Jeremiah 13:24
"I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.
I will scatter you
The phrase "I will scatter you" is a direct declaration from God, emphasizing His sovereign power and judgment. The Hebrew root for "scatter" is "פּוּץ" (puts), which conveys the idea of dispersing or spreading out. This scattering is not merely a physical dispersion but also a spiritual and communal disintegration. Historically, this reflects the fate of the Israelites who were exiled due to their disobedience and idolatry. The scattering serves as a divine consequence for their failure to uphold the covenant with God, reminding believers of the importance of faithfulness and obedience.

like chaff
"Chaff" refers to the husks and straw removed from grain during threshing. In the agricultural context of ancient Israel, chaff was considered worthless and was often blown away by the wind. The Hebrew word "מֹץ" (motz) signifies something that is insubstantial and easily discarded. This imagery powerfully illustrates the futility and insignificance of those who turn away from God. For the conservative Christian, it serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of living a life apart from God's will, urging believers to seek substance and purpose in their relationship with Him.

driven by the desert wind
The "desert wind" is a metaphor for the harsh and relentless forces that would carry the Israelites away from their homeland. The Hebrew term "רוּחַ" (ruach) can mean wind, spirit, or breath, and in this context, it signifies a force of judgment. The desert wind, known for its strength and desolation, symbolizes the severity of God's judgment. Historically, the desert wind could refer to the sirocco or other strong winds that were feared for their destructive power. This phrase underscores the inevitability and intensity of God's judgment against unfaithfulness, encouraging believers to remain steadfast in their faith to avoid such spiritual desolation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings and was marked by themes of repentance and judgment.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. During Jeremiah's time, Judah was facing imminent judgment due to its persistent idolatry and disobedience to God.

3. Chaff
A metaphor used in the Bible to describe something worthless or easily blown away. In agricultural terms, chaff is the husk separated from grain during threshing, often carried away by the wind.

4. Desert Wind
Represents the harsh and relentless forces of judgment that God would use to scatter the people of Judah due to their unfaithfulness.

5. Babylonian Exile
The historical event where the people of Judah were conquered and taken into captivity by the Babylonians, fulfilling the prophetic warnings given by Jeremiah.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Disobedience
Just as chaff is scattered by the wind, so too are those who turn away from God. This serves as a warning to remain faithful and obedient to God's commands.

The Certainty of God's Judgment
The imagery of the desert wind underscores the inevitability and power of God's judgment against sin. It calls believers to live in reverence and awe of God's holiness.

The Call to Repentance
Jeremiah's message is not just one of judgment but also of hope for those who turn back to God. Repentance is a central theme, urging believers to examine their lives and return to God.

The Importance of Spiritual Stability
Unlike chaff, which is easily blown away, believers are called to be rooted and grounded in their faith, drawing strength from God's Word and Spirit.

Hope in Restoration
While judgment is a reality, God's ultimate desire is for restoration and reconciliation. Believers are encouraged to trust in God's redemptive plan through Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of chaff in Jeremiah 13:24 help us understand the consequences of turning away from God?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are like the tree planted by streams of water, as described in Psalm 1, rather than chaff?

3. How does the concept of God's judgment in Jeremiah 13:24 relate to the New Testament teachings on repentance and salvation?

4. What steps can we take to remain spiritually stable and rooted in our faith amidst life's challenges?

5. How can the hope of restoration and reconciliation with God, as seen in Jeremiah's prophecies, encourage us in our personal walk with Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 1
Contrasts the righteous, who are like a tree planted by streams of water, with the wicked, who are like chaff blown away by the wind. This highlights the consequences of living apart from God's ways.

Matthew 3:12
John the Baptist uses the imagery of chaff to describe the separation of the righteous from the wicked, emphasizing the coming judgment and the need for repentance.

