Bible Strands
Jeremiah 29:22
Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God speaks through Jeremiah to the Judahite exiles in Babylon, addressing the false prophets Ahab and Zedekiah who are prophesying lies in His name.
The words — The Hebrew קְלָלָה (ke.la.Lah) denotes a formal curse, while גָּלוּת (ga.Lut) identifies the displaced community that will adopt this curse as a spoken proverb.
The thread — The text establishes a name becoming a proverbial warning (Isaiah 65:15) and parallels the lethal judgment imagery of fiery destruction found in Daniel 3:6.
Why it lands — The passage demands readers recognize that false prophecy triggers concrete divine judgment and requires them to test every message against God’s actual revelation.
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
King James Version
And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
Cross-references
- Isaiah 65:15 You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name.
- Daniel 3:6 And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”
- Genesis 48:20 So that day Jacob blessed them and said: “By you shall Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’” So he put Ephraim before Manasseh.
- Daniel 3:21 So they were tied up, wearing robes, trousers, turbans, and other clothes, and they were thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.
- Ruth 4:11 “We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem.
- 1 Corinthians 16:22 If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!