Jeremiah 4:22

Jeremiah 4:22 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
• New International Version (NIV)“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)"For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are 'wise'—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not."
• New King James Version (NKJV)“For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.”

Context of Jeremiah 4:22

20One disaster follows another. The whole land is ruined. My tents are suddenly destroyed. Their curtains are torn in an instant. 21How long must I see the battle flag and hear the sound of rams’ horns? “My people are fools. They don’t know me. They are stupid people. They don’t understand. They are experts in doing wrong, and they don’t know how to do good.” 23I see the earth. It’s formless and empty. I see the sky. Its lights are gone. 24I see the mountains. They are shaking, and the hills are swaying.

Jeremiah 4:22 word by word

כִּ֣י׀ אֱוִ֣יל עַמִּ֗י אוֹתִי֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ בָּנִ֤ים סְכָלִים֙ הֵ֔מָּה וְלֹ֥א נְבוֹנִ֖ים הֵ֑מָּה חֲכָמִ֥ים הֵ֙מָּה֙ לְהָרַ֔ע וּלְהֵיטִ֖יב לֹ֥א יָדָֽעוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• For my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• foolishאֱוִיל'ĕvîyl · fool(ish)H191
• they have not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• sottishסָכָלsâkâl · foolH5530
• childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• and they have none understandingבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995
• wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• to do evilרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
• but to do goodיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190

Cross-references for Jeremiah 4:22

• Jeremiah 5:4I thought, “These are poor, foolish people. They don’t know the way of the Lord and the justice that God demands.
• Jeremiah 8:7Even storks know when it’s time to return. Mourning doves, swallows, and cranes know when it’s time to migrate. But my people don’t know that I, the Lord, am urging them to return.
• Deuteronomy 32:6Is this how you repay the Lord, you foolish and silly people? Isn’t he your Father and Owner, who made you and formed you?
• Psalms 14:1Godless fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt. They do disgusting things. There is no one who does good things.
• Isaiah 1:3Oxen know their owners, and donkeys know where their masters feed them. But Israel doesn’t know ⌞its owner⌟. My people don’t understand ⌞who feeds them⌟.
• Isaiah 6:9And he said, “Go and tell these people, ‘No matter how closely you listen, you’ll never understand. No matter how closely you look, you’ll never see.’
• Isaiah 27:11When the branches are dried up, they will be broken off. Women will come and build a fire with them. These people don’t understand ⌞these things⌟. That is why their maker won’t have compassion on them, and their Creator won’t have pity on them.
• Psalms 49:10Indeed, one can see that wise people die, that foolish and stupid people meet the same end. They leave their riches to others.
• Jeremiah 42:19“The Lord has told you people who are left in Judah not to go to Egypt. You need to know that I am warning you today.
• Hosea 4:1Listen to the Lord’s word, you Israelites. The Lord has brought these charges against those who live in the land: “There is no faith, no love, and no knowledge of God in the land.
• Matthew 23:16“How horrible it will be for you, you blind guides! You say, ‘To swear an oath by the temple doesn’t mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gold in the temple means a person must keep his oath.’
• Romans 1:22While claiming to be wise, they became fools.
• Romans 3:11No one understands. No one searches for God.
• Hosea 5:4“The wicked things that the people have done keep them from returning to their God. They have a spirit of prostitution, and they don’t know the Lord.
• John 16:3They will do these things to you because they haven’t known the Father or me.
• Romans 1:28And because they thought it was worthless to acknowledge God, God allowed their own immoral minds to control them. So they do these indecent things.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 4:22

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 19-31Verses 19-31 The prophet had no pleasure in delivering messages of wrath. He is shown in a vision the whole land in confusion. Compared with what it was, every thing is out of order; but the ruin of the Jewish nation would not be final. Every end of our comforts is not a full end. Though the Lord may correct his people very severely, yet he will not cast them off. Ornaments and false colouring would be of no avail. No outward privileges or profession, no…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. Jehovah's reply; they cannot be otherwise than miserable, since they persevere in sin. The repetition of clauses gives greater force to the sentiment. wise ... evil ... to do good ... no knowledge--reversing the rule (Ro 16:19) "wise unto ... good, simple concerning evil."Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 4:22

• Blindness
• Condescension of God
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• War
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Bless
• Fallow
• Pain
• Wise
• Backslide
• Fool; Folly
• Genesis
• Jeremiah (2)
• Sottish
• Wisdom

Commentaries on Jeremiah 4

• 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