Focused Passage

Jeremiah 8:4-7

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

4So you are to tell them this is what the LORD says: “Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not return?

5Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

6I have listened and heard; they do not speak what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, asking, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone has pursued his own course like a horse charging into battle.

7Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 4

Cross-references

Isaiah 55:7Classic cross-references Proverbs 24:16Classic cross-references Micah 7:8Classic cross-references Hosea 6:1Classic cross-references Jeremiah 3:1Classic cross-references

Original words

So you are to tellוְאָמַרְתָּ֣H559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularthemאֲלֵיהֶ֗םH413Preposition | third person masculine pluralthis is whatכֹּ֚הH3541Adverbthe LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularsaysאָמַ֣רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularDo [men] fallהֲיִפְּל֖וּH5307Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine pluraland notוְלֹ֣אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleget up againיָק֑וּמוּH6965Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .אִם־H518ConjunctionDoes one turn awayיָשׁ֖וּבH7725Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singularand notוְלֹ֥אH3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlereturnיָשֽׁוּב׃H7725Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular

Verse 5

Cross-references

Jeremiah 9:6Classic cross-references Daniel 9:11Classic cross-references Hosea 11:7Classic cross-references Jeremiah 5:3Classic cross-references Proverbs 14:14Classic cross-references

Original words

Why [then]מַדּ֨וּעַH4069Interrogativehave theseהַזֶּ֛הH2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularpeopleהָעָ֥םH5971Article | Noun - masculine singularturned awayשׁוֹבְבָ֜הH7725Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singularWhy does Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֖םH3389Noun - proper - feminine singularalways turn awayמְשֻׁבָ֣הH4878Noun - feminine singular. . .נִצַּ֑חַתH5329Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singularThey clingהֶחֱזִ֙יקוּ֙H2388Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common pluralto deceitבַּתַּרְמִ֔יתH8649Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularthey refuseמֵאֲנ֖וּH3985Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common pluralto returnלָשֽׁוּב׃H7725Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 6

Cross-references

Psalms 14:2Classic cross-references Matthew 11:20Classic cross-references Psalms 32:9Classic cross-references Job 39:21Classic cross-references Ezekiel 18:28Classic cross-references

Original words

I have listenedהִקְשַׁ֤בְתִּיH7181Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singularand heardוָֽאֶשְׁמָע֙H8085Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singularthey do notלוֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlespeakיְדַבֵּ֔רוּH1696Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine pluralwhat is rightכֵ֣ןH3651Adjective - masculine singularNoאֵ֣יןH369Adverboneאִ֗ישׁH376Noun - masculine singularrepentsנִחָם֙H5162Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singularof hisעַל־H5921Prepositionwickednessרָ֣עָת֔וֹH7451Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularaskingלֵאמֹ֖רH559Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructWhatמֶ֣הH4100Interrogativehave I doneעָשִׂ֑יתִיH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularEveryoneכֻּלֹּ֗הH3605Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularhas pursuedשָׁ֚בH7725Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularhis own courseבִּמְרֻצוֹתָםH4794Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plurallike a horseכְּס֥וּסH5483Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singularchargingשׁוֹטֵ֖ףH7857Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularinto battleבַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃H4421Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

Isaiah 1:3Classic cross-references Hosea 4:6Classic cross-references Jeremiah 5:21Classic cross-references Jeremiah 5:4Classic cross-references Isaiah 27:11Classic cross-references

Original words

Evenגַּם־H1571Conjunctionthe storkחֲסִידָ֣הH2624Noun - feminine singularin the skyבַשָּׁמַ֗יִםH8064Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluralknowsיָֽדְעָה֙H3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularher appointed seasonsמֽוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָH4150Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singularThe turtledoveוְתֹ֤רH8449Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularthe swiftוְסוּסH5483Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularand the thrushוְעָג֔וּרH5693Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularkeepשָׁמְר֖וּH8104Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markertheir timeעֵ֣תH6256Noun - common singular constructof migrationבֹּאָ֑נָהH935Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine pluralbut My peopleוְעַמִּ֕יH5971Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singulardo notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particleknowיָֽדְע֔וּH3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural-אֵ֖תH853Direct object markerthe requirementsמִשְׁפַּ֥טH4941Noun - masculine singular constructof the LORDיְהוָֽה׃H3068Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

The precise identification of some of these birds is uncertain.

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