New Living Translation
Jeremiah 5:2
2But even when they are under oath, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ they are still telling lies!”
Jeremiah 5:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely.
- New International Version (NIV)Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Though they say, "As the Lord lives," yet they swear falsely.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ Surely they swear falsely.”
Context of Jeremiah 5:2
1“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord. “Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city. But even when they are under oath, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ they are still telling lies!” 3Lord, you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to be corrected. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent. 4Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor? They are ignorant. They don’t know the ways of the Lord. They don’t understand God’s laws.
Read all of Jeremiah 5Jeremiah 5:2 word by word
וְאִ֥ם חַי־יְהֹוָ֖ה יֹאמֵ֑רוּ לָכֵ֥ן לַשֶּׁ֖קֶר יִשָּׁבֵֽעוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Jeremiah 5:2
- Jeremiah 4:2Then when you swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name.”
- Jeremiah 7:9Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours,
- Leviticus 19:12“Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.
- Isaiah 48:1“Listen to me, O family of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and born into the family of Judah. Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and call on the God of Israel. You don’t keep your promises,
- Hosea 4:1Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel! The Lord has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land.
- Hosea 10:4They spout empty words and make covenants they don’t intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field.
- Zechariah 5:3Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side of the scroll says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land.
- Malachi 3:5“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
- 1 Timothy 1:10The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching
- 2 Timothy 3:5They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
Commentaries on Jeremiah 5:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The Lord liveth - Though they profess to bind themselves by Jehovah, as if they acknowledged him their God and only Lord, yet they swore falsely; for not believing in him, they took a false oath; one by which they did not believe themselves bound, not acknowledging him as their Lord. See on Jeremiah 4:2; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Though they take the most binding form of oath, they do so only as a means of deceiving others.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2A just person follows God's laws and treats others fairly. An honest person is reliable, truthful, and loyal to God. Jeremiah found neither justice nor honesty. Although some people were under oath, their claims of innocence were false. Their actions showed they had lied under oath (Genesis 4:2; 7:9; Genesis 18:23–32; Isaiah 48:1; Ezekiel 22:30; Titus 1:15–16).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. (Tit 1:16). swear falsely--not a judicial oath; but their profession of the worship of Jehovah is insincere (Jr 5:7; Jr 4:2). The reformation under Josiah was merely superficial in the case of the majority.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 5:2
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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