Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.

JEREMIAH 15:8KJV
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Jeremiah 15:8 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 15:8 mean?

Jeremiah 15:8 describes how the number of widows among the people has grown beyond counting, like the sand by the sea, because God has brought a sudden and devastating enemy against them, causing terror and loss in their cities. The verse paints a picture of overwhelming grief and destruction as families are torn apart and cities are struck unexpectedly.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah, warning them about the consequences of their unfaithfulness. The mention of widows and the sudden attack at noonday highlights the scale and surprise of the coming disaster. The verse uses vivid language to show how deeply the nation will suffer due to invading forces and the resulting chaos in their communities.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 15:8

  • "Widows" (אַלְמָנָה, 'almanah): This word refers specifically to women who have lost their husbands, emphasizing the personal and social cost of war and violence.
  • "Sand" (חֹול, chol) and "seas" (יָם, yam): These words together create an image of something countless or beyond measure, stressing just how many families will be affected.
  • "Spoiler" (שָׁדַד, shadad): This word means a destroyer or ravager, pointing to an enemy who brings ruin, not just defeat.
  • "Noonday" (צָהֳרַיִם, tsohorayim): The attack comes at a time when people least expect it, in broad daylight, underlining the shock and suddenness of the disaster.

Why Jeremiah 15:8 matters

  • Jeremiah 15:8 clears up any idea that the coming judgment will be minor or avoidable; the language shows it will be widespread and deeply personal.
  • The verse emphasizes that the suffering will not just be military defeat but will touch families and communities at their core, making the consequences of turning away from God very concrete.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by showing the seriousness of the warnings Jeremiah has been giving, reinforcing the reality of the threats facing Judah if they do not change their ways.

Where else these words appear

“terrors” Hebrew H928 · used in 4 verses

  • Leviticus 26:16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
  • Psalms 78:33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
  • Isaiah 65:23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

“increased” Hebrew H6105 · used in 20 verses

  • Genesis 26:16 And Abimelech said unto Isaac, Go from us; for thou art much mightier than we.
  • Psalms 69:4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.
  • Jeremiah 5:6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

“sand” Hebrew H2344 · used in 23 verses

  • Genesis 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
  • 1 Samuel 13:5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
  • Psalms 139:18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

“noonday” Hebrew H6672 · used in 24 verses

  • Genesis 6:16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.
  • 1 Kings 18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
  • Song of Solomon 1:7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?