I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.

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

What does Jeremiah 18:17 mean?

Jeremiah 18:17 describes God’s warning that He will scatter the people of Judah before their enemies like an east wind, turning His back to them instead of showing them favor in their time of disaster. This verse pictures God withdrawing His protection and allowing calamity to come upon the nation as a consequence of their actions.

In this passage, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah, who have repeatedly ignored His warnings and broken their covenant with Him. The “east wind” was known for being hot and destructive in the region, symbolizing harsh judgment. The image of God showing His back, not His face, means He will withhold His presence and help when they most need it, highlighting the seriousness of their situation.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 18:17

  • “Scatter” (פּוּץ, pūts) means to disperse or drive away. This word emphasizes that God’s judgment involves not just defeat but the breaking apart of the community.
  • “East” (קֵדֶם, qedem) and “wind” (רוּחַ, ruach) together refer to the dreaded hot wind from the desert, often destructive to crops and life. The mention of this specific wind underlines the severity and discomfort of the coming judgment.
  • “Back” (עֹרֶף, ‘ōref) and “face” (פָּנִים, panim) contrast God’s favor with His rejection. In the ancient world, to see someone’s face meant acceptance and relationship, while seeing only their back meant rejection and distance.

Why Jeremiah 18:17 matters

  • This verse clarifies that God’s judgment is not random anger but a deliberate response to persistent disobedience, using vivid images familiar to the original audience.
  • The contrast between God’s “face” and “back” helps readers understand the depth of the broken relationship, showing that God’s presence is not automatic but can be withdrawn.
  • Jeremiah 18:17 connects to the wider passage where God, as a potter, shapes and reshapes nations based on their response to Him, reinforcing the theme of accountability and the possibility of change if the people repent.

Where else these words appear

“calamity” Hebrew H343 · used in 22 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
  • Job 31:23 For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.
  • Proverbs 27:10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

“back” Hebrew H6203 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 49:8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
  • Deuteronomy 31:27 For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
  • Nehemiah 9:29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments,(which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

“east” Hebrew H6921 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 41:6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
  • Ezekiel 40:44 And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.
  • Ezekiel 48:3 And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Naphtali.

“scatter” Hebrew H6327 · used in 66 verses

  • Genesis 10:18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
  • Job 18:11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.
  • Ezekiel 12:15 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.