Jeremiah · The Prophet

Jeremiah · Chapter 5יִרְמְיָהוּ

A Fruitless Search for Justice in a Corrupt Nation

God commissions a search through Jerusalem's streets for even one righteous person. Jeremiah 5 exposes the comprehensive moral collapse of Judah, from the poorest to the most powerful, as the prophet finds a society that has abandoned God's law and embraced deceit. Despite their religious pretensions, the people have broken covenant, committed adultery, and rejected correction, leaving God no choice but to bring judgment through foreign invasion. The chapter alternates between indictment and sentence, revealing both the depth of Judah's sin and the justice of God's coming punishment.

Jeremiah 5:1-9

Search for One Righteous Person and God's Judgment

LSB Text

¹"Roam about in the streets of Jerusalem, And look now and take note. And seek in her open squares, If you can find a man, If there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, Then I will pardon her. ²And although they say, 'As Yahweh lives,' Surely they swear falsely." ³O Yahweh, do not Your eyes look for truth? You have struck them, But they did not writhe; You have consumed them, But they refused to take discipline. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent. ⁴Then I said, "They are only the poor, They are foolish; For they do not know the way of Yahweh Or the judgment of their God. ⁵I will go to the great And will speak to them, For they know the way of Yahweh And the judgment of their God." But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke And torn off the bonds. ⁶Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, A wolf of the deserts will destroy them, A leopard is watching their cities. Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many, Their apostasies are numerous. ⁷"Why should I pardon you? Your sons have forsaken Me And sworn by those who are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, They committed adultery And thronged to the harlot's house. ⁸They were well-fed lusty horses, Each one neighing after his neighbor's wife. ⁹Shall I not punish these people," declares Yahweh, "And on a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?

Greek Text

¹שׁוֹטְטוּ בְּחוּצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִַם וּרְאוּ־נָא וּדְעוּ וּבַקְשׁוּ בִרְחוֹבוֹתֶיהָ אִם־תִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ אִם־יֵשׁ עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט מְבַקֵּשׁ אֱמוּנָה וְאֶסְלַח לָהּ׃ ²וְאִם חַי־יְהוָה יֹאמֵרוּ לָכֵן לַשֶּׁקֶר יִשָּׁבֵעוּ׃ ³יְהוָה עֵינֶיךָ הֲלוֹא לֶאֱמוּנָה הִכִּיתָה אֹתָם וְלֹא־חָלוּ כִּלִּיתָם מֵאֲנוּ קַחַת מוּסָר חִזְּקוּ פְנֵיהֶם מִסֶּלַע מֵאֲנוּ לָשׁוּב׃ ⁴וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי אַךְ־דַּלִּים הֵם נוֹאָלוּ כִּי לֹא יָדְעוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה מִשְׁפַּט אֱלֹהֵיהֶם׃ ⁵אֵלְכָה־לִּי אֶל־הַגְּדֹלִים וַאֲדַבְּרָה אוֹתָם כִּי הֵמָּה יָדְעוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה מִשְׁפַּט אֱלֹהֵיהֶם אַךְ הֵמָּה יַחְדָּו שָׁבְרוּ עֹל נִתְּקוּ מוֹסֵרוֹת׃ ⁶עַל־כֵּן הִכָּם אַרְיֵה מִיַּעַר זְאֵב עֲרָבוֹת יְשָׁדְדֵם נָמֵר שֹׁקֵד עַל־עָרֵיהֶם כָּל־הַיּוֹצֵא מֵהֵנָּה יִטָּרֵף כִּי רַבּוּ פִּשְׁעֵיהֶם עָצְמוּ מְשׁוּבוֹתֵיהֶם׃ ⁷אֵי לָזֹאת אֶסְלַֽח־לָךְ בָּנַיִךְ עֲזָבוּנִי וַיִּשָּׁבְעוּ בְּלֹא אֱלֹהִים וָאַשְׂבִּעַ אוֹתָם וַיִּנְאָפוּ וּבֵית זוֹנָה יִתְגֹּדָדוּ׃ ⁸סוּסִים מְיֻזָּנִים מַשְׁכִּים הָיוּ אִישׁ אֶל־אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ יִצְהָלוּ׃ ⁹הַעַל־אֵלֶּה לוֹא־אֶפְקֹד נְאֻם־יְהוָה וְאִם בְּגוֹי אֲשֶׁר־כָּזֶה לֹא תִתְנַקֵּם נַפְשִׁי׃

