Jeremiah 8:6

Jeremiah 8:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.
• New International Version (NIV)I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, 'What have I done?' Everyone turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I listened and heard, But they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turned to his own course, As the horse rushes into the battle.

Context of Jeremiah 8:6

4“Moreover [Jeremiah], you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Do men fall and not rise up again? Does one turn away [from God] and not repent and return [to Him]? 5Why then has this people of Jerusalem Turned away with a perpetual turning away [from Me]? They hold tightly to deceit (idolatry); They refuse to repent and return [to God]. I have listened and heard, But they have spoken what is not right; No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turns to his [individual] course, As the horse rushes like a torrent into battle. 7Even the stork in the sky Knows her seasons [of migration], And the turtledove, the swallow and the crane Observe the time of their return. But My people do not know The law of the Lord. 8“How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the Lord is with us [and we are learned in its language and teachings]’? Behold, [the truth is that] the lying pen of the scribes Has made the law into a lie [a mere code of ceremonial observances].

Jeremiah 8:6 word by word

הִקְשַׁ֤בְתִּי וָֽאֶשְׁמָע֙ לוֹא־כֵ֣ן יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ אֵ֣ין אִ֗ישׁ נִחָם֙ עַל־רָ֣עָת֔וֹ לֵאמֹ֖ר מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתִי כֻּלֹּ֗ה שָׁ֚ב בִּמְר֣וּצָתָ֔ם כְּס֥וּס שׁוֹטֵ֖ף בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I hearkenedקָשַׁבqâshab · to listenH7181
• and heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• they spake not arightדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• no manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
• repentedנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: relentH5162
• him ofעַל‛al · uponH5921
• his wickednessרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• What have I doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• every one turnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
• to his courseמְרוּצָהmerûtsâh merûtsâh · runningH4794
• as the horseסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• rushethשָׁטַףshâţaph · to overflowH7857
• into the battleמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421

Cross-references for Jeremiah 8:6

• Job 33:27He sings out to other men, ‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right, And it was not proper for me!
• Psalms 14:2The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the children of men To see if there are any who understand (act wisely), Who [truly] seek after God, [longing for His wisdom and guidance].
• Isaiah 30:18Therefore the Lord waits [expectantly] and longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed (happy, fortunate) are all those who long for Him [since He will never fail them].
• Malachi 3:16Then those who feared the Lord [with awe-filled reverence] spoke to one another; and the Lord paid attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who fear the Lord [with an attitude of reverence and respect] and who esteem His name.
• 2 Peter 3:9The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
• Jeremiah 5:1“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].
• Isaiah 59:16He saw that there was no man, And was amazed that there was no one to intercede [on behalf of truth and right]; Therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His own righteousness sustained Him.
• Ezekiel 22:30I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for [the sake of] the land, that I would not destroy it, but I found no one [not even one].
• Micah 7:2The godly person [who is faithful and loyal to God] has perished from the earth, And there is no upright person [one with good character and moral integrity] among men. They all lie in wait to shed blood; Each hunts the other with a net.
• Job 10:2I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me [and declare me guilty]! Show me why You contend and argue and struggle with me.
• Ezekiel 18:28Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.
• Haggai 1:5Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways and thoughtfully reflect on your conduct!
• Luke 15:17But when he [finally] came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough food, while I am dying here of hunger!
• Jeremiah 2:24Or [you have the untamed and reckless nature of] a wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness, That sniffs the wind in her passion [for the scent of a mate]. In her mating season who can restrain her? No males seeking her need to weary themselves; In her month they will find her [looking for them].
• Job 39:19“Have you given the horse his might? Have you clothed his neck with quivering and a shaking mane?

Commentaries on Jeremiah 8:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6As the horse rusheth into the battle - This strongly marks the unthinking, careless desperation of their conduct.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6I hearkened and heard - God, before passing sentence, carefully listens to the words of the people. Compare Genesis 11:5, where the divine judgment is preceded by the Almighty going down to see the tower. Not aright - Or, “not-right;” which in the Hebrew idiom means that which is utterly wrong. No man repented - The original phrase is very striking: No “man had pity upon his own wickedness.” If men understood the true nature of sin, the sinner would…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-13Verses 4-13 What brought this ruin? 1. The people would not attend to reason; they would not act in the affairs of their souls with common prudence. Sin is backsliding; it is going back from the way that leads to life, to that which leads to destruction. 2. They would not attend to the warning of conscience. They did not take the first step towards repentance: true repentance begins in serious inquiry as to what we have done, from conviction that we have…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6The Lord, who can hear everything (compare Luke 12:3), heard the people even when they spoke in private. Their words did not match reality, and no one felt sorry for doing wrong. Like a horse charging into battle without thinking of death or danger, they did not consider the consequences of their sins.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. spake not aright--that is, not so as penitently to confess that they acted wrong. Compare what follows. every one ... his course--The Keri reads "course," but the Chetib, "courses." "They persevere in the courses whatever they have once entered on." Their wicked ways were diversified. horse rusheth--literally, "pours himself forth," as water that has burst its embankment. The mad rapidity of the war horse is the point of comparison (Job 39:19-25).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 8:6

• Backsliders
• Church
• Impenitence
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Repent
• Snorting
• Course
• Covenant, the New
• Exodus, the Book of
• Games
• Jeremiah (2)
• Repentance

Commentaries on Jeremiah 8

• 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