and to the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads.” ¹⁹The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive. ²⁰Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north. Where is the flock entrusted to you, the sheep that were your pride?

Summary

Jeremiah 13:19 expresses the sorrow and anguish of the prophet as he foresees the devastation and desolation that will come upon his people due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry. The verse reflects God's righteous judgment against sin and His grief over the consequences that His people will face. Despite the impending judgment, there is an underlying message of hope and restoration, as God's discipline is intended to bring His people back to Him and ultimately lead to their repentance and renewal.

Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

cities of the south--namely, south of Judea; farthest off from the enemy, who advanced from the north. shut up--that is, deserted (Isa 24:10); so that none shall be left to open the gates to travellers and merchants again [HENDERSON]. Rather, shut up so closely by Nebuchadnezzar's forces, sent on before (Kg2 24:10-11), that none shall be allowed by the enemy to get out (compare Jer 13:20). wholly--literally, "fully"; completely.

John Gill Bible Commentary

Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north,.... There are a Keri and a Cetib of the words "lift up" and "behold"; they are written in the singular number, and may be considered as directed to the king, as the words following are; and they are read in the plural number, the state and whole body of the people being called upon to observe the Chaldean army, which came from the north; and is represented as on the march, just at hand to invade, besiege, take, and carry them captive. The Septuagint version renders it, "lift up thine eyes, O Jerusalem"; and the Arabic version, "O Israel: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?" that is, the people, as the Targum interprets it, which were committed to the care and charge of the king, as sheep into the hands of a shepherd; and were a fine body of people, chosen of God and precious, distinguished above all others by wholesome and righteous laws and statutes, and special privileges; a people who were a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, and a peculiar people, the glory of the whole earth; but now carried, or about to be carried, captive. It is no unusual thing to represent a king as a shepherd, and his people as a flock, guided, governed, and protected by him, and who is accountable for his trust to the King of kings; see Psa 78:71. . Jeremiah 13:21 jer 13:21 jer 13:21 jer 13:21What will thou say when he shall punish thee?.... Or, "visit upon thee" (f); that is, either when God shall punish thee for thy sins, thou canst bring no charge of injustice against him, or murmur and repine at the punishment inflicted on thee; so Jarchi; to which agrees the Targum, "when he shall visit on thee thy sin;'' or else, to which the following words seem to incline, when the enemy shall visit upon thee; so Kimchi and Abarbinel, when the Chaldeans shall come upon thee, and pay thee a visit, an unwelcome one; yet who wilt thou have to blame but thyself? so the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "when they shall visit thee"; these words are directed, not to the king, nor to the queen neither; but to the body of the people, the Jewish state, represented as a woman; who, upon consideration of things past, would have a great deal of reason to reflect upon themselves for what they had done in former times, which had led on to their ruin and destruction: (for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee;) the Jews showed the Assyrians the way into their country, used them to come thither, and taught them how to conquer them, and be masters over them; or, "hast taught them against thee" (g); to thy hurt and detriment, to be captains or governors; for an head, to have the rule over them: this was done by Ahaz, when he sent to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria to come and save him out of the hands of the kings of Syria and Israel, Kg2 16:7 and by Hezekiah, when he showed the messengers of the king of Babylon all his treasures; these were invitations and temptations to come and plunder them: shall not sorrows take thee as a woman in travail? denoting the suddenness of their calamities; the sharpness and severity of them; and that they would be inevitable, and could not be prevented. (f) "quando visitabit super te"; Cocceius; "quum visitaverit super te", Schmidt. (g) "docuisti istos contra te", Piscator.