Jeremiah 5:4

Jeremiah 5:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God.
• New International Version (NIV)I thought, “These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then I said, "These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the Lord, the justice of their God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.

Context of Jeremiah 5:4

2But 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. Then 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. 5So 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. 6So now a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will pounce on them. A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many.

Jeremiah 5:4 word by word

וַאֲנִ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי אַךְ־דַּלִּ֖ים הֵ֑ם נוֹאֲל֕וּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָדְעוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ יְהוָ֔ה מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Therefore I saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• poorדַּלdal · poorH1800
• they are foolishיָאַלyâ'al · be foolishH2973
• for they knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• not the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• the judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• of their Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430

Cross-references for Jeremiah 5:4

• Jeremiah 4:22“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”
• Jeremiah 7:8“‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie!
• Jeremiah 8:7Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know the Lord’s laws.
• Isaiah 27:11The people are like the dead branches of a tree, broken off and used for kindling beneath the cooking pots. Israel is a foolish and stupid nation, for its people have turned away from God. Therefore, the one who made them will show them no pity or mercy.
• Isaiah 28:9“Who does the Lord think we are?” they ask. “Why does he speak to us like this? Are we little children, just recently weaned?
• Hosea 4:6My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.
• Matthew 11:5the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.”
• John 7:48“Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him?

Commentaries on Jeremiah 5:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4These are poor - They are ignorant; they have no education; they know no better.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Therefore - More simply “and.” They are foolish - Or, they act foolishly (see Numbers 12:11), not having that knowledge which would enable them to guide their ways with discretion.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. 44. poor--rather, "the poor." He supposes for the moment that this utter depravity is confined to the uninstructed poor, and that he would find a different state of things in the higher ranks: but there he finds unbridled profligacy.Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 5:4

• Backsliders
• Blindness
• Idolatry
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Correction
• Deceit
• Exodus, the Book of
• Fool; Folly
• Jeremiah (2)

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