Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 9:12
12Who is the person wise enough to understand this? Who has the Lord spoken to, that he may explain it? Why is the land destroyed and scorched like a wilderness, so no one can pass through?
Jeremiah 9:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?
- New International Version (NIV)Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who is the wise man who may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord has spoken, that he may declare it? Why does the land perish and burn up like a wilderness, so that no one can pass through?
Context of Jeremiah 9:12
10I will raise weeping and a lament over the mountains, a dirge over the wilderness grazing land, for they have been so scorched that no one passes through. The sound of cattle is no longer heard. From the birds of the sky to the animals, everything has fled — they have gone away. 11I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a jackals’ den. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, an uninhabited place. Who is the person wise enough to understand this? Who has the Lord spoken to, that he may explain it? Why is the land destroyed and scorched like a wilderness, so no one can pass through? 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. 14Instead, they followed the stubbornness of their hearts and followed the Baals as their ancestors taught them.”
Read all of Jeremiah 9Jeremiah 9:12 word by word
מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הֶֽחָכָם֙ וְיָבֵ֣ן אֶת־זֹ֔את וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר פִּֽי־יְהוָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו וְיַגִּדָ֑הּ עַל־מָה֙ אָבְדָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ נִצְּתָ֥ה כַמִּדְבָּ֖ר מִבְּלִ֖י עֹבֵֽר׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- the wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- that may understandבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
- to whom the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath spokenדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- that he may declareנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- it, for what the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- perishethאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- is burned upיָצַתyâtsath · to kindleH3341
- like a wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- that none passeth throughעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
Cross-references for Jeremiah 9:12
- Deuteronomy 32:29If only they were wise, they would comprehend this; they would understand their fate.
- Psalms 107:43Let whoever is wise pay attention to these things and consider the Lord’s acts of faithful love.
- Hosea 14:9Let whoever is wise understand these things, and whoever is insightful recognize them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.
- Matthew 24:15“So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand),
- Revelation 1:3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, because the time is near.
- Jeremiah 5:19When people ask, ‘For what offense has the Lord our God done all these things to us? ’ You will respond to them, ‘Just as you abandoned me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’
- Jeremiah 16:10“When you tell these people all these things, they will say to you, ‘Why has the Lord declared all this terrible disaster against us? What is our iniquity? What is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’
- Jeremiah 22:8“Many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why did the Lord do such a thing to this great city?’
- Deuteronomy 29:22“Future generations of your children who follow you and the foreigner who comes from a distant country will see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses the Lord has inflicted on it.
- 1 Kings 9:8Though this temple is now exalted, everyone who passes by will be appalled and will scoff. They will say, “Why did the Lord do this to this land and this temple?”
- Psalms 107:34and fruitful land into salty wasteland, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
- Ezekiel 14:23They will bring you consolation when you see their conduct and actions, and you will know that it was not without cause that I have done what I did to it.” This is the declaration of the Lord God.
- Ezekiel 22:25The conspiracy of her prophets within her is like a roaring lion tearing its prey: they devour people, seize wealth and valuables, and multiply the widows within her.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 9:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Who is the wise man - To whom has God revealed these things? He is the truly wise man. But it is to his prophet alone that God has revealed these things, and the speedy fulfillment of the predictions will show that the prophet has not spoken of himself.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-22Verses 10-22 The punishment described in general terms in the preceding three verses is now detailed at great length. Jeremiah 9:10 The habitations i. e - the temporary encampments of the shepherds (see Jeremiah 6:3). So that none can - Or, “They are parched up, with no man to pass through them; neither do they hear the voice of cattle; from the birds of the heaven even to the beasts they “are fled, they are gone.” Jeremiah 9:11 Dragons - Rather…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-22Verses 12-22 In Zion the voice of joy and praise used to be heard, while the people kept close to God; but sin has altered the sound, it is now the voice of lamentation. Unhumbled hearts lament their calamity, but not their sin, which is the cause of it. Let the doors be shut ever so fast, death steals upon us. It enters the palaces of princes and great men, though stately, strongly built, and guarded. Nor are those more safe that are abroad; death cuts…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12It is unclear who asks these three questions. It could be the people or Jeremiah. The first two questions show frustration because the Lord's message about the religious and political situation seemed confusing. The Lord's words appeared too harsh and extreme. The third question shows anger about the land being desolated. The questioner seems to ask where to find the Lord's wisdom and goodness in these events.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Rather, "Who is a wise man? (that is, Whosoever has inspired wisdom, 2Pe 3:15); let him understand this (weigh well the evils impending, and the causes of their being sent); and he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken (that is, whosoever is prophetically inspired), let him declare it to his fellow countrymen," if haply they may be roused to repentance, the only hope of safety.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 9:12
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 9
- 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
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