Why does the Lord say he is “sending among you serpents, adders that cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you”?

The Lord opened this passage in Jeremiah 8:13 with an announcement of his judgment because of fruitless Judah. He speaks of this judgment again at the end in Jeremiah 8:17. The Lord is sending among you serpents, adders that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you. This metaphorical language describes the invading army as a deadly serpent that cannot be diverted from spreading its venomous bite across the land.¹ There may very well be another incident with snakes lurking behind these words. In Numbers 21:6–9 the Lord sent snakes against Israel because of their stubborn rebellion in the wilderness. On that occasion there was deliverance as Moses lifted up the bronze snake, but this time there will be none.²