¹šôṭᵉṭû bᵉḥûṣôt yᵉrûšālaim ûrᵉʾû-nāʾ ûḏᵉʿû ûḇaqqᵉšû ḇirḥōḇôtêhā ʾim-timṣᵉʾû ʾîš ʾim-yēš ʿōśeh mišpāṭ mᵉḇaqqēš ʾᵉmûnâ wᵉʾeslạḥ lāh. ²wᵉʾim ḥay-yhwh yōʾmērû lākēn laššeqer yiššāḇēʿû. ³yhwh ʿênêḵā hᵃlôʾ leʾᵉmûnâ hikkîtâ ʾōtām wᵉlōʾ-ḥālû killîtām mēʾᵃnû qaḥat mûsār ḥizzᵉqû pᵉnêhem missela mēʾᵃnû lāšûḇ. ⁴waʾᵃnî ʾāmartî ʾaḵ-dallîm hēm nôʾālû kî lōʾ yāḏᵉʿû dereḵ yhwh mišpaṭ ʾᵉlōhêhem. ⁵ʾēlᵉḵâ-llî ʾel-haggᵉḏōlîm waʾᵃḏabbᵉrâ ʾôtām kî hēmmâ yāḏᵉʿû dereḵ yhwh mišpaṭ ʾᵉlōhêhem ʾaḵ hēmmâ yaḥdāw šāḇᵉrû ʿōl nittᵉqû môsērôt. ⁶ʿal-kēn hikkām ʾaryēh miyyaʿar zᵉʾēḇ ʿᵃrāḇôt yᵉšādᵉḏēm nāmēr šōqēḏ ʿal-ʿārêhem kol-hayyôṣēʾ mēhēnnâ yiṭṭārēp kî rabbû pišʿêhem ʿāṣᵉmû mᵉšûḇôtêhem. ⁷ʾê lāzōʾt ʾeslaḥ-lāḵ bānayiḵ ʿᵃzāḇûnî wayyiššāḇᵉʿû bᵉlōʾ ʾᵉlōhîm wāʾašbiʿa ʾôtām wayyinʾāpû ûḇêt zônâ yitgōḏāḏû. ⁸sûsîm mᵉyuzzānîm maškîm hāyû ʾîš ʾel-ʾēšet rēʿēhû yiṣhālû. ⁹haʿal-ʾēlleh lôʾ-ʾepqōḏ nᵉʾum-yhwh wᵉʾim bᵉgôy ʾᵃšer-kāzeh lōʾ titnaqqēm napšî.

Key Words

מִשְׁפָּט mišpāṭ justice / judgment / ordinance

From the root שָׁפַט (šāpaṭ, "to judge"), this noun encompasses both the act of judging and the standard by which judgment is rendered. In covenant contexts, mišpāṭ refers to the legal norms and righteous ordinances that govern Israel's relationship with Yahweh. Jeremiah uses it here to describe the ethical conduct that should characterize God's people—not merely ritual observance but the lived reality of covenant faithfulness. The term appears over 400 times in the Hebrew Bible, often paired with צְדָקָה (ṣᵉḏāqâ, "righteousness") to form a hendiadys expressing comprehensive covenant loyalty. The absence of anyone "doing justice" in Jerusalem signals the complete breakdown of the social and spiritual order.

אֱמוּנָה ʾᵉmûnâ faithfulness / truth / reliability

Derived from the root אָמַן (ʾāman, "to be firm, reliable"), ʾᵉmûnâ denotes steadfastness, trustworthiness, and covenant fidelity. This is not abstract truth but relational integrity—the quality of being dependable in one's commitments. In verse 1, Yahweh seeks someone who "seeks ʾᵉmûnâ," and in verse 3, He asks whether His eyes do not look for ʾᵉmûnâ. The term connects to the New Testament concept of πίστις (pistis, "faith/faithfulness"), which similarly encompasses both belief and behavioral loyalty. Habakkuk 2:4, "the righteous will live by his faithfulness," uses this same root, a text Paul later applies to justify the doctrine of justification by faith. Jeremiah's lament is that Jerusalem has abandoned the very quality that defines covenant relationship.

סֶלַע sela rock / crag / cliff

A common Hebrew noun denoting solid rock or stone, often used metaphorically for hardness, stubbornness, or immovability. In verse 3, the people have "made their faces harder than rock," an image of willful obstinacy and refusal to respond to divine correction. The same root appears in place names like Petra (Greek Πέτρα) and in messianic imagery where God is described as the "Rock" of salvation (Deuteronomy 32:4, 15, 18, 31). The irony here is profound: the people have taken on the immovability that should characterize God alone, but in the service of rebellion rather than righteousness. Their hardness is not strength but spiritual rigor mortis.

עֹל ʿōl yoke / burden

From a root meaning "to go up" or "to bear," ʿōl refers to the wooden frame placed on the neck of draft animals to enable them to pull loads. Metaphorically, it represents subjection, servitude, or obligation. In verse 5, both the poor and the great have "broken the yoke" of Yahweh's authority. The image recurs throughout Jeremiah (27:2, 8, 11-12; 28:2, 4, 11, 13-14; 30:8) as a symbol of political and spiritual submission. Jesus later inverts this imagery in Matthew 11:29-30, inviting His followers to take His yoke upon them, which is "easy" and "light"—not because it demands less but because it is borne in relationship with Him. Jeremiah's generation rejected even the privilege of serving under divine kingship.

