Jeremiah 5:2

Jeremiah 5:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.
• New International Version (NIV)Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Though they say, "As the Lord lives," yet they swear falsely.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ Surely they swear falsely.”

Context of Jeremiah 5:2

1“Roam back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, And look now and take note. And look in her open squares To see if you can find a man [as Abraham sought in Sodom], One who is just, who [has integrity and moral courage and] seeks truth (faithfulness); Then I will pardon Jerusalem—[for the sake of one uncompromisingly righteous person]. And though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ Surely they swear [their oaths] falsely.” 3O Lord, do not Your eyes look for truth? You [have seen their faithless heart and] have stricken them, But they did not weaken; You have consumed them, But they refused to take correction or instruction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent and return to You. 4Then I said, “[Surely] these are only the poor (uneducated); They are [sinfully] foolish and have no [spiritual] understanding, For they do not know the way of the Lord Or the ordinance of their God [and the requirements of His just and righteous law].

Jeremiah 5:2 word by word

וְאִ֥ם חַי־יְהֹוָ֖ה יֹאמֵ֑רוּ לָכֵ֥ן לַשֶּׁ֖קֶר יִשָּׁבֵֽעוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And though they sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• livethחַיchay · aliveH2416
• surely they swearשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• falselyשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267

Cross-references for Jeremiah 5:2

• Jeremiah 4:2And if you swear [your oaths], ‘As the Lord lives,’ In truth, in justice, and in righteousness, Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will glory.”
• Jeremiah 7:9Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear [oaths] falsely, offer sacrifices or burn incense to Baal, and follow after other gods that you have not known,
• Leviticus 19:12You shall not swear [an oath] falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.
• Isaiah 48:1“Hear this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel And who come from the seed of Judah, You who swear [allegiance] by the name of the Lord And invoke the God of Israel, But not in truth (sincerity) nor in righteousness [with moral and spiritual integrity].
• Hosea 4:1Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, For the Lord has a [legal] case with the inhabitants of the land, Because there is no faithfulness [no steadfast love, no dependability] or loyalty or kindness Or knowledge of God [from personal experience with Him] in the land.
• Hosea 10:4They have spoken empty (disingenuous) words, Swearing falsely to make covenants [they intend to break]; Therefore, judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
• Zechariah 5:3Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of the whole land; for everyone who steals will be cut off according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears [oaths falsely] shall be cut off according to the writing on the other side.
• Malachi 3:5“Then I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, and against those who oppress the laborer in his wages and widows and the fatherless, and against those who turn away the alien [from his right], and those who do not fear Me [with awe-filled reverence],” says the Lord of hosts.
• 1 Timothy 1:10for sexually immoral persons, for homosexuals, for kidnappers and slave traders, for liars, for perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
• 2 Timothy 3:5holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 5:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The Lord liveth - Though they profess to bind themselves by Jehovah, as if they acknowledged him their God and only Lord, yet they swore falsely; for not believing in him, they took a false oath; one by which they did not believe themselves bound, not acknowledging him as their Lord. See on Jeremiah 4:2; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Though they take the most binding form of oath, they do so only as a means of deceiving others.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2A just person follows God's laws and treats others fairly. An honest person is reliable, truthful, and loyal to God. Jeremiah found neither justice nor honesty. Although some people were under oath, their claims of innocence were false. Their actions showed they had lied under oath (Genesis 4:2; 7:9; Genesis 18:23–32; Isaiah 48:1; Ezekiel 22:30; Titus 1:15–16).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. (Tit 1:16). swear falsely--not a judicial oath; but their profession of the worship of Jehovah is insincere (Jr 5:7; Jr 4:2). The reformation under Josiah was merely superficial in the case of the majority.Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 5:2

• Backsliders
• Hypocrisy
• Idolatry
• Oath
• Perjury

In the dictionaries

• Correction
• Deceit
• Crime; Crimes
• Exodus, the Book of
• Jeremiah (2)

Commentaries on Jeremiah 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings