Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,

JEREMIAH 25:23KJV
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Jeremiah 25:23 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 25:23 mean?

Jeremiah 25:23 lists Dedan, Tema, Buz, and “all that are in the utmost corners” as peoples or regions that will be affected by the message of judgment Jeremiah is delivering. The verse is part of a longer list naming various nations that will experience God’s judgment.

In this chapter, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s words to a group of nations, not just Israel. Dedan, Tema, and Buz were groups or tribes living in the Arabian desert region, and “those in the utmost corners” refers to people living on the far edges of the known world at that time. Jeremiah is emphasizing that God’s message of judgment reaches far beyond Judah, including distant and lesser-known peoples.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 25:23

  • דְּדָן (Dedan, transliterated “Dedan”): Refers to a nomadic group or region in northern Arabia. Including Dedan shows the wide scope of Jeremiah’s prophecy.
  • תֵּימָא (Tema, transliterated “Tema”): Another Arabian tribe or region, known for its desert location. Mentioning Tema highlights that even remote desert dwellers are not outside God’s notice.
  • בּוּז (Buz, transliterated “Buz”): A less well-known tribe, possibly related to the descendants of Abraham’s family. Including Buz shows that even obscure peoples are named in God’s plans.
  • קָצֶה (qāṣeh, translated “utmost”): Means “edge” or “extremity.” Here, it points to the farthest reaches of the known world.
  • פֵּאָה (pē’āh, translated “corners”): Means “corner” or “side.” The phrase “utmost corners” often refers to people living at the outermost boundaries, emphasizing the total reach of the coming judgment.

Why Jeremiah 25:23 matters

  • Jeremiah 25:23 shows that God’s message through Jeremiah is not limited to Israel or its immediate neighbors but extends to distant and sometimes overlooked peoples.
  • The verse emphasizes the universal scope of God’s authority and concern, naming both well-known and obscure groups.
  • By including “all that are in the utmost corners,” Jeremiah underlines that no one is beyond the reach of God’s plans, reinforcing the seriousness and completeness of the coming judgment described in this chapter.

Where else these words appear

“Buz” Hebrew H938 · used in 3 verses

  • Genesis 22:21 Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,
  • 1 Chronicles 5:14 These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;

“Tema” Hebrew H8485 · used in 5 verses

  • Genesis 25:15 Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:
  • 1 Chronicles 1:30 Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema,
  • Job 6:19 The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.

“Dedan” Hebrew H1719 · used in 10 verses

  • Genesis 10:7 And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.
  • 1 Chronicles 1:32 Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bare Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan; Sheba, and Dedan.
  • Ezekiel 27:15 The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand: they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony.

“utmost” Hebrew H7112 · used in 14 verses

  • Exodus 39:3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
  • 2 Samuel 4:12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
  • 2 Chronicles 28:24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.