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Texts -- Jeremiah 8:4-22 (NET)

Context
Willful Disregard of God Will Lead to Destruction
8:4 The Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘The Lord says, Do people not get back up when they fall down ? Do they not turn around when they go the wrong way ? 8:5 Why , then, do these people of Jerusalem continually turn away from me in apostasy ? They hold fast to their deception . They refuse to turn back to me. 8:6 I have listened to them very carefully , but they do not speak honestly . None of them regrets the evil he has done. None of them says , “I have done wrong!” All of them persist in their own wayward course like a horse charging recklessly into battle . 8:7 Even the stork knows when it is time to move on . The turtledove , swallow , and crane recognize the normal times for their migration . But my people pay no attention to what I, the Lord , require of them. 8:8 How can you say , “We are wise ! We have the law of the Lord ”? The truth is, those who teach it have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean . 8:9 Your wise men will be put to shame . They will be dumbfounded and be brought to judgment. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord , what wisdom do they really have? 8:10 So I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners . For from the least important to the most important of them, all of them are greedy for dishonest gain . Prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit . 8:11 They offer only superficial help for the hurt my dear people have suffered . They say , “Everything will be all right !” But everything is not all right ! 8:12 Are they ashamed because they have done such disgusting things ? No, they are not at all ashamed ! They do not even know how to blush ! So they will die just like others have died . They will be brought to ruin when I punish them, says the Lord . 8:13 I will take away their harvests, says the Lord . There will be no grapes on their vines . There will be no figs on their fig trees . Even the leaves on their trees will wither . The crops that I gave them will be taken away .’”
Jeremiah Laments over the Coming Destruction
8:14 The people say, “Why are we just sitting here? Let us gather together inside the fortified cities . Let us at least die there fighting, since the Lord our God has condemned us to die . He has condemned us to drink the poison waters of judgment because we have sinned against him . 8:15 We hoped for good fortune , but nothing good has come of it. We hoped for a time of relief , but instead we experience terror . 8:16 The snorting of the enemy’s horses is already being heard in the city of Dan . The sound of the neighing of their stallions causes the whole land to tremble with fear. They are coming to destroy the land and everything in it! They are coming to destroy the cities and everyone who lives in them!” 8:17 The Lord says , “Yes indeed , I am sending an enemy against you that will be like poisonous snakes snakes which cannot be charmed away. And they will inflict fatal wounds on you.” 8:18 Then I said, “There is no cure for my grief ! I am sick at heart ! 8:19 I hear my dear people crying out throughout the length and breadth of the land . They are crying, ‘Is the Lord no longer in Zion ? Is her divine King no longer there?’” The Lord answers, “Why then do they provoke me to anger with their images , with their worthless foreign idols?” 8:20 “They cry, ‘Harvest time has come and gone , and the summer is over , and still we have not been delivered .’ 8:21 My heart is crushed because my dear people are being crushed . I go about crying and grieving . I am overwhelmed with dismay . 8:22 There is still medicinal ointment available in Gilead ! There is still a physician there ! Why then have my dear people not been restored to health ?

Pericope

NET
  • Jer 8:4-13 -- Willful Disregard of God Will Lead to Destruction
  • Jer 8:14--9:2 -- Jeremiah Laments over the Coming Destruction

Bible Dictionary

  • Wicked

    [nave] WICKED Compared with: Abominable branches, Isa. 14:19; ashes under the feet, Mal. 4:3; bad fishes, Matt. 13:48; beasts, Psa. 49:12; 2 Pet. 2:12; the blind, Zeph. 1:17; Matt. 15:14; bronze and iron, Jer. 6:28; Ezek. 22:18; br...

  • Turtle, Turtle-dove

    [ebd] Its peculiar peaceful and gentle habit its often referred to in Scripture. A pair was offered in sacrifice by Mary at her purification (Luke 2:24). The pigeon and the turtle-dove were the only birds permitted to be offered i...

