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

12Who 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?

13And 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.

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

15Therefore 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.

16I 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 3:13Classic cross-references Psalms 107:43Classic cross-references Hosea 14:9Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 32:29Classic cross-references Isaiah 40:5Classic cross-references

Original words

Whoמִֽי־H4310Interrogativeis the manהָאִ֤ישׁH376Article | Noun - masculine singularwiseהֶֽחָכָם֙H2450Article | Adjective - masculine singularenough to understandוְיָבֵ֣ןH995Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthisזֹ֔אתH2063Pronoun - feminine singularTo whomוַאֲשֶׁ֨רH834Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - relativehas the mouthפִּֽי־H6310Noun - masculine singular constructof the LORDיְהוָ֛הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularspokenדִּבֶּ֧רH1696Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular-אֵלָ֖יוH413Preposition | third person masculine singularthat he may explain itוְיַגִּדָ֑הּH5046Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singularWhyעַל־H5921Preposition. . .מָה֙H4100Interrogativeis the landהָאָ֔רֶץH776Article | Noun - feminine singulardestroyedאָבְדָ֣הH6Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularand scorchedנִצְּתָ֥הH5327Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singularlike a desertכַמִּדְבָּ֖רH4057Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singularso noמִבְּלִ֖יH1097Preposition-m | Adverbone can pass through itעֹבֵֽר׃סH5674Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular

Verse 13

Cross-references

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

Original words

And the LORDיְהוָ֔הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularansweredוַיֹּ֣אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularIt is becauseעַל־H5921Prepositionthey have forsakenעָזְבָם֙H5800Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerMy lawתּ֣וֹרָתִ֔יH8451Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singularwhichאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativeI setנָתַ֖תִּיH5414Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularbefore themלִפְנֵיהֶ֑םH6440Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralthey have notוְלֹא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlewalkedהָ֥לְכוּH1980Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralin itבָֽהּ׃Preposition | third person feminine singular[or]וְלֹא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particleobeyedשָׁמְע֥וּH8085Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralMy voiceבְקוֹלִ֖יH6963Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular

Verse 14

Cross-references

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

Original words

Instead, they have followedוַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּH1980Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural. . .אַחֲרֵ֖יH310Prepositionthe stubbornnessשְׁרִר֣וּתH8307Noun - feminine singular constructof their heartsלִבָּ֑םH3820Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine pluraland gone afterוְאַחֲרֵי֙H310Conjunctive waw | Prepositionthe Baalsהַבְּעָלִ֔יםH1168Article | Noun - masculine pluralasאֲשֶׁ֥רH834Pronoun - relativetheir fathersאֲבוֹתָֽם׃סH1Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluraltaught themלִמְּד֖וּםH3925Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural | third person masculine plural

Verse 15

Cross-references

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

Original words

Thereforeלָכֵ֗ןH3651Adverbthis is whatכֹּֽה־H3541Adverbthe LORDיְהוָ֤הH3068Noun - proper - masculine singularof Hostsצְבָאוֹת֙H6635Noun - common pluralthe Godאֱלֹהֵ֣יH430Noun - masculine plural constructof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵ֔לH3478Noun - proper - masculine singularsaysאָמַ֞רH559Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularBeholdהִנְנִ֧יH2005Interjection | first person common singularI will feedמַאֲכִילָ֛םH398Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthisהַזֶּ֖הH2088Article | Pronoun - masculine singularpeopleהָעָ֥םH5971Article | Noun - masculine singularwormwoodלַֽעֲנָ֑הH3939Noun - feminine singularand give them poisonedרֹֽאשׁ׃H7219Noun - masculine singularwaterמֵי־H4325Noun - masculine plural constructto drinkוְהִשְׁקִיתִ֖יםH8248Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural

Verse 16

Cross-references

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

Original words

I will scatter themוַהֲפִֽצוֹתִים֙H6327Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine pluralamong the nationsבַּגּוֹיִ֔םH1471Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluralthatאֲשֶׁר֙H834Pronoun - relativeneitherלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particletheyהֵ֖מָּהH1992Pronoun - third person masculine plural[nor] their fathersוַֽאֲבוֹתָ֑םH1Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralhave knownיָֽדְע֔וּH3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluraland I will sendוְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֤יH7971Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singulara swordהַחֶ֔רֶבH2719Article | Noun - feminine singularafterאַֽחֲרֵיהֶם֙H310Preposition | third person masculine pluralthemאֶת־H853Direct object markeruntilעַ֥דH5704PrepositionI have finished them offכַּלּוֹתִ֖יH3615Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | first person common singular-אוֹתָֽם׃פH853Direct object marker | third person masculine plural

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