Focused Passage

Jeremiah 8:13-17

No Peace, No Healing: Judah Refuses to Return

The chapter moves from the disgrace of dead leaders and idolatrous bones, to the people's unnatural refusal to return, to the exposure of false scribal wisdom, to the condemnation of prophets and priests who promise peace, to the certainty of judgment, and finally to Jeremiah's anguished lament over a people for whom harvest has passed and healing has not come.

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

13I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the tree, and even the leaf will wither. Whatever I have given them will be lost to them.”

14Why are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

15We hoped for peace, but no good has come, for a time of healing, but there was only terror.

16The snorting of enemy horses is heard from Dan. At the sound of the neighing of mighty steeds, the whole land quakes. They come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who dwell in it.

17“For behold, I will send snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you,” declares the LORD.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Cross-references

Matthew 21:19Classic cross-references Joel 1:7Classic cross-references Jeremiah 17:8Classic cross-references Psalms 1:3Classic cross-references Haggai 2:17Classic cross-references

Original words

I will take away their harvestאָסֹ֥ףH622Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute. . .אֲסִיפֵ֖םH5486Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine pluraldeclaresנְאֻם־H5002Noun - masculine singular constructthe LORDיְהֹוָ֑הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularThere will be noאֵין֩H369Adverbgrapesעֲנָבִ֨יםH6025Noun - masculine pluralon the vineבַּגֶּ֜פֶןH1612Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singularnorוְאֵ֧יןH369Conjunctive waw | Adverbfigsתְּאֵנִ֣יםH8384Noun - feminine pluralon the treeבַּתְּאֵנָ֗הH8384Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularand even the leafוְהֶֽעָלֶה֙H5929Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singularwill witherנָבֵ֔לH5034Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularWhatever I have givenוָאֶתֵּ֥ןH5414Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularthemלָהֶ֖םPreposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine pluralwill be lost to themיַעַבְרֽוּם׃H5674Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural

Verse 14

Cross-references

Psalms 69:21Classic cross-references Jeremiah 23:15Classic cross-references Jeremiah 4:5Classic cross-references Jeremiah 9:15Classic cross-references Jeremiah 35:11Classic cross-references

Original words

Whyעַל־H5921Preposition. . .מָה֙H4100Interrogativeare weאֲנַ֣חְנוּH587Pronoun - first person common pluraljust sitting here?יֹֽשְׁבִ֔יםH3427Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralGather togetherהֵֽאָסְפ֗וּH622Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine plurallet us fleeוְנָב֛וֹאH935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common pluraltoאֶל־H413Prepositionthe fortifiedהַמִּבְצָ֖רH4013Article | Noun - masculine singularcitiesעָרֵ֥יH5892Noun - feminine plural constructand perishוְנִדְּמָה־H1826Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common pluralthereשָּׁ֑םH8033Adverbforכִּי֩H3588Conjunctionthe LORDיְהוָ֨הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularour Godאֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּH430Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common pluralhas doomed usהֲדִמָּ֙נוּ֙H1826Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common pluralHe has given us poisonedרֹ֔אשׁH7219Noun - masculine singularwaterמֵי־H4325Noun - masculine plural constructto drinkוַיַּשְׁקֵ֣נוּH8248Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common pluralbecauseכִּ֥יH3588Conjunctionwe have sinnedחָטָ֖אנוּH2398Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common pluralagainst the LORDלַיהוָֽה׃H3068Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 15

Cross-references

Job 30:26Classic cross-references Jeremiah 14:19Classic cross-references 1 Thessalonians 5:3Classic cross-references Jeremiah 13:16Classic cross-references Lamentations 3:17Classic cross-references

Original words

We hopedקַוֵּ֥הH6960Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolutefor peaceלְשָׁל֖וֹםH7965Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singularbut noוְאֵ֣יןH369Conjunctive waw | Adverbgood [has come]ט֑וֹבH2896Noun - masculine singularfor a timeלְעֵ֥תH6256Preposition-l | Noun - common singular constructof healingמַרְפֵּ֖הH4832Noun - masculine singularbut thereוְהִנֵּ֥הH2009Conjunctive waw | Interjectionwas only terrorבְעָתָֽה׃H1205Noun - feminine singular

Verse 16

Cross-references

Jeremiah 10:25Classic cross-references Jeremiah 4:15Classic cross-references Job 39:20Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 10:28Classic cross-references Jeremiah 51:29Classic cross-references

Original words

The snortingנַחְרַ֣תH5170Noun - feminine singular constructof [enemy] horsesסוּסָ֗יוH5483Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularis heardנִשְׁמַע֙H8085Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singularfrom Danמִדָּ֤ןH1835Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singularAt the soundמִקּוֹל֙H6963Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructof the neighingמִצְהֲל֣וֹתH4684Noun - feminine plural constructof mighty steedsאַבִּירָ֔יוH47Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singularthe wholeכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructlandהָאָ֑רֶץH776Article | Noun - feminine singularquakesרָעֲשָׁ֖הH7493Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularThey comeוַיָּב֗וֹאוּH935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralto devourוַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙H398Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine pluralthe landאֶ֣רֶץH776Noun - feminine singularand everything in itוּמְלוֹאָ֔הּH4393Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singularthe cityעִ֖ירH5892Noun - feminine singularand all who dwellוְיֹ֥שְׁבֵיH3427Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural constructin itבָֽהּ׃סPreposition | third person feminine singular

Verse 17

Cross-references

Numbers 21:6Classic cross-references Ecclesiastes 10:11Classic cross-references Psalms 58:5Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 32:24Classic cross-references Psalms 58:4Classic cross-references

Original words

Forכִּי֩H3588Conjunctionbeholdהִנְנִ֨יH2005Interjection | first person common singularI will sendמְשַׁלֵּ֜חַH7971Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singularsnakesנְחָשִׁים֙H5175Noun - masculine pluralamong youבָּכֶ֗םPreposition | second person masculine pluralvipersצִפְעֹנִ֔יםH6848Noun - masculine pluralthatאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativecannotאֵין־H369Adverbbe charmedלָ֑חַשׁH3908Noun - masculine singularand they will biteוְנִשְּׁכ֥וּH5391Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common pluralyouאֶתְכֶ֖םH853Direct object marker | second person masculine pluraldeclaresנְאֻם־H5002Noun - masculine singular constructthe LORDיְהוָֽה׃סH3068Noun - proper - masculine singular

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