Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Jeremiah 13:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic or communal lament presses the question “What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and…” at Jeremiah 13:21 within “Pride Gives Way to Darkness, Tears, and Captivity.”
Read It With
- Jeremiah 13:15–21
Read Jeremiah 13:21 with 13:15–21. By itself, “What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and…” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, imperial horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: An appeal to hear before darkness falls becomes a hidden prophetic lament and a question to royal Jerusalem about lost trust and coming labor pain.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “Filled Jars Become an Image of Staggering Judgment” into “Pride Gives Way to Darkness, Tears, and Captivity.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: An appeal to hear before darkness falls becomes a hidden prophetic lament and a question to royal Jerusalem about lost trust and coming labor pain. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic or communal lament presses the question “What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and…” at Jeremiah 13:21 within “Pride Gives Way to Darkness, Tears, and Captivity.”
What Remains True
Lament keeps relationship and truth alive when explanation is inadequate. In Jeremiah 13:21, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic or communal lament presses the question “What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and…” at Jeremiah 13:21 within “Pride Gives Way to Darkness, Tears, and Captivity.”
How It Can Shape Life
- Make room for unresolved grief, protection, truthful protest, and professional care; do not rush to slogans. This response follows Jeremiah 13:15–21's specific concern, “Pride Gives Way to Darkness, Tears, and Captivity.” This verse directs that response through its exact role: The prophetic or communal lament presses the question “What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and…” at Jeremiah 13:21 within “Pride Gives Way to Darkness, Tears, and Captivity.”
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Jeremiah 13:15–21 — Pride Gives Way to Darkness, Tears, and CaptivitySources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Jeremiah 13:15–21, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Jeremiah
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2; fixed commit
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a critical apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Jer.xml, OSIS 13:15–21
Open the fixed Hebrew Jeremiah file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible: Jeremiah with Translator, Textual, and Study Notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press; official eBible PDF distribution, NET Bible Second Edition; official PDF accessed 2026
Supports: Verse-level controls for Hebrew, syntax, older KJV language, dates, names, textual problems, and material translation alternatives.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Jeremiah PDF, pp. 1258-1459, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Jeremiah 13:15–21
Open the official NET Jeremiah PDF ↗