Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

JEREMIAH 13:20KJV
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Jeremiah 13:20 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 13:20 mean?

Jeremiah 13:20 is a warning from God, spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, telling the people of Judah to look up and see invaders coming from the north, and asking them what has happened to the people (the "flock") entrusted to their care. The verse points to a coming disaster and challenges the leaders about their responsibility for the people.

Jeremiah is speaking to the leaders and people of Jerusalem, warning them about the approaching Babylonian army. The "flock" refers to the people of Judah, described as "beautiful" to show their value and what is at stake. The question "where is the flock that was given thee?" presses the leaders to consider how they have failed in their duty to protect and guide the nation, as foreign armies approach from the north.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 13:20

  • "Up" (נָשָׂא, nāśā’): This word means "lift up" and is often used for physically raising something or looking attentively. Here, it stresses the urgency of paying attention to what is happening.
  • "Flock" (עֵדֶר, ʿēder and צֹאן, ṣō’n): Two different words for "flock" appear in this verse. The first points to a group under someone's care, while the second is the common word for sheep. The use of both highlights the idea of responsibility and the preciousness of the people.
  • "Beautiful" (תִּפְאַרְתֶּךָ, tif’artekha): This word means "splendor" or "glory." Calling the flock "beautiful" underlines how highly valued the people of Judah are in God's eyes.

Why Jeremiah 13:20 matters

  • Jeremiah 13:20 clarifies that the coming trouble is not just a random disaster but a direct result of failed leadership and neglect of responsibility.
  • The verse connects the fate of the people ("flock") to the actions of those who were supposed to care for them, making the warning personal and urgent.
  • By calling the people "beautiful," Jeremiah 13:20 highlights what is being lost and why the coming judgment is so tragic, deepening the sense of sorrow and warning in the passage.

Where else these words appear

“flock” Hebrew H5739 · used in 34 verses

  • Genesis 29:2 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.
  • Proverbs 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.
  • Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

“beautiful” Hebrew H8597 · used in 50 verses

  • Exodus 28:2 And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
  • Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.
  • Isaiah 62:3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

“north” Hebrew H6828 · used in 141 verses

  • Genesis 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
  • 1 Chronicles 26:14 And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.
  • Ezekiel 21:4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north: