Jeremiah 8:14

Jeremiah 8:14 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Why do we sit still? Gather together; let us go into the fortified cities and perish there, for the Lord our God has doomed us to perish and has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, And let us enter the fortified cities, And let us be silent there. For the Lord our God has put us to silence And given us water of gall to drink, Because we have sinned against the Lord.

Context of Jeremiah 8:14

12Were they ashamed when they acted so detestably? They weren’t at all ashamed. They can no longer feel humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen. When I punish them, they will collapse,” says the Lord. 13“I will gather them and bring them to an end.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “There will be no grapes on the vine, no figs on the fig tree, and even the leaf will wither. Whatever I have given them will be lost to them.” Why are we just sitting here? Gather together; let’s enter the fortified cities and perish there, for the Lord our God has destroyed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord. 15We hoped for peace, but there was nothing good; for a time of healing, but there was only terror. 16From Dan, the snorting of horses is heard. At the sound of the neighing of mighty steeds, the whole land quakes. They come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all its residents.

Jeremiah 8:14 word by word

עַל־מָה֙ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ יֹֽשְׁבִ֔ים הֵֽאָסְפ֗וּ וְנָב֛וֹא אֶל־עָרֵ֥י הַמִּבְצָ֖ר וְנִדְּמָה־שָּׁ֑ם כִּי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ הֲדִמָּ֙נוּ֙ וַיַּשְׁקֵ֣נוּ מֵי־רֹ֔אשׁ כִּ֥י חָטָ֖אנוּ לַיהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Why do we sit stillיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• assembleאָסַף'âsaph · to gatherH622
• yourselves, and let us enterבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into the defencedמִבְצָרmibtsâr mibtsârâh · fortificationH4013
• citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• and let us be silentדָּמַםdâmam · to silence: destroyedH1826
• there: for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and given us waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• of gallרֹאשׁrô'sh rôsh · poisonH7219
• to drinkשָׁקָהshâqâh · to water: drinkH8248
• because we have sinnedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398

Cross-references for Jeremiah 8:14

• 2 Kings 7:3Now four men with a skin disease were at the entrance to the city gate. They said to each other, “Why just sit here until we die?
• Jeremiah 4:5Declare in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say, Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry out loudly and say, “Assemble yourselves, and let’s flee to the fortified cities.”
• Jeremiah 35:11However, when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched into the land, we said, ‘Come, let’s go into Jerusalem to get away from the Chaldean and Aramean armies.’ So we have been living in Jerusalem.”
• 2 Samuel 20:6So David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bichri will do more harm to us than Absalom. Take your lord’s soldiers and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
• Leviticus 10:3Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has spoken: I will demonstrate my holiness to those who are near me, and I will reveal my glory before all the people.” And Aaron remained silent.
• Psalms 39:2I was speechless and quiet; I kept silent, even from speaking good, and my pain intensified.
• Lamentations 3:27It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
• Amos 6:10A close relative and burner will remove his corpse from the house. He will call to someone in the inner recesses of the house, “Any more with you?” That person will reply, “None.” Then he will say, “Silence, because the Lord’s name must not be invoked.”
• Habakkuk 2:20But the Lord is in his holy temple; let the whole earth be silent in his presence.
• Zechariah 2:13Let all humanity be silent before the Lord, for from his holy dwelling he has roused himself.”
• Jeremiah 9:13The Lord said, “It is because they abandoned my instruction, which I set before them, and did not obey my voice or walk according to it.
• Jeremiah 23:15Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says concerning the prophets: I am about to feed them wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.
• Numbers 5:18After the priest has the woman stand before the Lord, he is to let down her hair and place in her hands the grain offering for remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. The priest is to hold the bitter water that brings a curse.
• Deuteronomy 32:32For their vine is from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous; their clusters are bitter.
• Psalms 69:21Instead, they gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
• Lamentations 3:19Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 8:14

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14The people rouse one another to exertion. “Why,” they ask, “do we remain here to be overwhelmed?” They are ready now to follow the command given (see the marginal reference), but with the conviction that all hope is over. Let us be silent there - Rather, let us perish there, literally “be put to silence.” Water of gall - i. e., poison. The word rendered “gall” was probably the belladonna, or night-shade, to the “berries” of which the grapes of Israel were…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-22Verses 14-22 At length they begin to see the hand of God lifted up. And when God appears against us, every thing that is against us appears formidable. As salvation only can be found in the Lord, so the present moment should be seized. Is there no medicine proper for a sick and dying kingdom? Is there no skilful, faithful hand to apply the medicine? Yes, God is able to help and to heal them. If sinners die of their wounds, their blood is upon their own…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15The people heard Jeremiah announce the Lord's decree. They realized they deserved punishment for sinning against the Lord. Even though their fate was decided, they did not ask for forgiveness.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. assemble--for defense. let us be silent--not assault the enemy, but merely defend ourselves in quiet, until the storm blow over. put us to silence--brought us to that state that we can no longer resist the foe; implying silent despair. water of gall--literally, "water of the poisonous plant," perhaps the poppy (Jr 9:15; 23:15).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 8:14

• Backsliders
• Church
• Impenitence
• Repentance
• Sin
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Gall
• Poison
• Repent
• Snorting
• Covenant, the New
• Exodus, the Book of
• Jeremiah (2)
• Silence

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