וְאֵת חֲמַת יְהוָה מָלֵאתִי נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל שְׁפֹךְ עַל־עֹולָל בַּחוּץ וְעַל סֹוד בַּחוּרִים יַחְדָּו כִּי גַם אִישׁ עִם אִשָּׁה יִלָּכֵדוּ זָקֵן עִם מְלֵא יָמִים׃
In this verse from the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet stands at the threshold of divine revelation and human despair. He has been entrusted with words of judgment, yet he cannot contain them. His soul is filled with the חֵמָה—the burning wrath of God—and it threatens to consume him. In response, he cries out with a voice that trembles under the weight of divine justice: “Pour it out!”
We will explore one non-obvious grammatical phenomenon embedded in this verse: the intensifying effect of syntactic inversion and repetition, particularly how the phrase “שְׁפֹךְ עַל־עֹולָל בַּחוּץ” functions as both a prayer and a prophecy, and how its structure reflects the collapse of moral and social order under divine judgment.
This is not just poetic lamentation.
It is language shaped by divine fire—a linguistic vessel for the unbearable.
Overflowing with Wrath: The Opening Clause and Its Weight
Let’s isolate the opening clause:
> וְאֵת חֲמַת יְהוָה מָלֵאתִי / נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל
>
This pair of verbs—מָלֵאתִי and נִלְאֵיתִי—is striking in its repetition of emotional exhaustion. Both derive from roots meaning “to be full” or “to be weary,” and together they create a layered expression of inner turmoil.
Let’s examine מָלֵאתִי more closely.
מָלֵאתִי – Filled with Fire
The verb מָלֵאתִי comes from the root מלא, typically meaning “to fill.” But here, in context, it means something more visceral: I am filled—not with joy or peace, but with the wrath of God.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Root | מלא |
| Form | Niphal imperfect first person singular |
| Literal Translation | I am filled |
| Grammatical Notes | In prophetic Hebrew, this form often carries an emotional or spiritual nuance: not just physical filling, but being overwhelmed. |
Here, the prophet does not say “I feel God’s wrath.” He says: “I am filled with the wrath of the LORD.” He is not merely a messenger—he is a container, a vessel of divine fury. And that fury cannot be held back.
נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל – A Soul That Can No Longer Hold Back
Now consider the next line:
> נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל
>
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Root | לאה (to be wearied, exhausted) |
| Form | Niphal imperfect, first person singular |
| Literal Translation | I am weary with holding back |
| Grammatical Notes | This is a rare form, used only here in the Hebrew Bible. It combines emotive exhaustion with volitional restraint—suggesting that the prophet has tried to withhold speaking, but can no longer do so. |
The phrase הָכִיל (to restrain) adds a crucial layer: this is not just emotional fatigue—it is moral tension. The prophet feels the weight of unspoken truth, and like a cup brimming over, he must release what he has tried to contain.
Together, these two clauses form a linguistic crescendo:
- I am filled with wrath.
- I can no longer hold it in.
What follows is not a command. It is a cry. A plea. A declaration that cannot be silenced.
שְׁפֹךְ עַל־עֹולָל בַּחוּץ – Pour Out on the Innocent?
Now the dramatic shift:
> שְׁפֹךְ עַל־עֹולָל בַּחוּץ
>
This imperative—שְׁפֹךְ (pour out)—is addressed directly to God. The prophet calls for divine wrath to fall—not on the guilty alone—but on all levels of society, starting with the most vulnerable: the child outside.
Let’s break down the phrase:
| Word | Part of Speech | Function |
|---|---|---|
| שְׁפֹךְ | Verb (Hiphil imperative masculine singular) | Pour out |
| עַל־עֹולָל | Preposition + noun | on a child/infant |
| בַּחוּץ | Preposition + noun | in the street/outside |
The use of עֹולָל (infant) is shocking. Why invoke such innocence in a call for wrath? Because this is not mere cruelty—it is total judgment. When God pours out His wrath, no one is spared. Not even those who cannot understand sin.
The word בַּחוּץ (outside) adds spatial dislocation: the innocent are not safe within the city walls. The wrath spills into the streets.
