Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

JEREMIAH 25:32KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 25:32 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 25:32 mean?

Jeremiah 25:32 warns that God is announcing a coming disaster that will spread from one nation to another, like a powerful storm sweeping across the earth. The verse pictures this judgment as a great whirlwind rising from the edges of the world, showing that no nation will be untouched by what is coming.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s words to the people of Judah and the surrounding nations. The setting is a time when Jeremiah is warning about the consequences of turning away from God, not just for Judah but for many nations. The language of a “great whirlwind” and disaster moving from nation to nation emphasizes the unstoppable and widespread nature of the judgment God is describing.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 25:32

  • “evil” (רָעָה, ra‘ah): This word often means disaster, calamity, or trouble, not just moral evil. Here, it points to the coming hardship and destruction that will affect many nations.
  • “whirlwind” (סַעַר, sa‘ar): This word describes a violent storm or tempest. The image of a whirlwind highlights the suddenness and force of the coming judgment, suggesting it will be swift and overwhelming.
  • “coasts” (קָצֶה, qatseh): This term means the edges or ends of the earth. The use of this word shows that the disaster will not be limited to one place but will reach far and wide, affecting distant nations.

Why Jeremiah 25:32 matters

  • Jeremiah 25:32 clarifies that God’s judgment is not limited to Israel or Judah but is directed at all nations, showing the universal scope of God’s authority and concern.
  • The verse uses vivid imagery to stress how unstoppable and far-reaching the coming disaster will be, correcting any idea that some nations might escape.
  • This verse connects to the larger message in Jeremiah 25, where the prophet warns that ignoring God’s ways brings real consequences, and these consequences are not just local but global in scale.

Where else these words appear

“whirlwind” Hebrew H5591 · used in 22 verses

  • 2 Kings 2:1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
  • Psalms 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
  • Ezekiel 1:4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

“coasts” Hebrew H3411 · used in 28 verses

  • Genesis 49:13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.
  • 1 Samuel 24:3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
  • Jeremiah 31:8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

“up” Hebrew H5782 · used in 65 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings:
  • Psalms 73:20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.
  • Isaiah 51:17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.