Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;

JEREMIAH 44:7KJV
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Jeremiah 44:7 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 44:7 mean?

Jeremiah 44:7 records God’s warning to the people of Judah, asking why they are bringing such great harm upon themselves by their actions—actions so destructive that they threaten to wipe out every man, woman, child, and infant from Judah, leaving no one behind. God is confronting them about choices that endanger their own lives and the future of their community.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the Jewish people who have fled to Egypt after Jerusalem’s destruction. The people are continuing in behaviors God calls “great evil,” and God points out the tragic result: their own self-destruction. The verse highlights the seriousness of their actions—not just as personal failings, but as choices with consequences for every generation.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 44:7

  • evil (רַע, ra‘): This word means “harm” or “bad,” and here it is called “great” (גָּדוֹל, gadol). God is emphasizing the seriousness and magnitude of their wrongdoing, not just a minor mistake.
  • souls (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh): Often translated as “life” or “self,” this word shows that the people’s actions are not just offenses against God but are actually bringing harm to their own lives.
  • cut off (כָּרַת, karat): This verb means to “cut off” or “eliminate.” God is warning that their choices will result in the complete removal of people from Judah—no one left behind.
  • leave...remain (יָתַר, yatar; שְׁאֵרִית, she’erit): These words stress the idea of a remnant or survivors. God’s warning is that their actions could leave Judah without even a small group of survivors, which is a strong way to express total devastation.

Why Jeremiah 44:7 matters

  • Jeremiah 44:7 clarifies that God’s warnings are not just about religious rules but about choices that threaten the very survival of the people.
  • The verse emphasizes personal responsibility; the people are not just victims of fate but are actively “committing” (עָשָׂה, asah) actions that bring about their own ruin.
  • This verse connects to the larger message in Jeremiah 44, where God pleads with the people to recognize the consequences of their continued disobedience, highlighting that God’s concern is for their well-being and future.

Where else these words appear

“child” Hebrew H5768 · used in 20 verses

  • 1 Samuel 15:3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
  • Psalms 137:9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
  • Lamentations 2:19 Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

“suckling” Hebrew H3243 · used in 30 verses

  • Genesis 21:7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
  • Deuteronomy 33:19 They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness: for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand.
  • Song of Solomon 8:1 O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.

“remain” Hebrew H7611 · used in 66 verses

  • Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
  • Jeremiah 15:9 She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.
  • Ezekiel 11:13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

“leave” Hebrew H3498 · used in 101 verses

  • Genesis 30:36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
  • Joshua 18:2 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
  • 1 Chronicles 6:70 And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath.