Jeremiah 21:8

Furthermore, you are to tell this people that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Yahweh speaks through Jeremiah to the people of Judah during the Babylonian siege, immediately after declaring the surrender of King Zedekiah and the remaining population to Nebuchadnezzar. The message functions as a direct command to relay a divine ultimatum to the besieged city.

The words — The phrase הִנְ/נִי (hi./Ni) literally means "here I" or "behold I," marking immediate divine action. The verb תֹּאמַ֔ר (to.Mar) translates as "you will say," framing the proclamation as a mandatory transmission rather than a suggestion.

The thread — This structure mirrors Deuteronomy 30:19, Deuteronomy 30:15, and Deuteronomy 11:26, where Yahweh similarly sets life and death, or blessing and curse, before Israel. The recurring pattern establishes a covenantal framework where choice and consequence are explicitly delineated.

Why it lands — The text demands a concrete decision between two mutually exclusive outcomes: surrender to the Chaldeans to preserve life, or remaining in the city to face death. It requires the reader to recognize that survival depends on submitting to the stated course of action rather than resisting the siege.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאֶל־ve./'el-and/ to הָעָ֤םha./'Amthe/ people הַזֶּה֙ha./Zeh<the>/ this תֹּאמַ֔רto.Maryou will say כֹּ֖הkohthus אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe says יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahweh הִנְנִ֤יhi./Nihere/ I נֹתֵן֙no.Ten[am] putting לִפְנֵיכֶ֔םli/f.nei./Khem<to>/ before/ you אֶת־'et-<obj.>דֶּ֥רֶךְDe.rekh[the] way of הַחַיִּ֖יםha./chai.Yim<the>/ life וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>דֶּ֥רֶךְDe.rekh[the] way of הַמָּֽוֶת׃ha./Ma.vet<the>/ death

King James Version

And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,
Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, as well as death and disaster.
Deuteronomy 11:26 See, today I am setting before you a blessing and a curse—
Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land.