Focused Passage

Jeremiah 9:7-11

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

7 Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do because of the daughter of My people?

8 Their tongues are deadly arrows; they speak deception. With his mouth a man speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.

9 Should I not punish them for these things? declares the LORD. Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?”

10 I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, a dirge over the wilderness pasture, for they have been scorched so no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard. Both the birds of the air and the beasts have fled; they have gone away.

11 “And I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 7

Cross-references

Isaiah 48:10 Classic cross-references Isaiah 1:25 Classic cross-references 1 Peter 1:7 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 6:27 Classic cross-references Malachi 3:3 Classic cross-references

Original words

Therefore לָכֵ֗ן H3651 Adverb this is what כֹּ֤ה H3541 Adverb the LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular of Hosts צְבָא֔וֹת H6635 Noun - common plural says אָמַר֙ H559 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Behold הִנְנִ֥י H2005 Interjection | first person common singular I will refine them צוֹרְפָ֖ם H6884 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural and test them וּבְחַנְתִּ֑ים H974 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction what אֵ֣יךְ H349 Interjection else can I do אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular because of מִפְּנֵ֖י H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct the daughter בַּת־ H1323 Noun - feminine singular construct of My people עַמִּֽי׃ H5971 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular

BSB notes

LXX because of the wickedness of

Verse 8

Cross-references

Psalms 28:3 Classic cross-references Psalms 12:2 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 9:3 Classic cross-references Proverbs 26:24 Classic cross-references Micah 6:12 Classic cross-references

Original words

Their tongues לְשׁוֹנָ֖ם H3956 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural are deadly שׁוֹחֵט H7819 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular arrows חֵ֥ץ H2671 Noun - masculine singular they speak דִבֵּ֑ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular deception מִרְמָ֣ה H4820 Noun - feminine singular With his mouth בְּפִ֗יו H6310 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular a man speaks יְדַבֵּ֔ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular peace שָׁל֤וֹם H7965 Noun - masculine singular to אֶת־ H854 Preposition his neighbor רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ H7453 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular but in his heart וּבְקִרְבּ֖וֹ H7130 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular he sets יָשִׂ֥ים H7760 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular a trap for him אָרְבּֽוֹ׃ H696 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 9

Cross-references

Jeremiah 5:29 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 5:9 Classic cross-references Leviticus 18:25 Classic cross-references Isaiah 1:24 Classic cross-references

Original words

Should I not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle punish אֶפְקָד־ H6485 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular them בָּ֖ם Preposition | third person masculine plural for הַעַל־ H5921 Preposition these things אֵ֥לֶּה H428 Pronoun - common plural declares נְאֻם־ H5002 Noun - masculine singular construct the LORD יְהוָ֑ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular Should I not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle avenge תִתְנַקֵּ֖ם H5358 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Myself נַפְשִֽׁי׃ס H5315 Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular on אִ֚ם H518 Conjunction such a nation בְּג֣וֹי H1471 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative as this כָּזֶ֔ה H2088 Preposition-k | Pronoun - masculine singular

Verse 10

Cross-references

Jeremiah 4:23 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 12:4 Classic cross-references Joel 1:19 Classic cross-references Hosea 4:3 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 23:10 Classic cross-references

Original words

I will take up אֶשָּׂ֧א H5375 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular a weeping בְכִ֣י H1065 Noun - masculine singular and wailing וָנֶ֗הִי H5092 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular for עַל־ H5921 Preposition the mountains הֶ֨הָרִ֜ים H2022 Article | Noun - masculine plural a dirge קִינָ֔ה H7015 Noun - feminine singular over וְעַל־ H5921 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the wilderness מִדְבָּר֙ H4057 Noun - masculine singular pasture נְא֤וֹת H4999 Noun - feminine plural construct for כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction they have been scorched נִצְּתוּ֙ H3341 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural so no מִבְּלִי־ H1097 Preposition-m | Adverb one אִ֣ישׁ H376 Noun - masculine singular passes through עֹבֵ֔ר H5674 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular and the lowing ק֣וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct of cattle מִקְנֶ֑ה H4735 Noun - masculine singular is not וְלֹ֥א H3808 Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle heard שָׁמְע֖וּ H8085 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Both the birds מֵע֤וֹף H5775 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of the air הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ H8064 Article | Noun - masculine plural and וְעַד־ H5704 Conjunctive waw | Preposition the beasts בְּהֵמָ֔ה H929 Noun - feminine singular have fled נָדְד֖וּ H5074 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural they have gone away הָלָֽכוּ׃ H1980 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural

Verse 11

Cross-references

Leviticus 26:32 Classic cross-references Isaiah 25:2 Classic cross-references Isaiah 34:13 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 10:22 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 34:22 Classic cross-references

Original words

And I will make וְנָתַתִּ֧י H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker Jerusalem יְרוּשָׁלִַ֛ם H3389 Noun - proper - feminine singular a heap of rubble לְגַלִּ֖ים H1530 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural a haunt מְע֣וֹן H4583 Noun - masculine singular construct for jackals תַּנִּ֑ים H8577 Noun - common plural - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and I will make אֶתֵּ֥ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular the cities עָרֵ֧י H5892 Noun - feminine plural construct of Judah יְהוּדָ֛ה H3063 Noun - proper - masculine singular a desolation שְׁמָמָ֖ה H8077 Noun - feminine singular without מִבְּלִ֖י H1097 Preposition-m | Adverb inhabitant יוֹשֵֽׁב׃ס H3427 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular

BSB notes

Or serpents or dragons

Read full chapter context All Jeremiah chapters

<- Jeremiah 8 Jeremiah 9 Jeremiah 10 ->