Jeremiah 6:29
Jeremiah 6:29 in Multiple Translations
The bellows blow fiercely, blasting away the lead with fire. The refining proceeds in vain, for the wicked are not purged.
The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed of the fire: in vain do they go on refining; for the wicked are not plucked away.
The blower is blowing strongly, the lead is burned away in the fire: they go on heating the metal to no purpose, for the evil-doers are not taken away.
The bellows in the refiner's furnace blow powerfully, burning away the lead. But this refining is pointless, because the wicked are not purified.
The bellowes are burnt: the lead is consumed in the fire: the founder melteth in vaine: for the wicked are not taken away.
The bellows have been burnt, By fire hath the lead been consumed, In vain hath a refiner refined, And the wicked have not been drawn away.
The bellows blow fiercely. The lead is consumed in the fire. In vain they go on refining, for the wicked are not plucked away.
The bellows is burned, the lead is consumed by the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
The bellows have failed, the lead is consumed in the fire, the founder hath melted in vain: for their wicked deeds are not consumed.
A metalworker causes the bellows to blow very hard to make the fire very hot to completely burn up the impurities [MET]. But just as a fire does not cause all the waste material to run off, it is impossible to separate the righteous people from the wicked people, and punish only the wicked people.
Berean Amplified Bible — Jeremiah 6:29
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Jeremiah 6:29 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
נָחַ֣ר
מַפֻּ֔חַ
מ/אשת/ם
מֵ/אֵ֖שׁ
תַּ֣ם
עֹפָ֑רֶת
לַ/שָּׁוְא֙
צָרַ֣ף
צָר֔וֹף
וְ/רָעִ֖ים
לֹ֥א
נִתָּֽקוּ
נָחַ֣ר
chârar
H2787
to scorch
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
מַפֻּ֔חַ
mappuach
H4647
bellow
N-ms
מ/אשת/ם
ʼeshshâh
H800
fire
Prep | N-fs | Suff
מֵ/אֵ֖שׁ
ʼêsh
H784
fire
Prep | N-cs
תַּ֣ם
tâmam
H8552
to finish
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
עֹפָ֑רֶת
ʻôwphereth
H5777
lead
N-fs
לַ/שָּׁוְא֙
shâvᵉʼ
H7723
vanity
Prep | N-ms
צָרַ֣ף
tsâraph
H6884
to refine
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
צָר֔וֹף
tsâraph
H6884
to refine
V-Qal-Ptc
וְ/רָעִ֖ים
raʻ
H7451
bad
Conj | Adj
לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
נִתָּֽקוּ
nâthaq
H5423
to tear
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Jeremiah 6:29
נָחַ֣ר
chârar
H2787
"to scorch"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
To scorch means to burn or dry up something, like a plant in the desert. In the Bible, this word can also mean to be angry or passionate, like in Psalm 69:9 where it describes a strong emotion.
Definition: 1) to burn, be hot, be scorched, be charred 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be hot, be scorched 1a2) to burn, be burned 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be scorched, be burned 1b2) to burn 1b3) to be dry, be angry 1c) (Pilpel) to cause to burn Aramaic equivalent: cha.rakh (חֲרַךְ "to singe" H2761)
Usage: Occurs in 11 OT verses. KJV: be angry, burn, dry, kindle. See also: Job 30:30; Isaiah 24:6; Psalms 69:4.
מַפֻּ֔חַ
mappuach
H4647
"bellow"
N-ms
This word refers to a bellows, a device used to blow air into a fire, like in a blacksmith's forge. It is used to describe a tool for intensifying flames.
Definition: bellows
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: bellows. See also: Jeremiah 6:29.
מ/אשת/ם
ʼeshshâh
H800
"fire"
Prep | N-fs | Suff
This word simply means fire, and it's used in the Bible to describe flames or burning. It appears in many books, including Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Definition: fire
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: fire. See also: Jeremiah 6:29.
מֵ/אֵ֖שׁ
ʼêsh
H784
"fire"
Prep | N-cs
Fire is a powerful symbol in the Bible, representing both God's anger and his refining presence, as seen in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Malachi 3:2-3. It is also used for cooking and warmth. This concept is central to many biblical stories.
Definition: 1) fire 1a) fire, flames 1b) supernatural fire (accompanying theophany) 1c) fire (for cooking, roasting, parching) 1d) altar-fire 1e) God's anger (fig.) Aramaic equivalent: esh (אֶשָּׁא "fire" H0785)
Usage: Occurs in 348 OT verses. KJV: burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot. See also: Genesis 15:17; Joshua 7:15; Psalms 11:6.