  • Poison

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. hemah, "heat," the poison of certain venomous reptiles (Deut. 32:24, 33; Job 6:4; Ps. 58:4), causing inflammation. (2.) Heb. rosh, "a head," a poisonous plant (Deut. 29:18), growing luxuriantly (Hos. 10:4), of a bi...

  • Leaf

    [ebd] of a tree. The olive-leaf mentioned Gen. 8:11. The barren fig-tree had nothing but leaves (Matt. 21:19; Mark 11:13). The oak-leaf is mentioned Isa. 1:30; 6:13. There are numerous allusions to leaves, their flourishing, their...

  • Laish

    [ebd] a lion. (1.) A city of the Sidonians, in the extreme north of Palestine (Judg. 18:7, 14); called also Leshem (Josh. 19:47) and Dan (Judg. 18:7, 29; Jer. 8:16). It lay near the sources of the Jordan, about 4 miles from Paneas...

  • Jeremiah

    [nave] JEREMIAH 1. Of Libnah, grandfather of Jehoahaz, 2 Kin. 23:31; 24:18; Jer. 52:1. 2. A chief of Manasseh, 1 Chr. 5:24. 3. An Israelite who joined David at Ziklag, 1 Chr. 12:4. 4. Two Gadites who joined David at Ziklag, 1 Ch...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Impenitence

    [nave] IMPENITENCE. Lev. 23:26-29; Lev. 26:21 vs. 22-24.; Deut. 29:19-21; 1 Sam. 15:23; Job 9:2, 4; Job 24:13; Job 33:14; Psa. 7:11, 12 v. 13.; Psa. 10:3; Psa. 32:9; Psa. 50:17, 21; Psa. 52:1, 7; Psa. 58:3-5; Psa. 68:21; Psa. 78:8...

  • Idol

    [ebd] (1.) Heb. aven, "nothingness;" "vanity" (Isa. 66:3; 41:29; Deut. 32:21; 1 Kings 16:13; Ps. 31:6; Jer. 8:19, etc.). (2.) 'Elil, "a thing of naught" (Ps. 97:7; Isa. 19:3); a word of contempt, used of the gods of Noph (Ezek. 30...

  • HURT

    [isbe] HURT - hurt: The term (noun and verb) represents a large number of Hebrew words, of which the chief are ra` (verb ra`a`), "evil" (Gen 26:29; 1 Sam 24:9; Ps 35:4, etc.), and shebher or shebher (from shabhar), "a fracture" or ...

  • HEALTH

    [isbe] HEALTH - helth (shalom, yeshu`ah, 'arukhah; riph'uth, 'arukhah; soteria, hugiaino): Shalom is part of the formal salutation still common in Palestine. In this sense it is used in Gen 43:28; 2 Sam 20:9; the stem word means "p...

  • Gilead, Balm of

    [ebd] The region of Gilead abounded in spices and aromatic gums, which were exported to Egypt and Tyre (Gen. 37:25; Jer. 8:22; 46:11; Ezek. 27:17). The word "balm" is a contracted form of "balsam," a word derived from the Greek ba...

  • GALL

    [ebd] (1) Heb. mererah, meaning "bitterness" (Job 16:13); i.e., the bile secreted in the liver. This word is also used of the poison of asps (20:14), and of the vitals, the seat of life (25). (2.) Heb. rosh. In Deut. 32:33 and Job...
    [isbe] GALL - gol: (1) ro'sh, or rosh (Dt 32:32 only, "grapes of gall"): Some very bitter plant, the bitterness as in (2) being associated with the idea of poison. Dt 29:18 margin "rosh, a poisonpus herb"; Lam 3:5,19; Jer 8:14; 9:1...

  • Enchantments

    [ebd] (1.) The rendering of Hebrew latim_ or _lehatim, which means "something covered," "muffled up;" secret arts, tricks (Ex. 7:11, 22; 8:7, 18), by which the Egyptian magicians imposed on the credulity of Pharaoh. (2.) The rende...

