God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 8:6
6I have paid attention and listened, but they weren’t honest. They don’t turn away from their wickedness and ask, “What have we done?” They go their own ways like horses charging 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)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.
- 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.
Context of Jeremiah 8:6
4“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: When someone falls, he gets back up. When someone turns away from me, he returns. 5The people of Jerusalem turned away from me without ever returning. They still cling to deceit. They refuse to return. I have paid attention and listened, but they weren’t honest. They don’t turn away from their wickedness and ask, “What have we done?” They go their own ways like horses charging into battle. 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. 8“ ‘How can you say that you are wise and that you have the Lord’s teachings? The scribes have used their pens to turn these teachings into lies.
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 33:27Each one sings in front of other people and says, ‘I sinned and did wrong instead of what was right, and it did me no good.
- Psalms 14:2The Lord looks down from heaven on Adam’s descendants to see if there is anyone who acts wisely, if there is anyone who seeks help from God.
- Isaiah 30:18The Lord is waiting to be kind to you. He rises to have compassion on you. The Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.
- Malachi 3:16Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord paid attention and listened. A book was written in his presence to be a reminder to those who feared the Lord and respected his name.
- 2 Peter 3:9The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.
- Jeremiah 5:1Walk around the streets of Jerusalem. Look around, and think about these things. Search the city squares. See if you can find anyone who does what is right and seeks the truth. Then I will forgive Jerusalem.
- Isaiah 59:16He sees that there’s no one to help. He’s astounded that there’s no one to intercede. So with his own power he wins a victory. His righteousness supports him.
- Ezekiel 22:30“ ‘I looked for someone among you who could build walls or stand in front of me by the gaps in the walls to defend the land and keep it from being destroyed. But I couldn’t find anyone.
- Micah 7:2Faithful people are gone from the earth, and no one is decent. All people lie in ambush to commit murder. They trap each other with nets.
- Job 10:2I will say to God, ‘Don’t condemn me. Let me know why you are quarreling with me.
- Ezekiel 18:28He realized what he was doing and turned away from all the rebellious things that he had done. He will certainly live. He will not die.
- Haggai 1:5Now, this is what the Lord of Armies says: Carefully consider your ways!
- Luke 15:17“Finally, he came to his senses. He said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more food than they can eat, while I’m starving to death here?
- Jeremiah 2:24You are like a wild donkey that is used to the desert, sniffing the wind while in heat. All who look for you won’t get tired. They will find you during your monthly period.
- Job 39:19“Can you give strength to a horse or dress its neck with a flowing 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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