Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

JEREMIAH 10:25KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 10:25 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 10:25 mean?

Jeremiah 10:25 is a prayer asking God to pour out anger on nations and families who do not know or call on Him, because they have destroyed and devastated the people of Jacob (Israel). The verse expresses a plea for justice against those who have harmed God's people and ignored His name.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to God on behalf of Israel, during a time when foreign nations have attacked and oppressed them. The "heathen" refers to nations outside Israel who do not acknowledge God, and "Jacob" is another name for the people of Israel. Jeremiah is asking God to direct His fury toward those who have caused suffering and ruin for Israel, rather than toward Israel itself.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 10:25

  • "Pour out" (שָׁפַךְ, shafakh): This word gives the sense of something being emptied out completely, like liquid from a vessel. Jeremiah is asking for God's fury to be unleashed fully, not held back.
  • "Fury" (חֵמָה, chemah): This word means intense anger or wrath. The verse highlights the seriousness of the judgment Jeremiah is requesting.
  • "Heathen" (גּוֹי, goy): Often used for non-Israelite nations, this word here points to peoples who do not have a relationship with God.
  • "Know" (יָדַע, yada): To "know" God in Hebrew often means more than just awareness—it suggests a relationship or acknowledgment. The nations in question are those who have no regard for God.
  • "Devoured" and "eaten up" (אָכַל, akhal): Both words are used to describe how the enemies have consumed or destroyed Israel, emphasizing the thoroughness of the harm done.

Why Jeremiah 10:25 matters

  • Jeremiah 10:25 clarifies that the prophet is not asking for blind vengeance, but for justice against those who have intentionally harmed Israel and rejected God.
  • The verse shows the deep pain and loss experienced by Israel, using strong language to describe their suffering at the hands of other nations.
  • This prayer connects to the wider theme in Jeremiah of pleading for God's mercy on Israel, while recognizing the reality of judgment on those who persistently oppose God and His people.

Where else these words appear

“habitation” Hebrew H5116 · used in 35 verses

  • Exodus 15:13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
  • Proverbs 21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.
  • Jeremiah 31:23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring again their captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of holiness.

“desolate” Hebrew H8074 · used in 87 verses

  • Leviticus 26:22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.
  • Isaiah 54:1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
  • Ezekiel 28:19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

“out” Hebrew H8210 · used in 111 verses

  • Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
  • Job 30:16 And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.
  • Ezekiel 16:36 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;

“fury” Hebrew H2534 · used in 117 verses

  • Genesis 27:44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;
  • Psalms 106:23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
  • Lamentations 4:11 The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.