Jeremiah 11:23 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 11:23 mean?

Jeremiah 11:23 says that none of the people from Anathoth will survive, because God will bring disaster upon them during a specific time of judgment. The verse is a warning that the entire group will face consequences, with no one left as a surviving remnant.

Jeremiah, speaking God’s message, addresses the people of Anathoth—a town near Jerusalem and his own hometown. The context is that some people from Anathoth had threatened Jeremiah for prophesying against them. This verse is God’s response, declaring that their opposition will lead to their complete destruction in a coming year of reckoning.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 11:23

• שְׁאֵרִית (she'erit, "remnant"): This word means a surviving group or remainder. Its use here stresses that not even a small group will escape—total judgment is in view.
• רָעָה (ra'ah, "evil"): This word often means disaster or calamity, not just moral evil. Here, it signals that God is bringing a severe, destructive event, not simply allowing bad things to happen.
• פְּקֻדָּה (pequddah, "visitation"): This word refers to a time when God intervenes, often for judgment. The phrase "year of their visitation" points to a set time when God will act decisively against Anathoth.

Why Jeremiah 11:23 matters

• Jeremiah 11:23 clarifies that the judgment is total—there will be no survivors from Anathoth, which is unusual since God often leaves a remnant elsewhere in the Bible.
• The verse highlights the seriousness of opposing God’s message and messenger, especially since the people of Anathoth were Jeremiah’s own townspeople.
• This verse connects to the wider passage by showing that God’s warnings through Jeremiah are not empty threats; there is a specific time set for judgment, making the warning urgent and real.