Hosea 13:3
Similar imagery is used to describe the fleeting and insubstantial nature of those who turn away from God, reinforcing the theme of divine judgment.
Washing an Ethiopian
People
Jeremiah
Places
Euphrates River, Jerusalem, Negeb
Topics
Chaff, Desert, Directions, Drifting, Driven, Dry, Grass, Passes, Passeth, Passing, Scatter, Straw, Stubble, Waste, Wilderness, Wind
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 13:24

     4426   chaff
     7520   dispersion, the

Jeremiah 13:23-27

     8705   apostasy, in OT

Jeremiah 13:24-25

     8032   trust, lack of

Library
An Impossibility Made Possible
'Can the Ethiopian change his skin?'--JER. xiii. 23. 'If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.'--2 COR. v. 17. 'Behold, I make all things new.'--REV. xxi. 5. Put these three texts together. The first is a despairing question to which experience gives only too sad and decisive a negative answer. It is the answer of many people who tell us that character must be eternal, and of many a baffled man who says, 'It is of no use--I have tried and can do nothing.' The second text is the grand Christian
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Notion of Inability.
PROPER METHOD OF ACCOUNTING FOR IT. I have represented ability, or the freedom of the will, as a first-truth of consciousness, a truth necessarily known to all moral agents. The inquiry may naturally arise, How then is it to be accounted for, that so many men have denied the liberty of the will, or ability to obey God? A recent writer thinks this denial a sufficient refutation of the affirmation, that ability is a first-truth of consciousness. It is important that this denial should be accounted
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

On Earthly Things
The earth is man himself; in the gospel: another has fallen into the good earth. The same in a bad part about the sinner: you devour the earth all the days of your life. [Mark 4:18; Genesis 3:14] The dry lands are the flesh of a fruitless man; in Ecclesiastes, to work in a dry land with evil and sorrow. [Ecclesiastes 37:3] The dust is a sinner or the vanity of the flesh; in the psalm: like the dust, which the wind blows about. [Ps. 1:4 Vulgate] The mud is the gluttony of sinners; in the psalm: tear
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

The Cavils of the Pharisees Concerning Purification, and the Teaching of the Lord Concerning Purity - the Traditions Concerning Hand-Washing' and Vows. '
As we follow the narrative, confirmatory evidence of what had preceded springs up at almost every step. It is quite in accordance with the abrupt departure of Jesus from Capernaum, and its motives, that when, so far from finding rest and privacy at Bethsaida (east of the Jordan), a greater multitude than ever had there gathered around Him, which would fain have proclaimed Him King, He resolved on immediate return to the western shore, with the view of seeking a quieter retreat, even though it were
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

On the Animals
The birds are the saints, because they fly to the higher heart; in the gospel: and he made great branches that the birds of the air might live in their shade. [Mark 4:32] Flying is the death of the saints in God or the knowledge of the Scriptures; in the psalm: I shall fly and I shall be at rest. [Ps. 54(55):7 Vulgate] The wings are the two testaments; in Ezekiel: your body will fly with two wings of its own. [Ez. 1:23] The feathers are the Scriptures; in the psalm: the wings of the silver dove.
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

Covenanting Confers Obligation.
As it has been shown that all duty, and that alone, ought to be vowed to God in covenant, it is manifest that what is lawfully engaged to in swearing by the name of God is enjoined in the moral law, and, because of the authority of that law, ought to be performed as a duty. But it is now to be proved that what is promised to God by vow or oath, ought to be performed also because of the act of Covenanting. The performance of that exercise is commanded, and the same law which enjoins that the duties
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Meditations on the Hindrances which Keep Back a Sinner from the Practice of Piety.
Those hindrances are chiefly seven:-- I. An ignorant mistaking of the true meaning of certain places of the holy Scriptures, and some other chief grounds of Christian religion. The Scriptures mistaken are these: 1. Ezek. xxxiii. 14, 16, "At what time soever a sinner repenteth him of his sin, I will blot out all," &c. Hence the carnal Christian gathers, that he may repent when he will. It is true, whensoever a sinner does repent, God will forgive; but the text saith not, that a sinner may repent whensoever
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Jeremiah 13:24 NIV
Jeremiah 13:24 NLT
Jeremiah 13:24 ESV
Jeremiah 13:24 NASB
Jeremiah 13:24 KJV

Jeremiah 13:24 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Jeremiah 13:23
Top of Page
Top of Page