פֶּשַׁע pešaʿ transgression / rebellion / revolt

This noun, from the root פָּשַׁע (pāšaʿ, "to rebel, revolt"), denotes willful defiance and breach of relationship, particularly in covenant contexts. Unlike חַטָּאת (ḥaṭṭāʾt, "sin," missing the mark) or עָוֹן (ʿāwōn, "iniquity," moral crookedness), pešaʿ emphasizes the volitional, relational rupture—active rebellion against legitimate authority. In verse 6, the people's "transgressions are many," explaining why predatory judgment is imminent. Isaiah 53:5 uses this term to describe the sins for which the Suffering Servant was pierced: "He was pierced through for our transgressions (pᵉšāʿênû)." The term underscores that Israel's problem is not ignorance or weakness but high-handed revolt against the covenant Lord.

מְשׁוּבָה mᵉšûḇâ apostasy / backsliding / turning away

From the root שׁוּב (šûḇ, "to turn, return"), this noun in its negative sense denotes apostasy or backsliding—a turning away from Yahweh. The root šûḇ is one of the most theologically significant in the Hebrew Bible, capable of expressing both rebellion (turning away) and repentance (turning back). In verse 6, the people's "apostasies are numerous" (ʿāṣᵉmû mᵉšûḇôtêhem), indicating not a single lapse but a pattern of repeated defection. Jeremiah uses forms of šûḇ over 100 times, often in wordplays that contrast Israel's stubborn turning away with God's call to turn back. The term captures the tragedy of covenant infidelity: those who should be turning toward Yahweh are perpetually turning away.

נָאַף nāʾap to commit adultery

This verb denotes sexual infidelity within marriage, a violation of the seventh commandment. In verse 7, the people "committed adultery" (wayyinʾāpû) after Yahweh had "fed them to the full"—a damning indictment of ingratitude and betrayal. Throughout the prophets, adultery functions both literally (as a social sin) and metaphorically (as spiritual idolatry). Hosea's marriage to Gomer dramatizes Israel's adultery against Yahweh; Ezekiel 16 and 23 develop the metaphor in graphic detail. The New Testament extends this imagery: James 4:4 calls friendship with the world "adultery" against God, and Jesus intensifies the commandment to include lustful intent (Matthew 5:27-28). Jeremiah's accusation is both carnal and covenantal—the people have been unfaithful on every level.

נָקַם nāqam to avenge / to take vengeance

This verb means to exact retribution or settle accounts, often in the context of covenant justice. In verse 9, Yahweh asks rhetorically, "Shall I not avenge Myself?" (lōʾ titnaqqēm napšî). The reflexive form emphasizes that Yahweh Himself is the injured party whose honor and covenant have been violated. Unlike human vengeance, which can be petty or excessive, divine nāqam is always measured, just, and restorative of moral order. Deuteronomy 32:35 declares, "Vengeance is Mine, and retribution," a text Paul quotes in Romans 12:19 to prohibit personal revenge and affirm God's prerogative. Jeremiah's rhetorical question expects the answer "Yes"—justice demands that such brazen covenant violation not go unanswered.

Grammar & Argument

The passage opens with a series of urgent imperatives—"Roam about," "look," "take note," "seek"—that thrust the reader into the role of investigator. Yahweh commissions a search through Jerusalem's streets and squares for a single righteous person, echoing Abraham's negotiation over Sodom (Genesis 18:22-33). The conditional structure ("If you can find... then I will pardon") establishes the stakes: corporate survival hinges on individual righteousness. Yet the search is doomed from the outset. The people swear "As Yahweh lives" but do so falsely, invoking the covenant name while violating covenant reality. Their oaths are performative contradictions, religious language emptied of moral content.

Verses 3-5 develop a dialogical structure in which Jeremiah oscillates between addressing Yahweh and reflecting on the people's condition. The rhetorical question "Do not Your eyes look for truth?" (verse 3) appeals to God's character as the basis for judgment. The prophet then attempts a class-based explanation: perhaps only "the poor" are foolish and ignorant (verse 4). But when he turns to "the great"—those with education, resources, and access to Torah—he discovers universal rebellion. The phrase "with one accord" (yaḥdāw) is devastating: rich and poor, educated and ignorant, have unanimously rejected Yahweh's authority. The yoke and bonds imagery (verse 5) evokes both political revolt and the broken covenant, suggesting that rejection of divine kingship leads inevitably to social chaos.

