Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, and a wolf that hunts at night will destroy them, and a leopard will lurk around their cities, waiting. Anyone who leaves the city will be torn apart, because their sins are many and they have turned away from God more and more.
God is warning that wild animals will attack the people as judgment because they have repeatedly sinned and turned away from Him.
📚 Historical Context
Jeremiah was prophesying to the people of Judah in the 6th century BC, a time when the nation was deeply engaged in idolatry, corruption, and social injustice, leading to God's impending judgment. The wild animals mentioned in this verse symbolize invading foreign armies, such as the Babylonians, who would soon conquer Judah as a consequence of their unfaithfulness. This imagery draws from the cultural understanding of the ancient Near East, where animals represented the ferocity and unpredictability of enemies in warfare.
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