And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways.

JEREMIAH 15:7KJV
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Jeremiah 15:7 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 15:7 mean?

Jeremiah 15:7 describes God declaring that He will scatter and judge His people because they refuse to turn away from their wrong ways. The verse uses the image of fanning with a fan at the gates of the land, showing that God will separate and remove people, leading to loss and destruction as a result of their stubbornness.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah, warning them of coming judgment. The setting is a time of deep disobedience, and the language is vivid: God pictures Himself as someone using a fan to winnow, separating what is valuable from what is not. The mention of bereaving and destroying highlights the seriousness of the consequences for the people's refusal to change their behavior.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 15:7

  • fan (זָרָה, zarah): This word means to scatter or winnow, like tossing grain into the air so the wind blows away the chaff. Here, it shows God actively separating and removing people because of their actions.
  • gates (שַׁעַר, sha'ar): Gates were the main entry points of a city and places of judgment or gathering. Mentioning the "gates of the land" suggests a public, visible act affecting the whole nation.
  • bereave (שָׁכַל, shakal): This word means to make childless or to cause loss of children. The verse uses it to stress the depth of the coming sorrow and loss.
  • destroy (דָּמָה, damah): This word can mean to silence, destroy, or bring to an end. Here, it underscores the finality and seriousness of God's warning.
  • return (שׁוּב, shuv): This word means to turn back or repent. The verse points out that the people’s refusal to "return" or change their ways is the reason for the coming judgment.

Why Jeremiah 15:7 matters

  • Jeremiah 15:7 clears up that the coming hardship is not random or unfair but is directly tied to the people's refusal to change, highlighting personal responsibility.
  • The verse emphasizes that God’s actions are purposeful and measured, using images like winnowing and bereavement to show both the process and the pain involved.
  • Understanding the original words helps readers see the seriousness of the warning and the depth of loss described, making the verse’s message about consequences and repentance more vivid.

Where else these words appear

“fan” Hebrew H4214 · used in 2 verses

  • Isaiah 30:24 The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

“bereave” Hebrew H7921 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 27:45 Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
  • 1 Samuel 15:33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
  • Ezekiel 5:17 So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee; and I will bring the sword upon thee. I the LORD have spoken it.

“fan” Hebrew H2219 · used in 38 verses

  • Exodus 32:20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
  • Proverbs 20:26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
  • Ezekiel 6:5 And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.