The judgment oracle in verses 6-

Jeremiah 5:10-19

Destruction Decreed Yet Not Complete Due to Covenant

LSB Text

¹⁰"Go up through her vine rows and destroy, But do not execute a complete destruction. Strip away her branches, For they are not Yahweh's. ¹¹For the house of Israel and the house of Judah Have dealt very treacherously with Me," declares Yahweh. ¹²They have lied about Yahweh And said, "Not He; Misfortune will not come on us, And we will not see sword or famine. ¹³And the prophets are as wind, And the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them!" ¹⁴Therefore, thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, "Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them. ¹⁵Behold, I am bringing a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel," declares Yahweh. "It is an enduring nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say. ¹⁶Their quiver is like an open grave, All of them are mighty men. ¹⁷And they will devour your harvest and your food; They will devour your sons and your daughters; They will devour your flocks and your herds; They will devour your vines and your fig trees; They will demolish with the sword your fortified cities in which you trust. ¹⁸Yet even in those days," declares Yahweh, "I will not execute a complete destruction with you. ¹⁹And it will be, when they say, 'For what reason has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?' then you shall say to them, 'As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'"

Greek Text

¹⁰עֲלוּ֙ בְשָׁרוֹתֶ֣יהָ וְשַׁחֵ֔תוּ וְכָלָ֖ה אַֽל־תַּעֲשׂ֑וּ הָסִ֙ירוּ֙ נְטִ֣ישׁוֹתֶ֔יהָ כִּ֛י ל֥וֹא לַיהוָ֖ה הֵֽמָּה׃ ¹¹כִּי֩ בָג֨וֹד בָּגְד֜וּ בִּ֗י בֵּ֧ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וּבֵ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ ¹²כִּֽחֲשׁוּ֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לוֹא־ה֑וּא וְלֹא־תָב֤וֹא עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ רָעָ֔ה וְחֶ֥רֶב וְרָעָ֖ב לֹ֥א נִרְאֶֽה׃ ¹³וְהַנְּבִיאִ֥ים יִֽהְיוּ־לְר֖וּחַ וְהַדִּבֵּ֣ר אֵ֣ין בָּהֶ֑ם כֹּ֥ה יֵעָשֶׂ֖ה לָהֶֽם׃ ס ¹⁴לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י צְבָא֔וֹת יַ֚עַן דַּבֶּרְכֶ֔ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה הִנְנִ֣י נֹתֵן֩ דְּבָרַ֨י בְּפִ֜יךָ לְאֵ֗שׁ וְהָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֛ה עֵצִ֖ים וַאֲכָלָֽתַם׃ ¹⁵הִנְנִ֣י מֵבִיא֩ עֲלֵיכֶ֨ם גּ֧וֹי מִמֶּרְחָ֛ק בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה גּ֣וֹי ׀ אֵיתָ֣ן ה֗וּא גּ֤וֹי מֵעוֹלָם֙ ה֔וּא גּ֚וֹי לֹא־תֵדַ֣ע לְשֹׁנ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁמַ֖ע מַה־יְדַבֵּֽר׃ ¹⁶אַשְׁפָּת֖וֹ כְּקֶ֣בֶר פָּת֑וּחַ כֻּלָּ֖ם גִּבּוֹרִֽים׃ ¹⁷וְאָכַ֨ל קְצִֽירְךָ֜ וְלַחְמֶ֗ךָ יֹאכְלוּ֙ בָּנֶ֣יךָ וּבְנוֹתֶ֔יךָ יֹאכַ֤ל צֹאנְךָ֙ וּבְקָרֶ֔ךָ יֹאכַ֥ל גַּפְנְךָ֖ וּתְאֵנָתֶ֑ךָ יְרֹשֵׁ֞שׁ עָרֵ֣י מִבְצָרֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֛ה בּוֹטֵ֥חַ בָּהֵ֖נָּה בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ ¹⁸וְגַ֛ם בַּיָּמִ֥ים הָהֵ֖מָּה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה לֹֽא־אֶעֱשֶׂ֥ה אִתְּכֶ֖ם כָּלָֽה׃ ¹⁹וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י תֹאמְר֔וּ תַּ֣חַת מָ֗ה עָשָׂ֨ה יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵ֛ינוּ לָ֖נוּ אֶת־כָּל־אֵ֑לֶּה וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר עֲזַבְתֶּ֤ם אוֹתִי֙ וַתַּעַבְד֞וּ אֱלֹהֵ֤י נֵכָר֙ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֔ם כֵּ֚ן תַּעַבְד֣וּ זָרִ֔ים בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֥א לָכֶֽם׃ ס

¹⁰ʿălû bešārôtêhā wešaḥētû wekālâ ʾal-taʿăśû hāsîrû nĕṭîšôtêhā kî lôʾ layhwh hēmmâ. ¹¹kî bāgôd bāgĕdû bî bêt yiśrāʾēl ûbêt yĕhûdâ nĕʾum-yhwh. ¹²kiḥăšû bayhwh wayyōʾmĕrû lôʾ-hûʾ wĕlôʾ-tābôʾ ʿālênû rāʿâ wĕḥereb wĕrāʿāb lôʾ nirʾeh. ¹³wĕhannĕbîʾîm yihyû-lĕrûaḥ wĕhaddibēr ʾên bāhem kōh yēʿāśeh lāhem. ¹⁴lākēn kōh-ʾāmar yhwh ʾĕlōhê ṣĕbāʾôt yaʿan dabberkĕm ʾet-haddābār hazzeh hinĕnî nōtēn dĕbāray bĕpîkā lĕʾēš wĕhāʿām hazzeh ʿēṣîm waʾăkālātam. ¹⁵hinĕnî mēbîʾ ʿălêkem gôy mimmerḥāq bêt yiśrāʾēl nĕʾum-yhwh gôy ʾêtān hûʾ gôy mēʿôlām hûʾ gôy lôʾ-tēdaʿ lĕšōnô wĕlôʾ tišmaʿ mah-yĕdabbēr. ¹⁶ʾašpātô kĕqeber pātûaḥ kullām gibbôrîm. ¹⁷wĕʾākal qĕṣîrĕkā wĕlaḥmekā yōʾkĕlû bānêkā ûbĕnôtêkā yōʾkal ṣōʾnĕkā ûbĕqārekā yōʾkal gapnĕkā ûtĕʾēnātekā yĕrōšēš ʿārê mibṣārêkā ʾăšer ʾattâ bôṭēaḥ bāhēnnâ beḥāreb. ¹⁸wĕgam bayyāmîm hāhēmmâ nĕʾum-yhwh lôʾ-ʾeʿĕśeh ʾittĕkem kālâ. ¹⁹wĕhāyâ kî tōʾmĕrû taḥat mâ ʿāśâ yhwh ʾĕlōhênû lānû ʾet-kol-ʾēlleh wĕʾāmartā ʾălêhem kaʾăšer ʿăzabtĕm ʾôtî wattaʿabdû ʾĕlōhê nēkār bĕʾarṣĕkem kēn taʿabdû zārîm bĕʾereṣ lôʾ lākem.

Key Words

כָּלָה kālâ complete destruction / annihilation

From the root כָּלָה (k-l-h), meaning "to complete, finish, bring to an end." In prophetic contexts, this term carries the weight of total, irrevocable judgment—the cessation of a people's existence. Jeremiah employs it twice in this passage (vv. 10, 18) with a divine negation: Yahweh will destroy but not execute a kālâ. This paradox reveals covenant mercy restraining absolute wrath. The term appears in Deuteronomy 28:21 as part of the covenant curses, and its negation here signals that even in judgment, Yahweh remembers His unconditional promises to the patriarchs. The remnant theology of the prophets hinges on this word's negation.

בָּגַד bāgad to deal treacherously / act faithlessly

A verb denoting covenant violation, betrayal, and marital infidelity. The intensive form בָּגוֹד בָּגְדוּ (bāgôd bāgĕdû) in verse 11 employs the Hebrew infinitive absolute construction to emphasize the severity and persistence of Israel's treachery. This is not casual disobedience but deliberate, repeated covenant-breaking. The term is frequently used in contexts of marriage unfaithfulness (Malachi 2:14-16) and thus reinforces Jeremiah's marriage metaphor for the Yahweh-Israel relationship. The double house reference—"house of Israel and house of Judah"—indicates that both northern and southern kingdoms share in this treachery, making the judgment comprehensive yet still restrained by covenant.

כִּחֵשׁ kiḥēš to lie / deny / deceive

From the root כָּחַשׁ (k-ḥ-š), meaning "to lie, deceive, or deny." In verse 12, the people are accused of lying "about Yahweh" (בַּיהוָה, bayhwh), a phrase that can mean lying about His character, His intentions, or His very existence. The following phrase "Not He" (לוֹא־הוּא, lôʾ-hûʾ) suggests functional atheism—not denying Yahweh's existence theoretically but denying His active involvement in history and judgment. This represents the ultimate covenant violation: not merely breaking stipulations but denying the covenant partner Himself. The prophets consistently identify this kind of practical atheism as the root of all other sins.

רוּחַ rûaḥ wind / spirit / breath

A multivalent Hebrew term meaning "wind, breath, or spirit," depending on context. In verse 13, the false prophets are dismissed as "wind" (לְרוּחַ, lĕrûaḥ)—empty, insubstantial, lacking the divine word (דִּבֵּר, dibbēr). This creates a wordplay: they claim to speak by the Spirit (רוּחַ) of God, but they are merely wind. The contrast with verse 14, where Yahweh makes His words "fire" (אֵשׁ, ʾēš) in Jeremiah's mouth, is stark. True prophecy is substantive, consuming, transformative; false prophecy is ephemeral and impotent. The term rûaḥ appears over 370 times in the Hebrew Bible, and its semantic range from physical wind to divine Spirit creates rich theological possibilities.

