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

13 I 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.”

14 Why 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.

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

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

Original words

I will take away their harvest אָסֹ֥ף H622 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . אֲסִיפֵ֖ם H5486 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהֹוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular There will be no אֵין֩ H369 Adverb grapes עֲנָבִ֨ים H6025 Noun - masculine plural on the vine בַּגֶּ֜פֶן H1612 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular nor וְאֵ֧ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb figs תְּאֵנִ֣ים H8384 Noun - feminine plural on the tree בַּתְּאֵנָ֗ה H8384 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular and even the leaf וְהֶֽעָלֶה֙ H5929 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular will wither נָבֵ֔ל H5034 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Whatever I have given וָאֶתֵּ֥ן H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular them לָהֶ֖ם Preposition-l | Pronoun - third person masculine plural will be lost to them יַעַבְרֽוּם׃ H5674 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | third person masculine plural

Verse 14

Cross-references

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

Original words

Why עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . מָה֙ H4100 Interrogative are we אֲנַ֣חְנוּ H587 Pronoun - first person common plural just sitting here? יֹֽשְׁבִ֔ים H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Gather together הֵֽאָסְפ֗וּ H622 Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine plural let us flee וְנָב֛וֹא H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural to אֶל־ H413 Preposition the fortified הַמִּבְצָ֖ר H4013 Article | Noun - masculine singular cities עָרֵ֥י H5892 Noun - feminine plural construct and perish וְנִדְּמָה־ H1826 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural there שָּׁ֑ם H8033 Adverb for כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction the LORD יְהוָ֨ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular our God אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural has doomed us הֲדִמָּ֙נוּ֙ H1826 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural He has given us poisoned רֹ֔אשׁ H7219 Noun - masculine singular water מֵי־ H4325 Noun - masculine plural construct to drink וַיַּשְׁקֵ֣נוּ H8248 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural because כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction we have sinned חָטָ֖אנוּ H2398 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural against the LORD לַיהוָֽה׃ H3068 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 15

Cross-references

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

Original words

We hoped קַוֵּ֥ה H6960 Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute for peace לְשָׁל֖וֹם H7965 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular but no וְאֵ֣ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb good [has come] ט֑וֹב H2896 Noun - masculine singular for a time לְעֵ֥ת H6256 Preposition-l | Noun - common singular construct of healing מַרְפֵּ֖ה H4832 Noun - masculine singular but there וְהִנֵּ֥ה H2009 Conjunctive waw | Interjection was only terror בְעָתָֽה׃ H1205 Noun - feminine singular

Verse 16

Cross-references

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

Original words

The snorting נַחְרַ֣ת H5170 Noun - feminine singular construct of [enemy] horses סוּסָ֗יו H5483 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular is heard נִשְׁמַע֙ H8085 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular from Dan מִדָּ֤ן H1835 Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular At the sound מִקּוֹל֙ H6963 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of the neighing מִצְהֲל֣וֹת H4684 Noun - feminine plural construct of mighty steeds אַבִּירָ֔יו H47 Adjective - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular the whole כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct land הָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular quakes רָעֲשָׁ֖ה H7493 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular They come וַיָּב֗וֹאוּ H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural to devour וַיֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ H398 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural the land אֶ֣רֶץ H776 Noun - feminine singular and everything in it וּמְלוֹאָ֔הּ H4393 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular the city עִ֖יר H5892 Noun - feminine singular and all who dwell וְיֹ֥שְׁבֵי H3427 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct in it בָֽהּ׃ס Preposition | third person feminine singular

Verse 17

Cross-references

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

Original words

For כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction behold הִנְנִ֨י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will send מְשַׁלֵּ֜חַ H7971 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular snakes נְחָשִׁים֙ H5175 Noun - masculine plural among you בָּכֶ֗ם Preposition | second person masculine plural vipers צִפְעֹנִ֔ים H6848 Noun - masculine plural that אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative cannot אֵין־ H369 Adverb be charmed לָ֑חַשׁ H3908 Noun - masculine singular and they will bite וְנִשְּׁכ֥וּ H5391 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural you אֶתְכֶ֖ם H853 Direct object marker | second person masculine plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ס H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular

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