וְעַל סֹוד בַּחוּרִים יַחְדָּו – The Gathering of Youth
Next, the text expands the scope of judgment:
> וְעַל סֹוד בַּחוּרִים יַחְדָּו
>
| Word | Part of Speech | Function |
|---|---|---|
| סֹוד | Noun (masculine plural?) | counsel, possibly those counseled / young men |
| בַּחוּרִים | Noun (plural), from בָּחוּר | young men / youths |
| יַחְדָּו | Adverbial particle | together with him/her/them |
The word סֹוד is ambiguous—its exact meaning is debated. Some interpret it as council or secret, but in this context, it likely refers to those gathered in counsel or youth groups. Paired with בַּחוּרִים, it suggests a generation-wide collapse.
The adverb יַחְדָּו (together) intensifies the horror: wrath falls not only on children, but on youth—en masse, without distinction.
כִּי גַם־אִישׁ עִם־אִשָּׁה יִלָּכֵדוּ – No One Is Spared
Now the final clause:
> כִּי גַם־אִישׁ עִם־אִשָּׁה יִלָּכֵדוּ זָקֵן עִם מְלֵא יָמִים׃
>
| Word | Part of Speech | Function |
|---|---|---|
| כִּי גַם־אִישׁ | Conjunction + conjunction + noun | for even a man |
| עִם־אִשָּׁה | Preposition + noun | with a woman |
| יִלָּכֵדוּ | Verb (Niphal imperfect third person masculine singular) | will be captured / taken |
| זָקֵן עִם־מְלֵא יָמִים | Noun + preposition + noun + pronominal suffix | old age with full years |
This final line completes the sweeping arc of divine judgment: not only the innocent and the young, but also the aged—the very symbol of wisdom and experience—are caught in the storm.
The phrase זָקֵן עִם־מְלֵא יָמִים (an old man with full years) emphasizes the finality of death. Even those who have lived long lives are not spared.
Syntactic Collapse and Moral Collapse
Let’s summarize the movement of the verse:
| Clause | Literal Meaning | Grammatical Insight | Narrative Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| וְאֵת חֲמַת יְהוָה מָלֵאתִי | And I am filled with the wrath of the LORD | Prophetic identification with divine anger | Personal burden of prophecy |
| נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל | I am weary with restraint | Emphatic repetition of emotional collapse | Moral tension of withheld speech |
| שְׁפֹךְ עַל־עֹולָל בַּחוּץ | Pour out upon the infant in the street | Imperative directed to God | Call for indiscriminate judgment |
| וְעַל סֹוד בַּחוּרִים יַחְדָּו | and upon the gathering of youths together | Collective suffering emphasized | Loss of future generations |
| כִּי גַם־אִישׁ עִם־אִשָּׁה יִלָּכֵדוּ | For even man and woman will be taken | Gender-inclusive suffering | Breakdown of family and gender roles |
| זָקֵן עִם־מְלֵא יָמִים | An elder with full years | Finality of generational destruction | End of continuity and hope |
This is not random poetry. It is a structured descent into chaos, where language itself mimics the collapse of social and moral structures. The prophet does not distinguish between righteous and wicked, innocent and guilty. Under divine wrath, all are swept away.
The Language That Cannot Contain Wrath
In Jeremiah 6:11, we hear the breaking point of a prophet—and a people. The grammar of the passage mirrors the theological and emotional unraveling of a world once ordered by covenant, now overturned by judgment.
- מָלֵאתִי tells us the prophet is filled with divine wrath.
- נִלְאֵיתִי הָכִיל tells us he can no longer bear it.
- שְׁפֹךְ tells us the only possible release is pouring it out.
- עֹולָל בַּחוּץ tells us even the innocent suffer.
- זָקֵן עִם מְלֵא יָמִים tells us there is no refuge in age or wisdom.
This is not just Biblical Hebrew grammar.
This is the poetry of divine silence broken by fire.
This is the syntax of a world undone.
And in the end, the prophet speaks not only for himself, but for a generation whose cries could no longer be contained.