אֵיתָן ʾêtān enduring / ancient / perennial

An adjective describing permanence, antiquity, and strength. Applied to the invading nation in verse 15, it emphasizes both their historical longevity and their military durability. The term is used of perennial streams (Deuteronomy 21:4), ancient mountains (Genesis 49:26), and enduring strength. The invader is not a flash-in-the-pan raiding party but an established, ancient empire—almost certainly Babylon, though Jeremiah leaves it unnamed here. The pairing with מֵעוֹלָם (mēʿôlām, "from of old") reinforces the idea that this is a civilization with deep roots, making their conquest all the more humiliating for Judah. The linguistic barrier mentioned immediately after heightens the terror: conquest by an incomprehensible other.

אָכַל ʾākal to eat / consume / devour

The common Hebrew verb for eating, used here in verse 17 with devastating repetition—six times in rapid succession. The invaders will "devour" (יֹאכַל/יֹאכְלוּ, yōʾkal/yōʾkĕlû) harvest, bread, sons, daughters, flocks, herds, vines, and fig trees. This anaphoric structure creates a crescendo of loss, moving from agricultural produce to human life to the very symbols of covenant blessing (vine and fig tree, echoing 1 Kings 4:25). The verb ʾākal appears in covenant curse contexts (Leviticus 26:16; Deuteronomy 28:31, 33), and Jeremiah's use here signals the activation of those curses. Yet even this comprehensive devouring is not the kālâ—the complete end—promised in verse 18.

נֵכָר nēkār foreign / strange / alien

An adjective denoting foreignness, alienation, and otherness. In verse 19, the phrase "foreign gods" (אֱלֹהֵי נֵכָר, ʾĕlōhê nēkār) describes the deities Israel served in their own land, and the punishment is measure-for-measure: they will serve "strangers" (זָרִים, zārîm) in a foreign land. The term nēkār emphasizes the covenant violation—these gods are not merely "other" but fundamentally incompatible with Yahweh's exclusive claim. The wordplay between serving foreign gods in your own land and serving foreigners in their land creates a poetic justice that underscores the principle of lex talionis operating even in exile. This principle of correspondence between sin and judgment is a hallmark of prophetic rhetoric.

Grammar & Argument

The passage opens with a striking imperative addressed to an unnamed agent—likely the Babylonian army personified—to "go up through her vine rows and destroy." The agricultural metaphor of Israel as Yahweh's vineyard (established in Isaiah 5) continues, but with a crucial qualification: "do not execute a complete destruction" (וְכָלָה אַֽל־תַּעֲשׂוּ, wekāl

Jeremiah 5:20-31

Indictment of Judah's Rebellion and Prophetic Corruption

LSB Text

²⁰"Declare this in the house of Jacob And make it heard in Judah, saying, ²¹'Now hear this, O foolish and senseless people, Who have eyes but do not see; Who have ears but do not hear. ²²Do you not fear Me?' declares Yahweh. 'Do you not tremble before Me? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal limit, and it will not cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it. ²³But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have turned aside and gone away. ²⁴They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear Yahweh our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest." ²⁵Your iniquities have turned these away, And your sins have withheld good from you. ²⁶For wicked men are found among My people, They watch like fowlers lying in wait; They set a trap, They catch men. ²⁷Like a cage full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit; Therefore they have become great and rich. ²⁸They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not judge with justice the right of the needy. ²⁹Shall I not punish these people?' declares Yahweh, 'On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself? ³⁰An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: ³¹The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?

