Jeremiah 21 · Verse 8

Jeremiah 21:8

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.
Jeremiah 21:8, King James Version

Jeremiah 21:8 in other translations

BSBFurthermore, 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.
WEB“You shall say to this people, ‘The LORD says: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
ASVAnd unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
YLTAnd unto this people thou dost say, Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am setting before you the way of life, And the way of death!
DARBYAnd unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.
BBEAnd to this people you are to say, The Lord has said, See, I put before you the way of life and the way of death.
WebsterAnd to this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.

What does Jeremiah 21:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. "Life," if ye surrender; "death," if ye persist in opposing the Chaldees (compare De 30:19). The individuality of Jeremiah's mission from God is shown in that he urges to unconditional surrender; whereas all former prophets had urged the people to oppose their invaders (Is 7:16; 37:33, 35).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death - Meaning escape or destruction in the present instance. This is explained in the next verse.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 21:1-10

The only way of deliverance is to be surrendering to the Babylonians. (Jr 21:1-10) The wickedness of the king and his household. (Jr 21:11-14) Verses 1-10 When the siege had begun, Zedekiah sent to ask of Jeremiah respecting the event. In times of distress and danger, men often seek those to counsel and pray for them, whom, at other times, they despise and oppose; but they only seek deliverance from punishment. When…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 21:1-10 →

Jeremiah 21:8 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְאֶל\־ve.'el-and toH413
הָעָ֤םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
הַזֶּה֙ha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
תֹּאמַ֔רto.Maryou will sayH559
כֹּ֖הkohthusH3541
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
הִנְנִ֤יhi.Nihere IH2005
נֹתֵן֙no.Ten[am] puttingH5414
לִפְנֵיכֶ֔םlif.nei.Khem<to> before youH6440
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דֶּ֥רֶךְDe.rekh[the] way ofH1870
הַחַיִּ֖יםha.chai.Yim<the> lifeH2416
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
דֶּ֥רֶךְDe.rekh[the] way ofH1870
הַמָּֽוֶת\׃ha.Ma.vet<the> deathH4194

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 21:8

  • Deuteronomy 30:19

    I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

  • Deuteronomy 30:15

    See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

  • Deuteronomy 11:26

    Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;

  • Isaiah 1:19-20

    If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I set.
De 11:26; 30:15,19; Isa 1:19,20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 21:7

    And afterward, saith the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.

  • Jeremiah 21:8

    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.

  • Jeremiah 21:9

    He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.

Read all of Jeremiah 21

Jeremiah 21:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y á este pueblo dirás: Así ha dicho Jehová: He aquí pongo delante de vosotros camino de vida y camino de muerte.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tu diras à ce peuple: Ainsi dit l’ Éternel: Voici, je mets devant vous le chemin de la vie et le chemin de la mort.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und zu diesem Volke sollst du sagen: So spricht Jehova: Siehe, ich lege euch den Weg des Lebens vor und den Weg des Todes.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ad populum hunc dices: Hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce ego do coram vobis viam vitæ, et viam mortis.