EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Jeremiah 5:21
21Tell them, “Hear this message, you foolish and stupid people. You have eyes, but you do not see properly. You have ears, but you do not hear properly.” ’
Jeremiah 5:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
- New International Version (NIV)Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not:
Context of Jeremiah 5:21
19So, Jeremiah, the people may ask you, “Why has the Lord our God done this to us?” Then tell them, “It is because you have turned away from me. You have chosen to serve foreign gods in your own land. So now you will have to serve foreign people and their gods in a land that is not your own land.” 20Tell this message to the descendants of Jacob. Shout it everywhere in Judah. Tell them, “Hear this message, you foolish and stupid people. You have eyes, but you do not see properly. You have ears, but you do not hear properly.” ’ 22The Lord says, ‘You should respect me and obey me. You should shake with fear when you come to me. I made the sand as an edge for the sea. It is like a wall that the sea cannot cross. The sea's waves may attack the shore, but it cannot go further than that edge. 23But these people do not obey me, as the waves do. They have turned away from me. They have chosen to go their own way.
Read all of Jeremiah 5Jeremiah 5:21 word by word
שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א זֹ֔את עַ֥ם סָכָ֖ל וְאֵ֣ין לֵ֑ב עֵינַ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א יִרְא֔וּ אָזְנַ֥יִם לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמָֽעוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Jeremiah 5:21
- Jeremiah 5:4I thought, ‘These are poor, foolish people. They do not understand what the Lord wants them to do. They do not know his commands.
- Jeremiah 4:22The Lord says, ‘My people are fools. They do not know me. They are like children who do not know anything. They understand nothing. They are very clever at doing evil things. But they do not know how to do what is good.’
- Jeremiah 8:7Even birds know when it is time for them to move to a different place. That is true for storks, doves, swallows and cranes. Birds know when it is time to return, but my people do not know my laws.
- Jeremiah 10:8The people of those nations are stupid and foolish. They think that wooden idols can teach them something!
- Deuteronomy 29:4But until now the Lord has not let you understand why he did that. You saw and you heard those things, but you did not understand.
- Deuteronomy 32:6You are fools who do not understand what is right. You should not do these things against the Lord. He is your Father, the one who created you. He made you become a strong nation.
- Psalms 94:8Think again, all you fools among the people! Stupid people, become wise!
- Isaiah 6:9The Lord said, ‘Go! Tell my message to those people: “You will continue to listen, but you will never understand! You will continue to look, but you will not see anything!”
- Isaiah 27:11When the branches become dry, they break off the tree. Women will take the sticks and they will make fires with them. That is what these people are like. They do not understand anything. So their Maker will not help them or be kind to them.
- Isaiah 44:18People like that are stupid. They do not understand anything. They cannot see the truth, as if they are blind. Their minds cannot think properly.
- Ezekiel 12:1The Lord gave this message to me:
- Matthew 13:13The reason I use stories to talk to other people is this: These people look. But they do not really see clearly. They hear the words. But they do not really understand.
- John 12:40He said: ‘God has made their eyes unable to see. He has closed their minds. So they cannot see with their eyes, and they cannot understand with their minds. They will not turn to me, so that I can make them well.’
- Acts 28:26“Go and say to this people, ‘You will listen and listen. But you will not understand. You will look and look. But you will not see anything.’
- Romans 11:8It says this in the Bible: ‘God caused them to be like people who are sleeping. Even until this day, their eyes cannot really see, and their ears cannot really hear.’
- Proverbs 17:16Money does not help a foolish person, because he does not want to become wise.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 5:21
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20-31Verses 20-31 Against the God (1) of Creation Jeremiah 5:22, and (2) of Providence Jeremiah 5:24, They sin, not merely by apostasy, but by a general immorality extending to all classes Jeremiah 5:25-28. It is in this immorality that their idolatry has its root. Jeremiah 5:22 The sea is the symbol of restless and indomitable energy, chafing against all resistance, and dashing to pieces the works whereby man endeavors to restrain its fury. Yet God has…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-31Verses 19-31 Unhumbled hearts are ready to charge God with being unjust in their afflictions. But they may read their sin in their punishment. If men will inquire wherefore the Lord doeth hard things unto them, let them think of their sins. The restless waves obeyed the Divine decree, that they should not pass the sandy shores, which were as much a restraint as lofty mountains; but they burst all restraints of God's law, and were wholly gone into…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21in the house of Jacob: In the Old Testament, "Jacob" and "Israel" are often used interchangeably. They can refer to the patriarch or the nation. To be foolish means to act rashly and immorally, ignoring consequences. senseless: This literally means no heart. When "heart" is negative, it means a person or group does not want to do moral acts and rejects intelligent behavior that pleases God. The people's ears and eyes worked (see study note on Jeremiah…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. eyes ... ears, and--Translate, "and yet" (compare De 29:4; Is 6:9). Having powers of perception, they did not use them: still they were responsible for the exercise of them.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 5:21
In the dictionaries
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
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