Greek Text

²⁰הַגִּ֥ידוּ זֹ֖את בְּבֵ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְהַשְׁמִיע֥וּהָ בִיהוּדָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ ²¹שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א זֹ֔את עַ֥ם סָכָ֖ל וְאֵ֣ין לֵ֑ב עֵינַ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א יִרְא֔וּ אָזְנַ֥יִם לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ ²²הַאוֹתִ֨י לֹא־תִירָ֜אוּ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֗ה אִ֤ם מִפָּנַי֙ לֹ֣א תָחִ֔ילוּ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי חוֹל֙ גְּב֣וּל לַיָּ֔ם חָק־עוֹלָ֖ם וְלֹ֣א יַעַבְרֶ֑נְהוּ וַיִּֽתְגָּעֲשׁוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יוּכָ֔לוּ וְהָמ֥וּ גַלָּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א יַעַבְרֻֽנְהוּ׃ ²³וְלָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ הָיָ֔ה לֵ֖ב סוֹרֵ֣ר וּמוֹרֶ֑ה סָ֖רוּ וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ׃ ²⁴וְלֹֽא־אָמְר֣וּ בִלְבָבָ֗ם נִ֤ירָא נָא֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ הַנֹּתֵ֗ן גֶּ֛שֶׁם וְיוֹרֶ֥ה וּמַלְק֖וֹשׁ בְּעִתּ֑וֹ שְׁבֻע֛וֹת חֻקּ֥וֹת קָצִ֖יר יִשְׁמָר־לָֽנוּ׃ ²⁵עֲוֺנוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם הִטּוּ־אֵ֑לֶּה וְחַטֹּ֣אותֵיכֶ֔ם מָנְע֥וּ הַטּ֖וֹב מִכֶּֽם׃ ²⁶כִּי־נִמְצְא֥וּ בְעַמִּ֖י רְשָׁעִ֑ים יָשׁוּר֙ כְּשַׁ֣ךְ יְקוּשִׁ֔ים הִצִּ֥יבוּ מַשְׁחִ֖ית אֲנָשִׁ֥ים יִלְכֹּֽדוּ׃ ²⁷כִּכְלוּב֙ מָלֵ֣א ע֔וֹף כֵּ֥ן בָּתֵּיהֶ֖ם מְלֵאִ֣ים מִרְמָ֑ה עַל־כֵּ֥ן גָּדְל֖וּ וַיַּעֲשִֽׁירוּ׃ ²⁸שָׁמְנ֣וּ עָשְׁת֗וּ גַּ֚ם עָֽבְר֣וּ דִבְרֵי־רָ֔ע דִּ֣ין לֹא־דָ֔נוּ דִּ֥ין יָת֖וֹם וְיַצְלִ֑יחוּ וּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט אֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים לֹ֥א שָׁפָֽטוּ׃ ²⁹הַֽעַל־אֵ֥לֶּה לוֹא־אֶפְקֹ֖ד נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה אִ֚ם בְּג֣וֹי אֲשֶׁר־כָּזֶ֔ה לֹ֥א תִתְנַקֵּ֖ם נַפְשִֽׁי׃ ס ³⁰שַׁמָּה֙ וְשַׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה נִהְיְתָ֖ה בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ ³¹הַנְּבִיאִ֞ים נִבְּא֣וּ־בַשֶּׁ֗קֶר וְהַכֹּהֲנִים֙ יִרְדּ֣וּ עַל־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם וְעַמִּ֖י אָ֣הֲבוּ כֵ֑ן וּמַֽה־תַּעֲשׂ֖וּ לְאַחֲרִיתָֽהּ׃

²⁰haggîdû zōʾt bᵉbêt yaʿᵃqōb wᵉhašmîʿûhā bîhûdâ lēʾmōr. ²¹šimʿû-nāʾ zōʾt ʿam sākāl wᵉʾên lēb ʿênayim lāhem wᵉlōʾ yirʾû ʾoznayim lāhem wᵉlōʾ yišmāʿû. ²²haʾôtî lōʾ-tîrāʾû nᵉʾum-yhwh ʾim mippānay lōʾ tāḥîlû ʾᵃšer-śamtî ḥôl gᵉbûl layyām ḥoq-ʿôlām wᵉlōʾ yaʿabrenhû wayyitgāʿᵃšû wᵉlōʾ yûkālû wᵉhāmû gallāyw wᵉlōʾ yaʿabrunnᵉhû. ²³wᵉlāʿām hazzeh hāyâ lēb sôrēr ûmôreh sārû wayyēlēkû. ²⁴wᵉlōʾ-ʾāmᵉrû bilbābām nîrāʾ nāʾ ʾet-yhwh ʾᵉlōhênû hannōtēn gešem wᵉyôreh ûmalqôš bᵉʿittô šᵉbuʿôt ḥuqqôt qāṣîr yišmor-lānû. ²⁵ʿᵃwōnôtêkem hiṭṭû-ʾēlleh wᵉḥaṭṭōʾôtêkem mānᵉʿû haṭṭôb mikkem. ²⁶kî-nimṣᵉʾû bᵉʿammî rᵉšāʿîm yāšûr kᵉšak yᵉqûšîm hiṣṣîbû mašḥît ʾᵃnāšîm yilkōdû. ²⁷kiklûb mālēʾ ʿôp kēn bāttêhem mᵉlēʾîm mirmâ ʿal-kēn gādᵉlû wayyaʿᵃšîrû. ²⁸šāmᵉnû ʿāšᵉtû gam ʿābᵉrû dibrê-rāʿ dîn lōʾ-dānû dîn yātôm wᵉyaṣlîḥû ûmišpaṭ ʾebyônîm lōʾ šāpāṭû. ²⁹haʿal-ʾēlleh lôʾ-ʾepqōd nᵉʾum-yhwh ʾim bᵉgôy ʾᵃšer-kāzeh lōʾ titnaqēm napšî. ³⁰šammâ wᵉšaʿᵃrûrâ nihyᵉtâ bāʾāreṣ. ³¹hannᵉbîʾîm nibbᵉʾû-baššeqer wᵉhakkōhᵃnîm yirdû ʿal-yᵉdêhem wᵉʿammî ʾāhᵃbû kēn ûmah-taʿᵃśû lᵉʾaḥᵃrîtāh.

