Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Jeremiah 25:38 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 38. 38He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The prophetic or communal lament states or reports “He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion” at Jeremiah 25:38 as a specific part of “Shepherds Wail as the Fold Is Devastated.”
Shepherds are told to howl because the fold itself is wrecked
This verse is one part of that explanation in Jeremiah 25:34–38. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Jeremiah 25:34–38
Read Jeremiah 25:38 with 25:34–38. By itself, “He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion” can be detached from the speaker, addressee, date, imperial horizon, poetic movement, or outcome that gives it force. The complete unit establishes: Leaders are told to lament because their refuge and prestige fail amid the lion-like fury of war.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Within the same chapter, this unit advances from “A Cosmic Roar Reaches Earth's Ends” into “Shepherds Wail as the Fold Is Devastated.” Its non-interchangeable movement is: Leaders are told to lament because their refuge and prestige fail amid the lion-like fury of war. This verse's placement is specific: The prophetic or communal lament states or reports “He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion” at Jeremiah 25:38 as a specific part of “Shepherds Wail as the Fold Is Devastated.”
What Remains True
Lament keeps relationship and truth alive when explanation is inadequate. In Jeremiah 25:38, that bounded truth is carried through this verse's role: The prophetic or communal lament states or reports “He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion” at Jeremiah 25:38 as a specific part of “Shepherds Wail as the Fold Is Devastated.”
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Jeremiah 25:34–38 — Shepherds Wail as the Fold Is DevastatedSources 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 25:34–38, 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 25:34–38
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 25:34–38
Open the official NET Jeremiah PDF ↗