New Living Translation
Jeremiah 5:22
22Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set.
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“Make this announcement to Israel, and say this to Judah: 21Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set. 23But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. 24They do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’
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 10:7Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you.
- Deuteronomy 28:58“If you refuse to obey all the words of instruction that are written in this book, and if you do not fear the glorious and awesome name of the Lord your God,
- Psalms 119:120I tremble in fear of you; I stand in awe of your regulations.
- Matthew 10:28“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Luke 12:5But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.
- Revelation 15:4Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”
- Psalms 99:1The Lord is king! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth quake!
- Isaiah 66:5Hear this message from the Lord, all you who tremble at his words: “Your own people hate you and throw you out for being loyal to my name. ‘Let the Lord be honored!’ they scoff. ‘Be joyful in him!’ But they will be put to shame.
- Daniel 6:26“I decree that everyone throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and he will endure forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and his rule will never end.
- Job 26:10He created the horizon when he separated the waters; he set the boundary between day and night.
- Job 38:10For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores.
- Psalms 33:7He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
- Psalms 93:3The floods have risen up, O Lord. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves.
- Psalms 104:9Then you set a firm boundary for the seas, so they would never again cover the earth.
- Proverbs 8:29I was there when he set the limits of the seas, so they would not spread beyond their boundaries. And when he marked off the earth’s foundations,
- Isaiah 50:2Why was no one there when I came? Why didn’t anyone answer when I called? Is it because I have no power to rescue? No, that is not the reason! For I can speak to the sea and make it dry up! I can turn rivers into deserts covered with dying fish.
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
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries