I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the peoples round about, when they shall be in the siege against Judah and against Jerusalem. God will transform Jerusalem into an intoxicating, destabilizing cup that will confound all nations attempting to conquer it, making their military efforts backfire against them. The image of a cup of trembling evokes both the cup of God's wrath (which enemies will drink) and the disorientation of intoxication—enemies will be confused and defeated by their own assault. This verse announces that Jerusalem's enemies will discover that attacking God's city results in their own destruction. The promise of defensive transformation suggests that God's redemptive purposes include the city's vindication against all opposition.

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