Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

JEREMIAH 17:18KJV
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Jeremiah 17:18 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 17:18 mean?

Jeremiah 17:18 is a prayer where Jeremiah asks God to let his persecutors be put to shame and dismayed, but to spare him from that same disgrace and fear; he also asks God to bring judgment and a severe punishment on those who oppose him. Jeremiah is seeking protection for himself and justice against those who are causing him harm.

Jeremiah, a prophet facing strong opposition and threats from his own people, is speaking directly to God. He is honest about his desire for God to act against those who are persecuting him, using strong language to describe the judgment he hopes they will face. This verse shows Jeremiah’s trust in God’s justice and his vulnerability as someone suffering for delivering God’s message.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 17:18

  • "Confounded" (בּוּשׁ, bosh): This word means to be put to shame or disgraced. Jeremiah asks that his enemies, not himself, experience this public humiliation.
  • "Persecute" (רָדַף, radaph): This word means to pursue or harass. Jeremiah is specifically talking about those who are actively seeking to harm him.
  • "Dismayed" (חָתַת, chatat): This word carries the sense of being shattered or terrified. Jeremiah wants his enemies to be overwhelmed and frightened, but asks God to keep him from that same fear.
  • "Double destruction" (מִשְׁנֶה שֶׁבֶר, mishneh shever): This phrase means a punishment that is doubled or especially severe. Jeremiah is not just asking for ordinary justice, but for a particularly strong response from God against those who oppose him.

Why Jeremiah 17:18 matters

  • Jeremiah 17:18 clears up that Jeremiah is not seeking personal revenge, but is appealing to God as the ultimate judge to handle those who are unjustly attacking him.
  • The verse highlights the emotional strain and isolation Jeremiah feels as a prophet, making his plea for protection and justice more personal and relatable.
  • This prayer connects to the wider passage, where Jeremiah is wrestling with the cost of faithfully speaking God’s word in a hostile environment, showing both his dependence on God and his honest expression of fear and hope.

Where else these words appear

“destruction” Hebrew H7670 · used in 2 verses

  • Ezekiel 21:6 Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.

“double” Hebrew H4932 · used in 34 verses

  • Genesis 41:43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
  • 1 Samuel 23:17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
  • 2 Chronicles 35:24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

“dismayed” Hebrew H2865 · used in 48 verses

  • Deuteronomy 1:21 Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
  • Job 31:34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?
  • Jeremiah 14:4 Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

“confounded” Hebrew H954 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
  • Psalms 109:28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
  • Isaiah 65:13 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: