Jeremiah 49 · Verse 12

Jeremiah 49:12

For thus saith the Lord; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.
Jeremiah 49:12, King James Version

Jeremiah 49:12 in other translations

BSBFor this is what the LORD says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, can you possibly remain unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for you must drink it too.
WEBFor the LORD says: “Behold, they to whom it didn’t pertain to drink of the cup will certainly drink; and are you he who will altogether go unpunished? You won’t go unpunished, but you will surely drink.
ASVFor thus saith Jehovah: Behold, they to whom it pertained not to drink of the cup shall assuredly drink; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink.
YLTFor thus said Jehovah: They whose judgment is not to drink of the cup, Do certainly drink, And thou art he that is entirely acquitted! Thou art not acquitted, for thou certainly drinkest.
DARBYFor thus saith Jehovah: Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup shall assuredly drink; and thou indeed, shouldest thou be altogether unpunished? Thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink.
BBEFor the Lord has said, Those for whom the cup was not made ready will certainly be forced to take of it; and are you to go without punishment? you will not be without punishment, but will certainly be forced to take from the cup.
WebsterFor thus saith the LORD; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drank; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

What does Jeremiah 49:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. (Compare Jr 25:15, 16, 29). they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup--the Jews to whom, by virtue of the covenant relation, it did not belong to drink the cup. It might have been expected that they would be spared. He regards not the merits of the Jews, for they were as bad or worse than others: but the grace and adoption of God; it is just and natural ("judgment") that God should pardon His sons sooner than aliens [Calvin].

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? - A similar form of speech appears, Jer 25:29. Others, less wicked than thou, have been punished and canst thou expect to escape? Thou shalt not escape.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 49:7-22

The Edomites were old enemies to the Israel of God. But their day is now at hand; it is foretold, not only to warn them, but for the sake of the Israel of God, whose afflictions were aggravated by them. Thus Divine judgments go round from nation to nation; the earth is full of commotion, and nothing can escape the ministers of Divine vengeance. The righteousness of God is to be observed amidst the violence of men.

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 49:7-22 →

Jeremiah 49:12 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.

כִּי\־ki-forH3588
כֹ֣ה\׀khohthusH3541
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
הִ֠נֵּהHi.nehthere!H2009
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-[those] whoH834
אֵ֨ין'einnotH369
מִשְׁפָּטָ֜םmish.pa.Tamsentence theirH4941
לִשְׁתּ֤וֹתlish.Tot[was] to drinkH8354
הַכּוֹס֙ha.kOsthe cupH3563
שָׁת֣וֹsha.Tocompletely <to drink>H8354
יִשְׁתּ֔וּyish.Tuthey will drink [it]H8354
וְאַתָּ֣הve.'a.Tahand youH859
ה֔וּאHu'heH1931
נָקֹ֖הna.Kohcompletely <exempt from punishment>H5352
תִּנָּקֶ֑הti.na.Kehwill you be exempt from punishment?H5352
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תִנָּקֶ֔הti.na.Kehyou will be exempt from punishmentH5352
כִּ֥יkiforH3588
שָׁתֹ֖הsha.Tohcertainly <drink>H8354
תִּשְׁתֶּֽה\׃tish.Tehyou will drink [it]H8354

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 49:12

  • Jeremiah 25:28-29

    And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Obadiah 1:16

    For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.

  • Lamentations 4:21-22

    Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.

  • Jeremiah 25:15

    For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.

  • 1 Peter 4:17-18

    For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

  • Jeremiah 30:11

    For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

  • Proverbs 17:5

    Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

  • Jeremiah 46:27

    But fear not thou, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel: for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
they whose.
25:28,29; 30:11; 46:27; Pr 17:5; La 4:21,22; Ob 1:16; 1Pe 4:17,18

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

Context

  • Jeremiah 49:11

    Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me.

  • Jeremiah 49:12

    For thus saith the Lord; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

  • Jeremiah 49:13

    For I have sworn by myself, saith the Lord, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.

Read all of Jeremiah 49

Jeremiah 49:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque así ha dicho Jehová: He aquí que los que no estaban condenados á beber del cáliz, beberán ciertamente; ¿y serás tú absuelto del todo? No serás absuelto, sino que de cierto beberás.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car ainsi dit l’ Éternel: Voici, ceux dont le jugement n’était pas de boire la coupe, la boiront certainement; et toi tu resterais entièrement impuni? Tu ne resteras pas impuni, mais tu la boiras certainement.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn so spricht Jehova: Siehe, deren Urteil es nicht war, den Becher zu trinken, die müssen ihn trinken; und du solltest der sein, welcher ungestraft bliebe? Du wirst nicht ungestraft bleiben, sondern sicherlich sollst du ihn trinken.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quia hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce quibus non erat judicium ut biberent calicem, bibentes bibent: et tu, quasi innocens relinqueris? non eris innocens, sed bibens bibes.