11 For the house H1004 of Israel H3478 and the house H1004 of Judah H3063 have dealt very H898 treacherously H898 against me, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
Surely H403 as a wife H802 treacherously H898 departeth from her husband, H7453 so have ye dealt treacherously H898 with me, O house H1004 of Israel, H3478 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
Yea, thou heardest H8085 not; yea, thou knewest H3045 not; yea, from that time that thine ear H241 was not opened: H6605 for I knew H3045 that thou wouldest deal very H898 treacherously, H898 and wast called H7121 a transgressor H6586 from the womb. H990
The LORD H3068 said H559 also unto me in the days H3117 of Josiah H2977 the king, H4428 Hast thou seen H7200 that which backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 hath done? H6213 she is gone up H1980 upon every high H1364 mountain H2022 and under H8478 every green H7488 tree, H6086 and there hath played the harlot. H2181 And I said H559 after H310 she had done H6213 all these things, Turn H7725 thou unto me. But she returned H7725 not. And her treacherous H901 sister H269 Judah H3063 saw H7200 it. And I saw, H7200 when for all the causes H182 whereby backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 committed adultery H5003 I had put her away, H7971 and given H5414 her a bill H5612 of divorce; H3748 yet her treacherous H898 sister H269 Judah H3063 feared H3372 not, but went H3212 and played the harlot H2181 also. And it came to pass through the lightness H6963 of her whoredom, H2184 that she defiled H2610 the land, H776 and committed adultery H5003 with stones H68 and with stocks. H6086 And yet for all this her treacherous H901 sister H269 Judah H3063 hath not turned H7725 unto me with her whole heart, H3820 but feignedly, H8267 saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, The backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 hath justified H6663 herself H5315 more than treacherous H898 Judah. H3063
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 5
Commentary on Jeremiah 5 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The Causes which Called Down the Judgment Pronounced: The Total Corruption of the People. - Chr. B. Mich. has excellently summed up thus the contents of this chapter: Deus judicia sua, quae cap. IV praedixerat, justificat ostendens, se quamvis invitum, tamen non aliter posse quam punire Judaeos propter praefractam ipsorum malitiam . The train of thought in this chapter is the following: God would pardon if there were to be found in Jerusalem but one who practised righteousness and strove to keep good faith; but high and low have forsaken God and His law, and serve the false gods. This the Lord must punish (Jeremiah 5:1-9). Judah, like Israel, disowns the Lord, and despises the words of His prophets; therefore the Lord must affirm His word by deeds of judgment (Jeremiah 5:10-18). Because they serve the gods of strangers, He will throw them into bondage to strange peoples, that they may learn to fear Him as the Almighty God and Lord of the world, who withholds His benefits from them because their sins keep them far from Him (Jeremiah 5:19-25); for wickedness and crime have acquired a frightful predominance (Jeremiah 5:26-31).
Jeremiah 5:1-2
By reason of the universal godlessness and moral corruption the Lord cannot pardon. - Jeremiah 5:1. "Range through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek upon her thoroughfares, if ye find any, if any doth judgment, seeketh after faithfulness, and I will pardon her. Jeremiah 5:2. And if they say, 'As Jahveh liveth,' then in this they swear falsely. Jeremiah 5:3. Jahveh, are not Thine yes upon faithfulness? Thou smitest them, an they are not pained; thou consumest them, they will take no correction; they make their face harder than rock, they will not turn. Jeremiah 5:4. And I thought, It is but the baser sort, they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jahveh, the judgment of their God. Jeremiah 5:5. I will get me then to the great, and will speak with them, for they know the way of Jahveh, the judgment of their God; yet together have they broken the yoke, burst the bonds. Jeremiah 5:6. Therefore a lion out of the wood smiteth them, a wolf of the deserts spoileth them, a leopard lieth in wait against their cities: every one that goeth out thence is torn in pieces; because many are their transgressions, many their backslidings. Jeremiah 5:7. Wherefore should I pardon thee? thy sons have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods. I caused them to sear, but they committed adultery, and crowd into the house of the harlot. Jeremiah 5:8. Like well-fed horses, they are roaming about; each neigheth after the other's wife. Jeremiah 5:9. Shall I not punish this? saith Jahveh; or shall not my soul be avenged on such a people as this?"