Focused Passage

Jeremiah 9:12-16

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

12 Who is the man wise enough to understand this? To whom has the mouth of the LORD spoken, that he may explain it? Why is the land destroyed and scorched like a desert, so no one can pass through it?

13 And the LORD answered, “It is because they have forsaken My law, which I set before them; they have not walked in it or obeyed My voice.

14 Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts and gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.”

15 Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.

16 I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 12

Cross-references

James 3:13 Classic cross-references Psalms 107:43 Classic cross-references Hosea 14:9 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 32:29 Classic cross-references Isaiah 40:5 Classic cross-references

Original words

Who מִֽי־ H4310 Interrogative is the man הָאִ֤ישׁ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular wise הֶֽחָכָם֙ H2450 Article | Adjective - masculine singular enough to understand וְיָבֵ֣ן H995 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker this זֹ֔את H2063 Pronoun - feminine singular To whom וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relative has the mouth פִּֽי־ H6310 Noun - masculine singular construct of the LORD יְהוָ֛ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular spoken דִּבֶּ֧ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular - אֵלָ֖יו H413 Preposition | third person masculine singular that he may explain it וְיַגִּדָ֑הּ H5046 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular Why עַל־ H5921 Preposition . . . מָה֙ H4100 Interrogative is the land הָאָ֔רֶץ H776 Article | Noun - feminine singular destroyed אָבְדָ֣ה H6 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular and scorched נִצְּתָ֥ה H5327 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular like a desert כַמִּדְבָּ֖ר H4057 Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular so no מִבְּלִ֖י H1097 Preposition-m | Adverb one can pass through it עֹבֵֽר׃ס H5674 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular

Verse 13

Cross-references

Judges 6:10 Classic cross-references 2 Chronicles 7:19 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 22:9 Classic cross-references Ezra 9:10 Classic cross-references Psalms 90:8 Classic cross-references

Original words

And the LORD יְהוָ֔ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular answered וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular It is because עַל־ H5921 Preposition they have forsaken עָזְבָם֙ H5800 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker My law תּ֣וֹרָתִ֔י H8451 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular which אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative I set נָתַ֖תִּי H5414 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular before them לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural they have not וְלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle walked הָ֥לְכוּ H1980 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural in it בָֽהּ׃ Preposition | third person feminine singular [or] וְלֹא־ H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle obeyed שָׁמְע֥וּ H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural My voice בְקוֹלִ֖י H6963 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular

Verse 14

Cross-references

1 Peter 1:18 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 13:10 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 3:17 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 7:24 Classic cross-references Ephesians 2:3 Classic cross-references

Original words

Instead, they have followed וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ H1980 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural . . . אַחֲרֵ֖י H310 Preposition the stubbornness שְׁרִר֣וּת H8307 Noun - feminine singular construct of their hearts לִבָּ֑ם H3820 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural and gone after וְאַחֲרֵי֙ H310 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the Baals הַבְּעָלִ֔ים H1168 Article | Noun - masculine plural as אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative their fathers אֲבוֹתָֽם׃ס H1 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural taught them לִמְּד֖וּם H3925 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural

Verse 15

Cross-references

Revelation 8:11 Classic cross-references Psalms 69:21 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 29:18 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 34:16 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 23:15 Classic cross-references

Original words

Therefore לָכֵ֗ן H3651 Adverb this is what כֹּֽה־ H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֤ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָאוֹת֙ H6635 Noun - common plural the God אֱלֹהֵ֣י H430 Noun - masculine plural construct of Israel יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular says אָמַ֞ר H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Behold הִנְנִ֧י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will feed מַאֲכִילָ֛ם H398 Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker this הַזֶּ֖ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular people הָעָ֥ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular wormwood לַֽעֲנָ֑ה H3939 Noun - feminine singular and give them poisoned רֹֽאשׁ׃ H7219 Noun - masculine singular water מֵי־ H4325 Noun - masculine plural construct to drink וְהִשְׁקִיתִ֖ים H8248 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural

Verse 16

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 28:64 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 5:12 Classic cross-references Ezekiel 5:2 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 22:16 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 49:37 Classic cross-references

Original words

I will scatter them וַהֲפִֽצוֹתִים֙ H6327 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural among the nations בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם H1471 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural that אֲשֶׁר֙ H834 Pronoun - relative neither לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle they הֵ֖מָּה H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural [nor] their fathers וַֽאֲבוֹתָ֑ם H1 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural have known יָֽדְע֔וּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural and I will send וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֤י H7971 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular a sword הַחֶ֔רֶב H2719 Article | Noun - feminine singular after אַֽחֲרֵיהֶם֙ H310 Preposition | third person masculine plural them אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker until עַ֥ד H5704 Preposition I have finished them off כַּלּוֹתִ֖י H3615 Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | first person common singular - אוֹתָֽם׃פ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural

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