  • Colour

    [ebd] The subject of colours holds an important place in the Scriptures. White occurs as the translation of various Hebrew words. It is applied to milk (Gen. 49:12), manna (Ex. 16:31), snow (Isa. 1:18), horses (Zech. 1:8), raiment...

  • Church

    [nave] CHURCH, the collective body of believers. Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics Called in the O.T., The Congregation, Ex. 12:3, 6, 19, 47; 16:1, 2, 9, 10, 22; Lev. 4:13, 15; 10:17; 24:14. Called in the N.T., Church, Matt. 16:18; ...

  • Charmer

    [ebd] one who practises serpent-charming (Ps. 58:5; Jer. 8:17; Eccl. 10:11). It was an early and universal opinion that the most venomous reptiles could be made harmless by certain charms or by sweet sounds. It is well known that ...

  • Backsliders

    [nave] BACKSLIDERS. Lev. 26:14-42; Deut. 4:9; Deut. 8:11-14; Deut. 28:58, 59, 63 vs. 15-68;; 1 Kin. 9:6-9; Deut. 29:18 vs. 18-28.; Deut. 32:15-30; Josh. 24:27 vs. 20-27.; 2 Chr. 15:2-4; Ezra 8:22; Job 34:26, 27; Psa. 44:20, 21; Ps...

  • BASILISK

    [ebd] (in R.V., Isa. 11:8; 14:29; 59:5; Jer. 8:17), the "king serpent," as the name imports; a fabulous serpent said to be three spans long, with a spot on its head like a crown. Probably the yellow snake is intended. (See COCKATR...
    [isbe] BASILISK - baz'-i-lisk (tsepha`, tsiph`oni, from obsolete root tsapha`, "to hiss": Isa 11:8; 14:29; 59:5; Jer 8:17; Prov 23:32 m. In Prov 23:32, the King James Version has "adder," margin "cockatrice"; in the other passages ...

  • ADDER

    [ebd] (Ps. 140:3; Rom. 3:13, "asp") is the rendering of, (1.) Akshub ("coiling" or "lying in wait"), properly an asp or viper, found only in this passage. (2.) Pethen ("twisting"), a viper or venomous serpent identified with the c...
    [smith] This word is used for any poisonous snake, and is applied in this general sense by the translators of the Authorized Version. The word adder occurs five times in the text of the Authorized Version (see below), and three times...

Arts

Hymns

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  • [Jer 8:22] Fain Would I, Lord Of Grace