תַּ֣ם
tâmam
H8552
"to finish"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
To finish or complete something, either in a good or bad sense, like when God finished creating the world in Genesis. It can also mean to be consumed or destroyed. The KJV Bible uses words like accomplish, cease, or have done to translate it.
Definition: 1) to be complete, be finished, be at an end 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be finished, be completed 1a1a) completely, wholly, entirely (as auxiliary with verb) 1a2) to be finished, come to an end, cease 1a3) to be complete (of number) 1a4) to be consumed, be exhausted, be spent 1a5) to be finished, be consumed, be destroyed 1a6) to be complete, be sound, be unimpaired, be upright (ethically) 1a7) to complete, finish 1a8) to be completely crossed over 1b) (Niphal) to be consumed 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to finish, complete, perfect 1c2) to finish, cease doing, leave off doing 1c3) to complete, sum up, make whole 1c4) to destroy (uncleanness) 1c5) to make sound 1d) (Hithpael) to deal in integrity, act uprightly
Usage: Occurs in 61 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, cease, be clean (pass-) ed, consume, have done, (come to an, have an, make an) end, fail, come to the full, be all gone, [idiom] be all here, be (make) perfect, be spent, sum, be (shew self) upright, be wasted, whole. See also: Genesis 47:15; 2 Kings 22:4; Psalms 9:7.
עֹפָ֑רֶת
ʻôwphereth
H5777
"lead"
N-fs
This word means lead, a heavy metal, and is used in the Bible to describe a type of metal used for making items. It appears in Ezekiel and Zechariah, describing the use of lead in construction and craftsmanship.
Definition: lead
Usage: Occurs in 9 OT verses. KJV: lead. See also: Exodus 15:10; Ezekiel 22:18; Jeremiah 6:29.
לַ/שָּׁוְא֙
shâvᵉʼ
H7723
"vanity"
Prep | N-ms
Vanity or falsehood, this word describes something empty, useless, or deceitful, like the idols worshipped by the Israelites in Isaiah 41:29, or the lies and false promises spoken by false prophets in Jeremiah 23:25.
Definition: : false 1) emptiness, vanity, falsehood 1a) emptiness, nothingness, vanity 1b) emptiness of speech, lying 1c) worthlessness (of conduct) Also means: shav (שָׁוְא ": vain" H7723H)
Usage: Occurs in 48 OT verses. KJV: false(-ly), lie, lying, vain, vanity. See also: Exodus 20:7; Isaiah 1:13; Psalms 12:3.
צָרַ֣ף
tsâraph
H6884
"to refine"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
To refine means to purify something, like metal, by removing impurities. In the Bible, God refines his people like silver, testing and purifying them through trials. This process makes them stronger and more faithful.
Definition: 1) to smelt, refine, test 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to smelt, refine 1a2) to test 1a3) to test (and prove true) 1a4) smelter, refiner, goldsmith (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be refined 1c) (Piel) to be a refiner 1c1) refiner (participle)
Usage: Occurs in 29 OT verses. KJV: cast, (re-) fine(-er), founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try. See also: Judges 7:4; Isaiah 1:25; Psalms 12:7.
צָר֔וֹף
tsâraph
H6884
"to refine"
V-Qal-Ptc
To refine means to purify something, like metal, by removing impurities. In the Bible, God refines his people like silver, testing and purifying them through trials. This process makes them stronger and more faithful.
Definition: 1) to smelt, refine, test 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to smelt, refine 1a2) to test 1a3) to test (and prove true) 1a4) smelter, refiner, goldsmith (participle) 1b) (Niphal) to be refined 1c) (Piel) to be a refiner 1c1) refiner (participle)
Usage: Occurs in 29 OT verses. KJV: cast, (re-) fine(-er), founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try. See also: Judges 7:4; Isaiah 1:25; Psalms 12:7.
וְ/רָעִ֖ים
raʻ
H7451
"bad"
Conj | Adj
Ra means bad or evil, referring to moral or natural harm. It describes adversity, affliction, or distress, and is often used to convey a sense of misery or injury.
Definition: : harmful adj 1) bad, evil 1a) bad, disagreeable, malignant 1b) bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery) 1c) evil, displeasing 1d) bad (of its kind-land, water, etc) 1e) bad (of value) 1f) worse than, worst (comparison) 1g) sad, unhappy 1h) evil (hurtful) 1i) bad, unkind (vicious in disposition) 1j) bad, evil, wicked (ethically) 1j1) in general, of persons, of thoughts 1j2) deeds, actions
Usage: Occurs in 623 OT verses. KJV: adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, [phrase] not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.). See also: Genesis 2:9; Judges 9:57; 2 Kings 21:6.
לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
נִתָּֽקוּ
nâthaq
H5423
"to tear"
V-Niphal-Perf-3cp
To tear or pull something away from something else, like pulling a plant out of the ground or separating two things, is what this word means, and it can also describe being separated or torn apart.
Definition: 1) to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, lift, root out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to draw away 1a2) to draw or pull off 1a3) to pull or tear away 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be drawn away, be drawn out 1b2) to be torn apart or in two, be snapped 1b3) to be separated 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to tear apart, snap 1c2) to tear out, tear up, tear away 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to draw away 1d2) to drag away 1e) (Hophal) to be drawn away
Usage: Occurs in 26 OT verses. KJV: break (off), burst, draw (away), lift up, pluck (away, off), pull (out), root out. See also: Leviticus 22:24; Isaiah 5:27; Psalms 2:3.
Study Notes — Jeremiah 6:29
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Jeremiah 6:29 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 6:29
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 6:29
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 6:29
- Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 6:29
- Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 6:29
- Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 6:29
- Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 6:29
- Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 6:29
- Sermons on Jeremiah 6:29
Context — An Invasion from the North
27“I have appointed you to examine My people like ore, so you may know and try their ways.
28All are hardened rebels, walking around as slanderers. They are bronze and iron; all of them are corrupt.
29The bellows blow fiercely, blasting away the lead with fire. The refining proceeds in vain, for the wicked are not purged.
30They are called rejected silver, because the LORD has rejected them.”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel 24:13 | Because of the indecency of your uncleanness I tried to cleanse you, but you would not be purified from your filthiness. You will not be pure again until My wrath against you has subsided. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 9:7 | Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do because of the daughter of My people? |
| 3 | 1 Peter 4:12 | Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. |
| 4 | Isaiah 49:4 | But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength in futility and vanity; yet My vindication is with the LORD, and My reward is with My God.” |
| 5 | Malachi 3:2–3 | But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. |
| 6 | Proverbs 17:3 | A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts. |
| 7 | Hosea 11:7 | My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call to the Most High, He will by no means exalt them. |
| 8 | Zechariah 13:9 | This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’” |
| 9 | 1 Peter 1:7 | so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. |
Jeremiah 6:29 Summary
[Jeremiah 6:29 is saying that even though God is trying to purify His people, they are not responding to His efforts because they are stubborn and rebellious, similar to the people in Jeremiah 5:3. This is like a refiner trying to purify metal, but the metal is not responding to the heat. God's refining process is not working because the people are not willing to change, as we see in Romans 2:5. As a result, they will face God's judgment, but as believers, we can learn from this and surrender to God's will, allowing Him to refine us and make us more like Jesus, as seen in 1 Peter 1:7.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the refining process in Jeremiah 6:29 represent?
The refining process represents God's efforts to purify His people, much like a refiner purifies silver or gold, as seen in Malachi 3:3, but in this case, it proceeds in vain because the wicked are not willing to be purified.
Why are the wicked not purged in Jeremiah 6:29?
The wicked are not purged because they are hardened rebels, as stated in Jeremiah 6:28, and they refuse to repent and turn to God, similar to the stubbornness of Pharaoh in Exodus 7:13-14.
What is the significance of the bellows blowing fiercely in Jeremiah 6:29?
The bellows blowing fiercely represents the intense efforts of God to refine and purify His people, but despite these efforts, the wicked remain unpurged, highlighting their stubborn resistance to God's will, much like the Israelites in Isaiah 48:4.
How does Jeremiah 6:29 relate to the concept of God's judgment?
Jeremiah 6:29 relates to the concept of God's judgment in that it shows how God's refining process is also a process of judgment, where the wicked are separated from the righteous, as seen in Matthew 25:32-33, and those who are not purged will face God's judgment.
Reflection Questions
- What are the areas in my life where I need God's refining fire to purify me, and how can I surrender to His will?
- How can I avoid being like the wicked in Jeremiah 6:29, who refuse to be purged, and instead, be open to God's refining process?
- What are the consequences of resisting God's refining process, and how can I learn from the examples in Scripture, such as the Israelites in the wilderness?
- In what ways can I cooperate with God's refining process, and what role does repentance and faith play in this process, as seen in 2 Corinthians 7:10?
Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 6:29
The bellows are burnt,.... Which Kimchi interprets of the mouth and throat of the prophet, which, through reproving the people, were dried up, and become raucous and hoarse, and without any profit to
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 6:29
The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. The bellows are burned - so intense a heat is made that the very bellows are almost set on fire.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 6:29
The bellows are burned: the prophet prosecutes his metaphor taken from refining of metals, intimating herein that the prophets had spent their lungs to no purpose; see the like 69:3; and their strength was consumed by their so much labour and pains: q.d. The terror of the Lord is as a fire in my throat. The lead is consumed; some read it, the lead was entire, viz. their dross did still remain in them, the lead put for their dross; but I see no reason for nor need of this reading, but rather hereby is understood either that means which was used to prevail with them, his words compared to lead for the weight of them, and the use of them; or the judgments, which were heavy as lead, that God mixed among them, the more easily to prevail with them; it was all upon them; as lead is used in melting silver, that it may melt the easier; it is all wasted, and doth no good. The founder melteth in vain; let the artist use his greatest skill and industry, yet is it all in vain; He can make nothing of it: the prophets did but lose their labour in all the pains they took, , after they had wearied themselves. The wicked are not plucked away, or drawn away, as the word is, . Their dross and corruption, their wickedness and filthiness, is not removed, : for wicked may be read wickedness.
Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 6:29
Jeremiah 6:29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.Ver. 29. The bellows are burnt.] The prophet’ s lungs are spent; all their pains spilt upon a perverse people. See Ezekiel 24:6; Ezekiel 24:12-13. Jeremiah had blowed hard, as a smith or metallary doth with his bellows; he had suffered, as it were, by the heat of a most ardent fire in trying and melting his ore; he had used his best art also by casting in lead, as today they do quicksilver, to melt it the more easily, and with less loss and waste; but all to no purpose at all. Let us, to the wearing of our tongues to the stumps, preach never so much, men will on in sin, said Bradford. The lead is consumed.] All the melting judgments which, as lead is cast into the furnace to make it the hotter, God added to the ministry of the prophets to make the Word more operative, they will do no good. The founder melteth in vain.] Whether God, the master founder, or the prophets, God’ s co-founders or fellow workmen, as the apostle calleth them. The wicked are not plucked away.] Or, Their wickednesses; they will not part with their dross, or be divorced from their dilecta delicta, beloved sins. The vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord. Mr Case’ s Treatise of Afflictions.
Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 6:29
(29) The bellows are burned.—Better, burn, or glow. In the interpretation of the parable the “bellows” answer to the life of the prophet as filled with the breath or spirit of Jehovah. He is, as it were, consumed with that fiery blast, and yet his work is faulty. The lead is consumed . . .—Better, from their fire is lead only. A different punctuation gives, The bellows burn with fire; yet lead is the only outcome. The point lies in the fact that lead was used as a flux in smelting silver ore. The founder in the case supposed went on with his work till the lead was melted, but he found no silver after all. Plucked away.—Better, separated or purified, as in keeping with the metaphor.
Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 6:29
29. The figure from refining metals is continued from Jeremiah 6:27. “In refining, the alloy containing the gold or silver is mixed with lead, and fused in a furnace on a vessel of earth or bone-ash: a current of air is turned upon the molten mass (not upon the fire); the lead then oxidizes, and acting as a flux, carries away the alloy, leaving the gold or silver pure (I. Napier, The Ancient Workers in Metal, 1856, pp. 20, 23). In the case here imagined by the prophet, so inextricably is the alloy mixed with the silver, that, though the bellows blow, and the lead is oxidised by the heat, no purification is effected; only impure silver remains.” Dr. p. 39.
Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 6:29
The bellows are burned - Worn out by continual blowing. The prophet has exhausted all his efforts. His heart, consumed by the heat of divine inspiration, can labor no more. Others translate “The bellows snort,” i.
Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 6:29
29. The lead is consumed, etc. — There is an uncertainty here as to the original text, and this has given rise to various renderings.
Sermons on Jeremiah 6:29
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
A Farewell Sermon by Jonathan Edwards | Jonathan Edwards delivers a farewell sermon at the First Church in Northampton, MA, emphasizing the accountability of ministers and their congregations before Christ's tribunal on |
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Their Dregs and Dross by Thomas Brooks | Thomas Brooks emphasizes that God uses severe providences and fiery trials to refine and purify His people from sin, much like how gold and silver are refined in fire. He illustrat |
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Brought to a Safe Place by David Wilkerson | David Wilkerson emphasizes that even the most faithful Christians can face overwhelming trials and suffering, which may lead them to question God's presence in their pain. He reass |
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(1 Peter - Part 30): Suffering in God's Will and Out by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the importance of identifying and understanding adversities in order to better bear them. He emphasizes that humans are naturally afraid of |
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True and False Prophets - Part 1 by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of listening to and meditating on the word of God. They encourage the audience to make use of cassette tapes and technology to |
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The Heat Is On by Warren Wiersbe | In this sermon, the Apostle Peter provides four principles for believers to follow when facing persecution. The first principle is to be aware that trials and persecution will come |
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Trials and Afflictions by Bakht Singh | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of rejoicing in faithfulness during trials and afflictions. He refers to 1 Peter chapter 4 verses 12-14, which encourages bel |