Focused Passage

Jeremiah 5:20-25

Search Jerusalem: No Truth, No Justice, and No Fear of the LORD

The chapter moves from a citywide search for one just and truthful person, to the exposure of stubborn rebellion among poor and great alike, to the announcement of enemy judgment, to charges of unbelief and false prophecy, to creation-based rebuke for lacking fear of the LORD, and finally to social injustice, leadership corruption, and the terrifying fact that the people love it so.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

20Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:

21“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 the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.

23But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away.

24They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’

25Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 20

Original words

Declareהַגִּ֥ידוּH5046Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine pluralthisזֹ֖אתH2063Pronoun - feminine singularin the houseבְּבֵ֣יתH1004Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructof Jacobיַעֲקֹ֑בH3290Noun - proper - masculine singularand proclaimוְהַשְׁמִיע֥וּהָH8085Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural | third person feminine singularit in Judahבִיהוּדָ֖הH3063Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular-לֵאמֹֽר׃H559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 21

Cross-references

Mark 8:18Classic cross-references Isaiah 44:18Classic cross-references Mark 4:12Classic cross-references John 3:3Classic cross-references Isaiah 6:10Classic cross-references

Original words

Hearשִׁמְעוּ־H8085Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural. . .נָ֣אH4994Interjectionthisזֹ֔אתH2063Pronoun - feminine singularO foolishסָכָ֖לH5530Noun - masculine singularand senselessוְאֵ֣יןH369Conjunctive waw | Adverb. . .לֵ֑בH3820Noun - masculine singularpeopleעַ֥םH5971Noun - masculine singularwho have eyesעֵינַ֤יִםH5869Noun - cdbut do notוְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleseeיִרְא֔וּH7200Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralwho have earsאָזְנַ֥יִםH241Noun - fdbut do notוְלֹ֥אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlehearיִשְׁמָֽעוּ׃H8085Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural

Verse 22

Cross-references

Matthew 10:28Classic cross-references Job 38:10Classic cross-references Psalms 104:9Classic cross-references Job 26:10Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 28:58Classic cross-references

Original words

-הַאוֹתִ֨יH853Direct object marker | first person common singularDo you notלֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlefear Meתִירָ֜אוּH3372Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluraldeclaresנְאֻם־H5002Noun - masculine singular constructthe LORDיְהֹוָ֗הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularאִ֤םאִ֤םH518ConjunctionDo you notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particletrembleתָחִ֔ילוּH2342Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine pluralbefore Meמִפָּנַי֙H6440Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singularthe One whoאֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativesetשַׂ֤מְתִּיH7760Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularthe sandחוֹל֙H2344Noun - masculine singularas the boundaryגְּב֣וּלH1366Noun - masculine singularfor the seaלַיָּ֔םH3220Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singularan enduringעוֹלָ֖םH5769Noun - masculine singularbarrierחָק־H2706Noun - masculine singular constructit cannotוְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlecrossיַעַבְרֶ֑נְהוּH5674Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singularThe wavesגַלָּ֖יוH1530Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularsurgeוַיִּֽתְגָּעֲשׁוּ֙H1607Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralbut they cannotוְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleprevailיוּכָ֔לוּH3201Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralThey roarוְהָמ֥וּH1993Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralbut cannotוְלֹ֥אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlecross itיַעַבְרֻֽנְהוּ׃H5674Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular, Paragogic nun

Verse 23

Cross-references

Isaiah 65:2Classic cross-references Ezekiel 12:2Classic cross-references Isaiah 30:1Classic cross-references Jeremiah 6:28Classic cross-references Jeremiah 4:17Classic cross-references

Original words

But theseהַזֶּה֙H2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularpeopleוְלָעָ֤םH5971Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singularhaveהָיָ֔הH1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularstubbornסוֹרֵ֣רH5637Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularand rebelliousוּמוֹרֶ֑הH4784Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularheartsלֵ֖בH3820Noun - masculine singularThey have turned asideסָ֖רוּH5493Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluraland gone awayוַיֵּלֵֽכוּ׃H1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural

Verse 24

Cross-references

Genesis 8:22Classic cross-references James 5:7Classic cross-references Jeremiah 14:22Classic cross-references Jeremiah 3:3Classic cross-references Psalms 147:8Classic cross-references

Original words

They have notוְלֹֽא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlesaidאָמְר֣וּH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralin their heartsבִלְבָבָ֗םH3824Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluralLet us fearנִ֤ירָאH3372Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural. . .נָא֙H4994Interjection-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe LORDיְהוָ֣הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularour Godאֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּH430Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common pluralwho givesהַנֹּתֵ֗ןH5414Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularthe rainsגֶּ֛שֶׁםH1653Noun - masculine singularboth autumnוְיֹרֶהH3138Noun - masculine singularand springוּמַלְק֖וֹשׁH4456Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularin seasonבְּעִתּ֑וֹH6256Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singularwho keepsיִשְׁמָר־H8104Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularfor usלָֽנוּ׃Preposition | first person common pluralthe appointedחֻקּ֥וֹתH2708Noun - feminine plural constructweeksשְׁבֻע֛וֹתH7620Noun - masculine plural constructof harvestקָצִ֖ירH7105Noun - masculine singular

Verse 25

Cross-references

Isaiah 59:2Classic cross-references Psalms 107:34Classic cross-references Psalms 107:17Classic cross-references 2 Chronicles 24:20Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 28:23Classic cross-references

Original words

Your iniquitiesעֲוֺנוֹתֵיכֶ֖םH5771Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine pluralhave divertedהִטּוּ־H5186Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common pluralthese from youאֵ֑לֶּהH428Pronoun - common pluralyour sinsוְחַטֹּ֣אותֵיכֶ֔םH2403Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine pluralhave deprivedמָנְע֥וּH4513Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralyouמִכֶּֽם׃Preposition | second person masculine pluralof My bountyהַטּ֖וֹבH2896Article | Noun - masculine singular

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