Jeremiah5
English Standard Version
1Run to and through the of , and ! her to see you can a , one who and , that I may her.
2Though they , As the Lord , they .
3O Lord, do your look for ? You have them down, but they ; you have them, but they to . They have their ; they have to .
4Then I , These are the ; they have no ; they do the of the Lord, the of their .
5I will to the and will to them, they the of the Lord, the of their . they all had the ; they had the .
6 a the shall strike them ; a from the shall them. A is their ; who goes be torn in , their are , their are .
7 can I ? Your have me and have by those who are . When I fed them to the , they committed and to the of .
8They were , , for his .
9Shall I not these things? the Lord; and shall on a as ?
10Go through her and , but a ; strip her , they are the Lord ’s.
11 the of and the of have been to me, the Lord.
12They have spoken of the Lord and have , He will nothing; will us, nor shall we or .
13The will become ; the is in them. shall it be to them!
14 the Lord, the of : Because you have this , , I am my in your , and , and the fire shall them.
15 , I am you a from , O of , the Lord. It is an ; it is an , a whose you do , can you what they .
16Their is like an ; they are mighty .
17They shall your and your ; they shall your and your ; they shall your and your ; they shall your and your ; your in you they shall with the .
18But in those , the Lord, I will a of you.
19And when your people , has the Lord our all these things to us? you shall to them, As you have me and in your , so you shall in a that is yours.
20 in the of ; it in :
21 , O and , who have , but , who have , but .
22Do you me? the Lord. Do you before ? I the as the for the , a that it ; though the , they ; though they , they pass it.
23But has a and ; they have and gone .
24They do in their , Let us the Lord our , who the in its , the autumn and the , and for us the for the .
25Your have turned these , and your have from you.
26For are among my ; they lying in . They a ; they .
27Like a of , their are of ; they have become and ;
28they have and . know no in of ; they with the cause of the , to make it , and they do the of the .
29Shall I them these things? the Lord, and shall I on a such ?
30An and has in the :
31the , and the at their ; my to have it , but will you when the comes?
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 5.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The Jews' profession of religion was hypocritical. (1-9). The cruel proceedings of their enemies. (10-18). Their apostacy and idolatry. (19-31).
vv1-9
None could be found who behaved as upright and godly men. But the Lord saw the true character of the people through all their disguises. The poor were ignorant, and therefore they were wicked. What can be expected but works of darkness, from people that know nothing of God and religion? There are God's poor, who, notwithstanding poverty, know the way of the Lord, walk in it, and do their duty; but these were willingly ignorant, and their ignorance would not be their excuse. The rich were insolent and haughty, and the abuse of God's favours made their sin worse.
vv10-18
Multitudes are ruined by believing that God will not be so strict as his word says he will; by this artifice Satan undid mankind. Sinners are not willing to own any thing to be God's word, that tends to part them from, or to disquiet them in, their sins. Mocking and misusing the Lord's messengers, filled the measure of their iniquity. God can bring trouble upon us from places and causes very remote. He has mercy in store for his people, therefore will set bounds to this desolating judgment. Let us not overlook the "nevertheless," 18. This is the Lord's covenant with Israel. He thereby proclaims his holiness, and his utter displeasure against sin while sparing the sinner, Ps. 89:30-35.
vv19-31
Unhumbled hearts are ready to charge God with being unjust in their afflictions. But they may read their sin in their punishment. If men will inquire wherefore the Lord doeth hard things unto them, let them think of their sins. The restless waves obeyed the Divine decree, that they should not pass the sandy shores, which were as much a restraint as lofty mountains; but they burst all restraints of God's law, and were wholly gone into wickedness. Neither did they consider their interest. While the Lord, year after year, reserves to us the appointed weeks of harvest, men live on his bounty; yet they transgress against him. Sin deprives us of God's blessings; it makes the heaven as brass, and the earth as iron. Certainly the things of this world are not the best things; and we are not to think, that, because evil men prosper, God allows their practices. Though sentence against evil works is not executed speedily, it will be executed. Shall I not visit for these things? This speaks the certainty and the necessity of God's judgments. Let those who walk in bad ways consider that an end will come, and there will be bitterness in the latter end.
Key Words
שׁוּט: properly, to push forth; (but used only figuratively) to lash, i.e. (the sea with oars) to row; by implication, to travel
חוּץ: properly, separate by awall, i.e. outside, outdoors
יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם: Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
רָאָה: to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
יָדַע: to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
בָּקַשׁ: to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after
רְחֹב: a width, i.e. (concretely) avenue or area
מָצָא: properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
Cross References
Jeremiah 5Sparing of the city conditional on finding an upright man; echoes scarcity of godly men.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Failing to learn or repent from divine affliction; making faces harder than rock.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Rebelling and committing apostasy after being fed to the full with God's bounty.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
The curse of a swift, ancient nation of an unknown tongue brought from afar.
Supported by JFB
Searching for a single righteous man to stand in the gap to prevent ruin.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Swearing by the name of the Lord, but hypocritically and not in truth.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Lascivious neighbors described under literal and spiritual adultery in Jerusalem.
Supported by JFB
The command to execute severe judgment while mercifully choosing not to make a full end.
Supported by JFB
God making the word in the prophet's mouth a consuming, devouring fire.
Supported by JFB
God setting the sand as a bound for the proud waves of the sea.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Lord alone gives rain, both former and latter, as a sign of sovereignty.
Supported by JFB
Professing to know God with their mouths, but in works denying Him.
Supported by JFB
Comparing rapacious, corrupt rulers and enemies to predatory wolves of the evening.
Supported by JFB
Refrain repeating the absolute certainty of divine visitation and vengeance on this nation.
Supported by JFB
The treacherous house of Israel behaving like a wife departing from her husband.
Supported by JFB