God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 5:22
22Don’t you fear me?” asks the Lord. “Don’t you tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier that it cannot cross. Although the waves toss continuously, they can’t break through. Although they roar, they can’t cross it.
Jeremiah 5:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
- New International Version (NIV)Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord. “Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, Yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.
Context of Jeremiah 5:22
20“Tell this to the descendants of Jacob, and make this heard in Judah: 21Hear this, you stupid and senseless people! You have eyes, but you cannot see. You have ears, but you cannot hear. Don’t you fear me?” asks the Lord. “Don’t you tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, a permanent barrier that it cannot cross. Although the waves toss continuously, they can’t break through. Although they roar, they can’t cross it. 23But these people are stubborn and rebellious. They have turned aside and wandered away from me. 24They don’t say to themselves, ‘We should fear the Lord our God. He sends rain at the right time, the autumn rain and the spring rain. He makes sure that we have harvest seasons.’
Read all of Jeremiah 5Jeremiah 5:22 word by word
הַאוֹתִ֨י לֹא־תִירָ֜אוּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה אִ֤ם מִפָּנַי֙ לֹ֣א תָחִ֔ילוּ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי חוֹל֙ גְּב֣וּל לַיָּ֔ם חָק־עוֹלָ֖ם וְלֹ֣א יַעַבְרֶ֑נְהוּ וַיִּֽתְגָּעֲשׁוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יוּכָ֔לוּ וְהָמ֥וּ גַלָּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א יַעַבְרֻֽנְהוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- ye not me? saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- will ye not trembleחוּלchûl chîyl · to twist: trembleH2342
- at my presenceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
- which have placedשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
- the sandחוֹלchôl · sandH2344
- the boundגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: boundaryH1366
- of the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- by a perpetualעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
- decreeחֹקchôq · statute: allotmentH2706
- that it cannot passעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- it: and though the wavesגַּלgal · heap: waveH1530
- thereof tossגָּעַשׁgâ‛ash · to shakeH1607
- themselves, yet can they not prevailיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
- though they roarהָמָהhâmâh · to roarH1993
Cross-references for Jeremiah 5:22
- Jeremiah 10:7Everyone fears you, O King of the Nations. This is what you deserve. No one is like you among all the wise people in the nations or in all their kingdoms.
- Deuteronomy 28:58You might not faithfully obey every word of the teachings that are written in this book. You might not fear this glorious and awe-inspiring name: the Lord your God.
- Psalms 119:120My body shudders in fear of you, and I am afraid of your regulations.
- Matthew 10:28Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
- Luke 12:5I’ll show you the one you should be afraid of. Be afraid of the one who has the power to throw you into hell after killing you. I’m warning you to be afraid of him.
- Revelation 15:4Lord, who won’t fear and praise your name? You are the only holy one, and all the nations will come to worship you because they know about your fair judgments.”
- Psalms 99:1The Lord rules as king. Let the people tremble. He is enthroned over the angels. Let the earth quake.
- Isaiah 66:5Listen to the Lord’s word, all who tremble at his word. Your relatives, who hate you and exclude you for my name’s sake, say, “Let the Lord show his glory; then we will see your joy.” But they will be put to shame.
- Daniel 6:26I decree that in every part of my kingdom people should tremble with terror in front of Daniel’s God, the living God who continues forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed. His power lasts to the end ⌞of time⌟.
- Job 26:10He marks the horizon on the surface of the water at the boundary where light meets dark.
- Job 38:10when I set a limit for it and put up bars and gates,
- Psalms 33:7He gathers the water in the sea like a dam and puts the oceans in his storehouses.
- Psalms 93:3The ocean rises, O Lord. The ocean rises with a roar. The ocean rises with its pounding waves.
- Psalms 104:9Water cannot cross the boundary you set and cannot come back to cover the earth.
- Proverbs 8:29when he set a limit for the sea so the waters would not overstep his command, when he traced the foundations of the earth,
- Isaiah 50:2Why was no one here when I came? Why was no one here to answer when I called? Am I too weak to reclaim you? Don’t I have the power to rescue you? I dry up the sea with my command, and I turn rivers into deserts. Their fish stink because there is no water, and people die of thirst.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 5:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea - What can I not do, who confine the sea, that enormous mass of waters, and prevent it from overflowing the earth; not by immense mountains and rocks, but by the sand, no particle of which is in cohesion with another? The most tremendous waves cannot displace nor pass over this simple barrier.Read the comment
- 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. 22People should respect the Lord for his power and fear the idea of him using it against them. If the powerful sea cannot cross the boundaries the Lord set, then the rebellion of small Jerusalem will surely fail.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. sand--Though made up of particles easily shifting about, I render it sufficient to curb the violence of the sea. Such is your monstrous perversity, that the raging, senseless sea sooner obeys Me, than ye do who profess to be intelligent [Calvin], (Job 26:10; 38:10, 11; Pr 8:29; Re 15:4).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 5:22
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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