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

20 Declare 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.

22 Do 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.

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

24 They 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.’

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

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 20

Original words

Declare הַגִּ֥ידוּ H5046 Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural this זֹ֖את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular in the house בְּבֵ֣ית H1004 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of Jacob יַעֲקֹ֑ב H3290 Noun - proper - masculine singular and proclaim וְהַשְׁמִיע֥וּהָ H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural | third person feminine singular it in Judah בִיהוּדָ֖ה H3063 Preposition-b | Noun - proper - masculine singular - לֵאמֹֽר׃ H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 21

Cross-references

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

Original words

Hear שִׁמְעוּ־ H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural . . . נָ֣א H4994 Interjection this זֹ֔את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular O foolish סָכָ֖ל H5530 Noun - masculine singular and senseless וְאֵ֣ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb . . . לֵ֑ב H3820 Noun - masculine singular people עַ֥ם H5971 Noun - masculine singular who have eyes עֵינַ֤יִם H5869 Noun - cd but do not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle see יִרְא֔וּ H7200 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural who have ears אָזְנַ֥יִם H241 Noun - fd but do not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle hear יִשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ H8085 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural

Verse 22

Cross-references

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

Original words

- הַאוֹתִ֨י H853 Direct object marker | first person common singular Do you not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle fear Me תִירָ֜אוּ H3372 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהֹוָ֗ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular אִ֤ם אִ֤ם H518 Conjunction Do you not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle tremble תָחִ֔ילוּ H2342 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural before Me מִפָּנַי֙ H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular the One who אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative set שַׂ֤מְתִּי H7760 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular the sand חוֹל֙ H2344 Noun - masculine singular as the boundary גְּב֣וּל H1366 Noun - masculine singular for the sea לַיָּ֔ם H3220 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular an enduring עוֹלָ֖ם H5769 Noun - masculine singular barrier חָק־ H2706 Noun - masculine singular construct it cannot וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle cross יַעַבְרֶ֑נְהוּ H5674 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular The waves גַלָּ֖יו H1530 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular surge וַיִּֽתְגָּעֲשׁוּ֙ H1607 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural but they cannot וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle prevail יוּכָ֔לוּ H3201 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural They roar וְהָמ֥וּ H1993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural but cannot וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle cross it יַעַבְרֻֽנְהוּ׃ H5674 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine singular, Paragogic nun

Verse 23

Cross-references

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

Original words

But these הַזֶּה֙ H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular people וְלָעָ֤ם H5971 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular have הָיָ֔ה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular stubborn סוֹרֵ֣ר H5637 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular and rebellious וּמוֹרֶ֑ה H4784 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular hearts לֵ֖ב H3820 Noun - masculine singular They have turned aside סָ֖רוּ H5493 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural and gone away וַיֵּלֵֽכוּ׃ H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural

Verse 24

Cross-references

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

Original words

They have not וְלֹֽא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle said אָמְר֣וּ H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural in their hearts בִלְבָבָ֗ם H3824 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Let us fear נִ֤ירָא H3372 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural . . . נָא֙ H4994 Interjection - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular our God אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural who gives הַנֹּתֵ֗ן H5414 Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the rains גֶּ֛שֶׁם H1653 Noun - masculine singular both autumn וְיֹרֶה H3138 Noun - masculine singular and spring וּמַלְק֖וֹשׁ H4456 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular in season בְּעִתּ֑וֹ H6256 Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular who keeps יִשְׁמָר־ H8104 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular for us לָֽנוּ׃ Preposition | first person common plural the appointed חֻקּ֥וֹת H2708 Noun - feminine plural construct weeks שְׁבֻע֛וֹת H7620 Noun - masculine plural construct of harvest קָצִ֖יר H7105 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 25

Cross-references

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

Original words

Your iniquities עֲוֺנוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם H5771 Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine plural have diverted הִטּוּ־ H5186 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural these from you אֵ֑לֶּה H428 Pronoun - common plural your sins וְחַטֹּ֣אותֵיכֶ֔ם H2403 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural have deprived מָנְע֥וּ H4513 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural you מִכֶּֽם׃ Preposition | second person masculine plural of My bounty הַטּ֖וֹב H2896 Article | Noun - masculine singular

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