And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?
Many nations will pass by this city, and people will ask each other, 'Why did the LORD do this to such a great city?'
The writer is describing how other nations will be shocked and ask why God allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed.
📚 Historical Context
During the time of the prophet Jeremiah in the 6th century BC, Judah was facing God's judgment for the sins of its kings and people, including idolatry, injustice, and covenant-breaking, which led to the Babylonian invasion. Jeremiah's prophecies warned that Jerusalem, once a symbol of God's presence, would be destroyed as a consequence of this unfaithfulness, and this verse specifically foretells that passersby from other nations would marvel at the ruins and question why God had allowed such devastation. This reflects the historical reality of the Babylonian conquest and exile in 586 BC, when Jerusalem was indeed leveled.
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