New King James Version
Jeremiah 5:5
5I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.” But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds.
Jeremiah 5:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
- New International Version (NIV)So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.” But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.
- English Standard Version (ESV)I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the Lord, the justice of their God." But they all alike had broken the yoke; they had burst the bonds.
- New Living Translation (NLT)So I will go and speak to their leaders. Surely they know the ways of the Lord and understand God’s laws.” But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God’s yoke and broken his chains.
Context of Jeremiah 5:5
3O Lord, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, But they have not grieved; You have consumed them, But they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to return. 4Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God. I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.” But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds. 6Therefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, A wolf of the deserts shall destroy them; A leopard will watch over their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, Because their transgressions are many; Their backslidings have increased. 7“How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.
Read all of Jeremiah 5Jeremiah 5:5 word by word
אֵֽלֲכָה־לִּ֤י אֶל־הַגְּדֹלִים֙ וַאֲדַבְּרָ֣ה אוֹתָ֔ם כִּ֣י הֵ֗מָּה יָדְעוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֔ה מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם אַ֣ךְ הֵ֤מָּה יַחְדָּו֙ שָׁ֣בְרוּ עֹ֔ל נִתְּק֖וּ מוֹסֵרֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- I will getיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- me unto the great menגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- and will speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- unto them; for they have knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- the judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
- of their Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- but these have altogetherיָחְדָּוyachad · togetherH3162
- brokenשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
- the yokeעֹל‛ôl ‛ôl · yokeH5923
- burstנָתַקnâthaq · to tearH5423
- the bondsמוֹסֵרmôsêr môsêrâh môserâh · bondH4147
Cross-references for Jeremiah 5:5
- Amos 4:1Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, Who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink!”
- Micah 3:1And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice?
- Malachi 2:7“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
- Jeremiah 6:13“Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely.
- Psalms 2:2The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
- Ezekiel 22:6“Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you.
- Micah 7:3That they may successfully do evil with both hands— The prince asks for gifts, The judge seeks a bribe, And the great man utters his evil desire; So they scheme together.
- Zephaniah 3:3Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning.
- Matthew 19:23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Luke 18:24And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!
- Luke 19:14But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
- Acts 4:26The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
- James 2:5Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
Commentaries on Jeremiah 5:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5I will get me unto the great men - Those whose circumstances and rank in life gave them opportunities of information which the others could not have, for the reasons already given. These have altogether broken the yoke - These have cast aside all restraint, have acted above law, and have trampled all moral obligations under their feet, and into their vortex the lower classes of the people have been swept away. Solon said, "The laws are like cobwebs; they…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5They have known - Men of education, who read the Scriptures, and learn from them the nature of God‘s judgments. But these - literally, surely they (compare Jeremiah 5:4). The yoke - The Mosaic law. And burst - They have torn off, torn themselves loose from. The bonds - The fastenings by which the yoke was fixed upon the necks of the oxen.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5Jeremiah looked for an economic reason for Jerusalem’s rebellion. He discovered that the leaders, despite their advantages, were as rebellious as the uneducated poor. A wooden yoke was placed on a farm animal's neck. Chains attached it to a plow or another tool for fieldwork (compare Jeremiah 27:2–12; Psalm 2:3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. they have known--rather, "they must know." The prophet supposes it as probable, considering their position. but these--I found the very reverse to be the case. burst ... bonds--set God's law at defiance (Psa 2:3).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 5:5
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries