Focused Passage

Jeremiah 9:1-6

Let the One Who Boasts Boast in Knowing the LORD

The chapter moves from Jeremiah's overwhelming grief, to the LORD's exposure of a society trained in falsehood, to the refining judgment of the people, to a lament over ruined land and scattered bones, to the summoning of mourning women, to the call to reject boasting in wisdom, strength, and riches, and finally to the warning that outward circumcision without heart reality leaves Judah under judgment with the nations.

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

1 Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people.

2 If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people.

3 “They bend their tongues like bows; lies prevail over truth in the land. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not take Me into account,” declares the LORD.

4 “Let everyone guard against his neighbor; do not trust any brother, for every brother deals craftily, and every friend spreads slander.

5 Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they wear themselves out committing iniquity.

6 You dwell in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to know Me,” declares the LORD.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Cross-references

Psalms 119:136 Classic cross-references Romans 12:15 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 13:17 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 13:6 Classic cross-references Isaiah 22:4 Classic cross-references

Original words

- מִֽי־ H4310 Interjection Oh, that יִתֵּ֤ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular my head רֹאשִׁי֙ H7218 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular were a spring of water מַ֔יִם H4325 Noun - masculine plural and my eyes וְעֵינִ֖י H5869 Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular a fountain מְק֣וֹר H4726 Noun - masculine singular construct of tears דִּמְעָ֑ה H1832 Noun - feminine singular I would weep וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ H1058 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular day יוֹמָ֣ם H3119 Adverb and night וָלַ֔יְלָה H3915 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular - אֵ֖ת H853 Direct object marker over the slain חַֽלְלֵ֥י H2491 Noun - masculine plural construct daughter בַת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of my people עַמִּֽי׃ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular

Verse 2

Cross-references

Luke 6:45 Classic cross-references Psalms 55:7 Classic cross-references Proverbs 26:25 Classic cross-references Hosea 7:4 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 23:10 Classic cross-references

Original words

If only מִֽי־ H4310 Interrogative . . . יִתְּנֵ֣נִי H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular I had a traveler’s אֹֽרְחִ֔ים H732 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural lodge מְלוֹן֙ H4411 Noun - masculine singular construct in the wilderness בַמִּדְבָּ֗ר H4057 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular I would abandon וְאֶֽעֶזְבָה֙ H5800 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker my people עַמִּ֔י H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular and depart וְאֵלְכָ֖ה H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative - first person common singular from them מֵֽאִתָּ֑ם H854 Preposition-m | Direct object marker | third person masculine plural for כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction they are all כֻלָּם֙ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural adulterers מְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים H5003 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural a crowd עֲצֶ֖רֶת H6116 Noun - feminine singular construct of faithless people בֹּגְדִֽים׃ H898 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural

Verse 3

Cross-references

James 3:5 Classic cross-references Isaiah 6:5 Classic cross-references Psalms 5:9 Classic cross-references Matthew 15:11 Classic cross-references Isaiah 1:3 Classic cross-references

Original words

They bend וַֽיַּדְרְכ֤וּ H1869 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural אֶת־ אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker their tongues לְשׁוֹנָם֙ H3956 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural like bows קַשְׁתָּ֣ם H7198 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural lies שֶׁ֔קֶר H8267 Noun - masculine singular prevail גָּבְר֣וּ H1396 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural over וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle truth לֶאֱמוּנָ֖ה H530 Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular in the land בָאָ֑רֶץ H776 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular For כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction they proceed יָצָ֛אוּ H3318 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural - וְאֹתִ֥י H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker | first person common singular from evil מֵרָעָ֨ה H7451 Preposition-m | Adjective - feminine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition evil רָעָ֧ה׀ H7451 Adjective - feminine singular and they do not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle take Me into account יָדָ֖עוּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ס H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular

Verse 4

Cross-references

Micah 7:5 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 12:6 Classic cross-references Psalms 116:11 Classic cross-references Proverbs 26:24 Classic cross-references Psalms 55:13 Classic cross-references

Original words

Let everyone אִ֤ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular guard הִשָּׁמֵ֔רוּ H8104 Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine plural against וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition his neighbor מֵרֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ H7453 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular do not אַל־ H408 Adverb trust תִּבְטָ֑חוּ H982 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural any כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct brother אָ֖ח H251 Noun - masculine singular for כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction every כָל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct brother אָח֙ H251 Noun - masculine singular deals craftily עָק֣וֹב H6117 Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute . . . יַעְקֹ֔ב H6117 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular and every וְכָל־ H3605 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct friend רֵ֖עַ H7453 Noun - masculine singular spreads יַהֲלֹֽךְ׃ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular slander רָכִ֥יל H7400 Noun - masculine singular

Verse 5

Cross-references

Jeremiah 13:23 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 24:12 Classic cross-references Habakkuk 2:13 Classic cross-references Isaiah 57:10 Classic cross-references Isaiah 59:13 Classic cross-references

Original words

Each one וְאִ֤ישׁ H376 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular betrays יְהָתֵ֔לּוּ H2048 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural his friend בְּרֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ H7453 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular no לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle one tells יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural the truth וֶאֱמֶ֖ת H571 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular They have taught לִמְּד֧וּ H3925 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural their tongues לְשׁוֹנָ֛ם H3956 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural to lie דַּבֶּר־ H1696 Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct . . . שֶׁ֖קֶר H8267 Noun - masculine singular they wear themselves out נִלְאֽוּ׃ H3811 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural committing iniquity הַעֲוֵ֥ה H5753 Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute

Verse 6

Cross-references

Romans 1:28 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 8:5 Classic cross-references Hosea 4:6 Classic cross-references Hosea 6:7 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 13:10 Classic cross-references

Original words

You dwell שִׁבְתְּךָ֖ H3427 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular in the midst בְּת֣וֹךְ H8432 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of deception מִרְמָ֑ה H4820 Noun - feminine singular in their deceit בְּמִרְמָ֛ה H4820 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular they refuse מֵאֲנ֥וּ H3985 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural to know דַֽעַת־ H3045 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Me אוֹתִ֖י H853 Direct object marker | first person common singular declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָֽה׃ס H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular

BSB notes

That is, Jeremiah dwells (the Hebrew is singular)

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