Jeremiah 49 · Verse 20

Jeremiah 49:20

Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.
Jeremiah 49:20, King James Version

Jeremiah 49:20 in other translations

BSBTherefore hear the plans that the LORD has drawn up against Edom and the strategies He has devised against the people of Teman: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged away; certainly their pasture will be made desolate because of them.
WEBTherefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he has taken against Edom, and his purposes that he has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they will drag them away, the little ones of the flock. Surely he will make their habitation desolate over them.
ASVTherefore hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely they shall drag them away, even the little ones of the flock; surely he shall make their habitation desolate over them.
YLTTherefore, hear ye the counsel of Jehovah, That He hath counselled concerning Edom, And His devices that He hath devised Concerning the inhabitants of Teman: Drag them out do not little ones of the flock, Make desolate over them doth he not their habitation?
DARBYTherefore hear the counsel of Jehovah, which he hath taken against Edom, and his purposes which he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: The little ones of the flock shall certainly draw them away; he shall certainly make their habitation desolate for them.
BBEFor this cause give ear to the decision of the Lord which he has made against Edom, and to his purposes designed against the people of Teman: Truly, they will be pulled away by the smallest of the flock; truly, he will make waste their fields with them.
WebsterTherefore hear the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.

What does Jeremiah 49:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. least of the flock--the weakest and humblest of the Chaldean host. Compare Jr 6:3, where the hostile leaders and their hosts are called "shepherds and their flocks." draw ... out--"shall drag them away captive" [Grotius]; shall drag them to and fro, as a lion (Jr 49:19) does feeble sheep [Maurer]. with them--that is, the habitation which they possess.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 The inhabitants of Teman - Taken here for the whole of Idumea. These are a kind of synonyms which prevent monotony, and give variety to the poet's versification. Surely the least or the flock shall draw them out - They shall be like timid sheep; the weakest foe shall overcome them.

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 49:20 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.

לָכֵ֞ןla.Khen<to> thereforeH3651
שִׁמְע֣וּshim.'UhearH8085
עֲצַת\־'a.tzat-[the] plan ofH6098
יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.SherwhichH834
יָעַץ֙ya.'Atzhe has plannedH3289
אֶל\־'el-againstH413
אֱד֔וֹם'e.DomEdomH123
וּמַ֨חְשְׁבוֹתָ֔יוu.Mach.she.vo.Tavand purposes hisH4284
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
חָשַׁ֖בcha.Shavhe has purposedH2803
אֶל\־'el-againstH413
יֹשְׁבֵ֣יyo.she.Vei[the] inhabitants ofH3427
תֵימָ֑ןtei.ManTemanH8487
אִם\־'im-ifH518
לֹ֤אlo'notH3808
יִסְחָבוּם֙yis.cha.Vumpeople will drag away themH5498
צְעִירֵ֣יtze.'i.Rei[the] young [ones] ofH6810
הַצֹּ֔אןha.Tzonthe flockH6629
אִם\־'im-ifH518
לֹ֥אlo'notH3808
יַשִּׁ֛יםya.Shimhe will devastateH8074
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם'a.lei.Hemon themH5921
נְוֵהֶֽם\׃ne.ve.Hempastureland theirH5116

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 49:20

  • Jeremiah 50:45

    Therefore hear ye the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them.

  • Malachi 1:3-4

    And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.

  • Jeremiah 49:7

    Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts; Is wisdom no more in Teman? is counsel perished from the prudent? is their wisdom vanished?

  • Jeremiah 49:17-18

    Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof. As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the Lord, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

  • Ephesians 1:11

    In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

  • Jeremiah 37:10

    For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

    But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

  • Proverbs 19:21

    There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

  • Isaiah 14:24-27

    The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

  • 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.

  • Job 6:19-20

    The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them. They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.

  • Isaiah 46:10-11

    Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the counsel.
50:45; Ps 33:11; Pr 19:21; Isa 14:24-27; 46:10,11; Ac 4:28
Eph 1:11
Teman.
7; Job 6:19,20
Surely.The prophet having given the name of the shepherd to the generals of the army, pursues the same metaphor, calling the common soldiers, "the least of the flock;" who shall have strength and courage enough to the defeat the Idumean forces.
37:10; 50:45; Zec 4:6; 1Co 1:27-29
make.
13,17,18; Mal 1:3,4

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

Context

  • Jeremiah 49:19

    Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?

  • Jeremiah 49:20

    Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them.

  • Jeremiah 49:21

    The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea.

Read all of Jeremiah 49

Jeremiah 49:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Por tanto, oid el consejo de Jehová, que ha acordado sobre Edom; y sus pensamientos, que ha resuelto sobre los moradores de Temán. Ciertamente los más pequeños del hato los arrastrarán, y destruirán sus moradas con ellos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
C’est pourquoi, écoutez le conseil de l’ Éternel, qu’il a formé contre Édom, et les pensées qu’il a pensées contre les habitants de Théman: Si les petits du troupeau ne les entraînent! S’il ne rend désolée pour eux leur habitation!
German
Elberfelder 1871
Darum höret den Ratschluß Jehovas, welchen er beschlossen hat über Edom, und seine Gedanken, die er denkt über die Bewohner von Teman: Wahrlich, man wird sie fortschleppen, die Geringen der Herde wahrlich, ihre Trift wird sich über sie entsetzen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Propterea audite consilium Domini quod iniit de Edom, et cogitationes ejus quas cogitavit de habitatoribus Theman: si non dejecerint eos parvuli gregis, nisi dissipaverint cum eis habitaculum eorum.