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

4 So 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?

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

6 I 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.

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

Original words

So you are to tell וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular them אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם H413 Preposition | third person masculine plural this is what כֹּ֚ה H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular says אָמַ֣ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Do [men] fall הֲיִפְּל֖וּ H5307 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural and not וְלֹ֣א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle get up again יָק֑וּמוּ H6965 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . אִם־ H518 Conjunction Does one turn away יָשׁ֖וּב H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular and not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle return יָשֽׁוּב׃ H7725 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular

Verse 5

Cross-references

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

Original words

Why [then] מַדּ֨וּעַ H4069 Interrogative have these הַזֶּ֛ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular people הָעָ֥ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular turned away שׁוֹבְבָ֜ה H7725 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person feminine singular Why does Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular always turn away מְשֻׁבָ֣ה H4878 Noun - feminine singular . . . נִצַּ֑חַת H5329 Verb - Nifal - Participle - feminine singular They cling הֶחֱזִ֙יקוּ֙ H2388 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural to deceit בַּתַּרְמִ֔ית H8649 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular they refuse מֵאֲנ֖וּ H3985 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural to return לָשֽׁוּב׃ H7725 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct

Verse 6

Cross-references

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

Original words

I have listened הִקְשַׁ֤בְתִּי H7181 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular and heard וָֽאֶשְׁמָע֙ H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular they do not לוֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle speak יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural what is right כֵ֣ן H3651 Adjective - masculine singular No אֵ֣ין H369 Adverb one אִ֗ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular repents נִחָם֙ H5162 Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular of his עַל־ H5921 Preposition wickedness רָ֣עָת֔וֹ H7451 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular asking לֵאמֹ֖ר H559 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct What מֶ֣ה H4100 Interrogative have I done עָשִׂ֑יתִי H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Everyone כֻּלֹּ֗ה H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular has pursued שָׁ֚ב H7725 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular his own course בִּמְרֻצוֹתָם H4794 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural like a horse כְּס֥וּס H5483 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular charging שׁוֹטֵ֖ף H7857 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular into battle בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ H4421 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

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

Original words

Even גַּם־ H1571 Conjunction the stork חֲסִידָ֣ה H2624 Noun - feminine singular in the sky בַשָּׁמַ֗יִם H8064 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural knows יָֽדְעָה֙ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular her appointed seasons מֽוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָ H4150 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular The turtledove וְתֹ֤ר H8449 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular the swift וְסוּס H5483 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular and the thrush וְעָג֔וּר H5693 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular keep שָׁמְר֖וּ H8104 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker their time עֵ֣ת H6256 Noun - common singular construct of migration בֹּאָ֑נָה H935 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine plural but My people וְעַמִּ֕י H5971 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular do not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle know יָֽדְע֔וּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural - אֵ֖ת H853 Direct object marker the requirements מִשְׁפַּ֥ט H4941 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

The precise identification of some of these birds is uncertain.

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