Jeremiah 8:7

Jeremiah 8:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming, but my people know not the rules of the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the Lord.

Context of Jeremiah 8:7

5So why have the people of Jerusalem not turned back to me? They turn away from me all the time. They believe the lies of false gods, and they refuse to return to me. 6I have listened carefully to them, but they do not say what is right. They are not sorry for the wicked things that they have done. None of them say, “I have done something wrong.” They all continue to do what they want to do. They are like horses that are running into a battle. Even 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. 8You say, “We are wise because we have the law of the Lord.” But I tell you, your teachers have changed my laws. They teach you lies instead. 9Those wise teachers will be ashamed and upset. Enemies will catch them as their prisoners. They have refused to accept the Lord's message. So they are not really wise.

Jeremiah 8:7 word by word

גַּם־חֲסִידָ֣ה בַשָּׁמַ֗יִם יָֽדְעָה֙ מֽוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָ וְתֹ֤ר וְסִיס֙ וְעָג֔וּר שָׁמְר֖וּ אֶת־עֵ֣ת בֹּאָ֑נָה וְעַמִּ֕י לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ אֵ֖ת מִשְׁפַּ֥ט יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Yea, the storkחֲסִידָהchăsîydâh · storkH2624
• in the heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• knowethיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• her appointed timesמוֹעֵדmô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh · meeting: time appointedH4150
• and the turtleתֹּרtôr tôr · turtledoveH8449
• and the craneסוּסsûs sûs · swallowH5483
• and the swallowעָגוּר‛âgûr · craneH5693
• observeשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
• the timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• of their comingבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• but my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• not the judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Jeremiah 8:7

• Proverbs 6:6Learn a lesson from the ants, you lazy person! See how hard they work.
• Isaiah 1:3An ox knows its master. A donkey knows the place where its master feeds it. But Israel's people do not know me. My people do not understand me.’
• 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.
• Isaiah 5:12You have wild parties with plenty of music and wine. You make music with your lyres, harps, tambourines and flutes. But you do not understand the things that the Lord is doing. You do not see the things that he has made.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 8:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7The stork in the heaven - The birds of passage know the times of their going and return, and punctually observe them; they obey the dictates of nature, but my people do not obey my law.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Jeremiah appeals to the obedience which migratory birds render to the law of their natures. The “stork” arrives in Palestine about March 21, and after a six weeks‘ halt departs for the north of Europe. It takes its flight by day, at a vast height in the air (“in the heaven”). The appearance of the “turtle-dove” is one of the pleasant signs of the approach of spring. The crane and the swallow - Rather, “the swift and the crane.”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. 7stork...turtledove...swift...thrush: The Creator gave these birds the ability to navigate the sky from summer nesting places to winter feeding grounds, and they always follow those instincts precisely. In contrast, the people of Israel ignored God's revelations and the covenant laws he had established.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. The instinct of the migratory birds leads them with unfailing regularity to return every spring from their winter abodes in summer climes (So 2:12); but God's people will not return to Him even when the winter of His wrath is past, and He invites them back to the spring of His favor. in the heaven--emphatical. The birds whose very element is the air, in which they are never at rest, yet show a steady sagacity, which God's people do not. times--namely…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 8:7

• Animals
• Backsliders
• Birds
• Blindness
• Church
• Crane
• Impenitence
• Instinct
• Stork
• Swallow
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Crane
• Repent
• Snorting
• Stork
• Swallow
• Turtle, Turtledove
• Amulet
• Covenant, the New
• Dove
• Exodus, the Book of

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