Key Words

סָכָל sākāl foolish / senseless

This adjective describes one who lacks moral and spiritual discernment, not merely intellectual capacity. The root conveys a willful rejection of wisdom rather than simple ignorance. In Jeremiah's usage, it indicts a people who possess the faculties of perception (eyes, ears) but refuse to employ them toward covenant faithfulness. The term appears frequently in Wisdom literature to describe those who spurn instruction and divine order. Here it functions as a covenant lawsuit term, establishing culpability for deliberate blindness to Yahweh's revelation in both creation and Torah.

חוֹל ḥôl sand

The common noun for sand, particularly as found on seashores. Yahweh's rhetorical question in verse 22 employs sand as the paradigmatic example of a weak substance that nevertheless obeys its Creator's decree. The imagery is striking: the mighty sea with its roaring waves is restrained by mere grains of sand, yet Israel with all her covenant privileges rebels. This creation ordinance becomes a foil for human disobedience. The sand's compliance with its "eternal limit" (ḥoq-ʿôlām) contrasts sharply with Judah's violation of covenant boundaries. The metaphor anticipates Jesus' parable of building on sand versus rock, though with inverted valence.

סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה sôrēr ûmôreh stubborn and rebellious

This paired expression appears in Deuteronomy 21:18-20 as the technical legal description of a son who deserves capital punishment for incorrigible defiance of parental authority. By applying these covenant lawsuit terms to the entire nation, Jeremiah invokes the most severe category of familial betrayal. The first term (sôrēr) emphasizes turning away or apostasy, while the second (môreh) stresses active rebellion and contentiousness. Together they constitute a formal indictment that places Judah under the death penalty prescribed in Torah. The phrase "they have turned aside and gone away" (sārû wayyēlēkû) echoes the language of divorce and covenant abandonment throughout the prophets.

יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ yôreh ûmalqôš autumn rain and spring rain

These agricultural terms designate the two critical rainy seasons in Palestine's climate. The yôreh (early rain) falls in October-November, softening the ground for plowing and planting; the malqôš (latter rain) comes in March-April, ensuring the grain reaches maturity before harvest. Both are covenant blessings explicitly promised in Deuteronomy 11:14 and withheld as covenant curses in Deuteronomy 28. Jeremiah's point is that Judah fails to recognize Yahweh's faithful provision of these seasonal gifts, taking for granted what should prompt fear and gratitude. The "appointed weeks of the harvest" (šᵉbuʿôt ḥuqqôt qāṣîr) further emphasizes divine ordering of agricultural blessing, which Israel's sin has now disrupted.

מִרְמָה mirmâ deceit / treachery

A noun denoting fraud, deception, and betrayal, often in commercial or legal contexts. The root suggests smooth or slippery dealings that conceal true intentions. In verse 27, houses "full of deceit" parallels cages full of trapped birds—the imagery suggests both the accumulation of ill-gotten gain and the entrapment of victims through fraudulent schemes. This term appears throughout Jeremiah to characterize the false prophets' messages and the people's covenant infidelity. The deceit is not merely interpersonal but theological: it represents a fundamental distortion of reality that treats Yahweh's word as negotiable and his justice as avoidable.

יָתוֹם yātôm orphan / fatherless

The term for a child bereft of a father, representing the most vulnerable class in ancient Near Eastern society. Together with widows and sojourners, orphans form the triad of the defenseless whom Torah explicitly commands Israel to protect (Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 24:17). Failure to "plead the cause" (dîn) of the orphan constitutes a direct violation of covenant stipulations and reveals the moral bankruptcy of Judah's leadership. The accusation in verse 28 is not merely that the wealthy ignore orphans but that they actively refuse to adjudicate their legal cases, denying them justice in the courts. This judicial corruption demonstrates how far the nation has fallen from its calling to image Yahweh's character as "father of the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5).

שַׁמָּה וְשַׁעֲרוּרָה šammâ wᵉšaʿᵃrûrâ appalling and horrible thing

This hendiadys combines two terms of horror and revulsion to describe something that causes both shock and dread. The first term (šammâ) suggests desolation and devastation, while the second (šaʿᵃrûrâ) conveys bristling horror, something that makes the hair stand on end. The pairing intensifies the emotional force of Yahweh's assessment. What provokes this divine horror is not foreign invasion or natural disaster but the corruption of Israel's own religious leadership—prophets prophesying lies and priests ruling by their own authority rather than Yahweh's word. The phrase anticipates the "abomination of desolation" language in Daniel and the Gospels, marking a sacrilege so profound it demands divine intervention.

Grammar & Argument

The passage divides into three movements, each escalating the indictment. Verses 20-25 establish the theological foundation: Judah's senseless rebellion against the Creator who orders both cosmos and covenant. The rhetorical questions in verse 22 are devastating—if mindless sand obeys its boundary, how much more should rational, covenant-bearing humanity fear Yahweh? The contrast between creation's obedience and Israel's rebellion employs a qal wahomer (light-to-heavy) argument: the waves "roar" (hāmû) but cannot cross the sand barrier, yet this people with a "stubborn and rebellious heart" has crossed every covenant boundary. The agricultural imagery of verse