Questions

  • Matthew 7:13-23 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. 14 "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Jeremiah's purpose was to call his hearers to repentance in view of God's judgment on Judah, which would come soon from an army from the north (chs. 2-45). Judgment was coming because God's people had forsaken Yahweh and had ...
  • I. Introduction ch. 1A. The introduction of Jeremiah 1:1-3B. The call of Jeremiah 1:4-191. The promise of divine enablement 1:4-102. Two confirming visions 1:11-19II. Prophecies about Judah chs. 2-45A. Warnings of judgment on...
  • 1:4 The prophet now began speaking to his readers and telling them what the Lord had said to him. Throughout this book, an indication that the Lord had told Jeremiah something is often the sign of a new pericope, as here (cf....
  • Chapters 2-25 contain warnings and appeals to the Judahites in view of their sins and the consequences of those sins.
  • 8:4 The Lord commanded Jeremiah to ask the people if it was not normal for people to repent after sinning. After all, when someone falls down, the natural thing to do is to get up. When he gets lost, he tries to get back on t...
  • 8:13 The Lord also declared that He would snatch the Judahites from their land. He had gone forth among His people to gather a harvest of righteousness, but all He found on His vines and fig trees was withered leaves, no grap...
  • 8:18 The prospect of this catastrophic invasion overwhelmed Jeremiah with sorrow. It made him weak, and he could not get over his anguish.8:19 He could hear his people in captivity bitterly crying out. They longed for Jerusal...
  • 9:10 The Lord took up a lamentation on behalf of the land that suffered because of His people's sin. The coming invasion would leave the land deserted even by beasts and birds. The rest of this message indicates that the inva...
  • This pericope contains two instances in which Jeremiah faced crushing discouragement in his ministry (vv. 10-14, 15-21). He confessed his frustration to the Lord, and the Lord responded with encouragement.15:10 Jeremiah addre...
  • This section of the book contains some of Jeremiah's messages concerning Judah's kings (21:1-23:8) and false prophets (23:9-40) that he delivered closer to the time of Jerusalem's invasion than the previous chapters.300Beginn...
  • Having given a true prophecy about the future, Jeremiah proceeded to announce God's judgment on the false prophets who were misleading His people with false prophecies (cf. v. 1). This section consists of six different messag...
  • 25:30 Jeremiah was also to announce that God would prepare to judge all the inhabitants of the earth (v. 29). As a lion announces its intent to attack with a roar, so Yahweh would one day announce His attack on earth dwellers...
  • These chapters contrast the true prophet of Yahweh with the false prophets. Distinguishing between them was difficult for Jeremiah's contemporaries, but their essential difference is clear. The true prophets proclaimed the Lo...
  • This section consists of four parts: a summary of Jeremiah's Temple Sermon (vv. 2-6), the prophet's arrest and trial (vv. 7-16), the elders' plea for his life (vv. 17-19, 24), and the incident involving Uriah and his executio...
  • The Book of Consolation contained messages of future hope for Judah (chs. 30-33). Now Jeremiah returned to document her present judgment. Chapters 34-45 continue the theme of judgment on Judah and Jerusalem from chapters 2-29...
  • This chapter belongs after chapter 36 chronologically, either after 36:8 or 36:32. It serves as an appendix to the historical incidents recorded there. Perhaps the writer or final editor placed it here to show that Yahweh exe...
  • This chapter on Egypt contains three separate prophecies that Jeremiah delivered about the fate of that nation. Their purpose seems to have been to discourage King Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.) and the pro-Egyptian party in Judah ...
  • Aharoni, Yohanan, and Michael Avi-Yonah. The Macmillan Bible Atlas. Revised ed. London: Collier Macmillan Publishers; and New York: Macmillan Publishers Co., 1977.Albright, William Foxwell. The Archaeology of Palestine. Revis...
  • 3:1 Jeremiah claimed to have seen much affliction because Yahweh had struck Jerusalem in His anger (cf. Job 9:34; 21:9; Ps. 89:32; Isa. 10:5)."The two preceding poems ended with sorrowful complaint. This third poem begins wit...
  • Though God had not responded to the prophet's questions previously, He did eventually, and Habakkuk recorded His answer. The form of this revelation is an oracle.1:5 The Lord told Habakkuk and his people (plural "you"in Hebre...
  • 7:15 Jesus here sounded a warning that the Old Testament prophets also gave about false prophets (cf. Deut. 13; 18; Jer. 6:13-15; 8:8-12; Ezek. 13; 22:27; Zeph 3:4). He did not explain exactly what they would teach, only that...
  • The Triumphal Entry happened on Monday. The cursing of the fig tree took place on Tuesday, and the disciples' mention of its withering followed on Wednesday (cf. Mark 11:1-14).78021:18-19 Jesus passed the lone fig tree somewh...
  • Mark gave more precise time intervals than Matthew did. Matthew related the cursing of the fig tree (Matt. 21:12-17) and Jesus' lesson to the disciples the following day (Matt. 21:18-22) back to back.11:12-13 The next day was...
  • This parable illustrated the need for repentance, but it also drew attention to God's grace in allowing time for repentance.13:6-7 The parable as a whole is very similar to Isaiah 5:1-7, though there the plant in view was a g...
  • This material occurs in no other Gospel. The destruction of Jerusalem that Jesus predicted here was an important event for Luke. It showed God's judgment on Israel for rejecting His Son and provided evidence that God had turn...
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