I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
I will scatter them like a powerful east wind scatters things in front of their enemies; I will turn my back on them and not look at them with favor when disaster comes upon them.
God is saying He will abandon His people to their enemies and turn away from them when trouble comes because of their disobedience.
📚 Historical Context
This verse comes during Jeremiah's ministry before Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BC, when the prophet was warning Judah about the consequences of their persistent idolatry and rejection of God's covenant. The 'east wind' was a hot, destructive desert wind familiar to people in that region, often used as a metaphor for divine judgment. God had repeatedly called His people back through various prophets, but they continued to worship false gods and ignore His commands.
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