English Standard Version
Jeremiah 8:6
6I 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!
Context of Jeremiah 8:6
4"You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return? 5Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return. 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. 7Even 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. 8"How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.
Read all of Jeremiah 8Jeremiah 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 before men and says: 'I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me.
- Psalms 14:2The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
- Isaiah 30:18Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
- Malachi 3:16Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.
- 2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
- Jeremiah 5:1Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her.
- Isaiah 59:16He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him.
- Ezekiel 22:30And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.
- Micah 7:2The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net.
- Job 10:2I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me.
- Ezekiel 18:28Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
- Haggai 1:5Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.
- Luke 15:17"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
- Jeremiah 2:24a wild donkey used to the wilderness, in her heat sniffing the wind! Who can restrain her lust? None who seek her need weary themselves; in her month they will find her.
- Job 39:19"Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a 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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries