Jeremiah 12 8

Jeremiah 12:8 kjv

Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.

Jeremiah 12:8 nkjv

My heritage is to Me like a lion in the forest; It cries out against Me; Therefore I have hated it.

Jeremiah 12:8 niv

My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore I hate her.

Jeremiah 12:8 esv

My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest; she has lifted up her voice against me; therefore I hate her.

Jeremiah 12:8 nlt

My chosen people have roared at me like a lion of the forest,
so I have treated them with contempt.

Jeremiah 12 verses

Jeremiah 12 8 Meaning

In Jeremiah 12:8, God expresses profound grief and judicial rejection towards His covenant people, Judah, whom He calls "My heritage." He describes them as having become like a dangerous and untamed "lion in the forest" to Him, signifying their wild, hostile, and defiant rebellion against His authority and covenant. Their actions "cry out" in open antagonism, prompting God's covenantal disfavor, summarized as "I hate it." This "hate" is not an emotional passion as humans experience but a deliberate, sorrowful turning away and a declaration of judgment against their persistent unfaithfulness and idolatry.

Jeremiah 12 8 Context

Jeremiah 12:8 falls within a larger section (Jer 11-12) where God begins to reveal His impending judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem due to their widespread apostasy and covenant unfaithfulness. Specifically, this verse follows Jeremiah's complaint about the prosperity of the wicked (v. 1-4) and God's challenge for Jeremiah to prepare for even greater difficulties (v. 5-6). From verse 7 onwards, God Himself laments the tragic state of His chosen people. He speaks of having forsaken His house and "given up My heritage." The historical context is pre-exilic Judah, deeply entrenched in idolatry, sacrificing to other gods, and ignoring the prophetic warnings. Despite being God's special possession, they persistently acted in defiance of His laws and covenant, leading to the divine decree of judgment described here. The Lord's emotional language here underscores the profound disappointment and sorrow over the reversal of the covenant relationship.

Jeremiah 12 8 Word analysis

• My heritage (נַחֲלָתִי - naḥălātî): This refers to Israel, particularly Judah in this context, as God's specially chosen people, His treasured possession, and His allotment among the nations. It highlights the intimacy and proprietary right God once had over them, emphasizing the tragic reversal that follows. This term carries immense theological weight, denoting their privileged status.

• is to me (לִי - lî): An intimate possessive pronoun, further accentuating the personal relationship between God and His people, and the direct impact their actions have on Him.

• like a lion (כְּאַרְיֵה - kəʾaryēh): The lion symbolizes power, ferocity, danger, and often destructiveness in the Bible. Here, it denotes that Judah, intended to be God's loyal and distinct people, has become aggressive, wild, defiant, and a threat to God Himself. This is not a domesticated animal, but a creature of the wilderness, uncontrolled and hostile.

• in the forest (בַיַּעַר - bayyaʿar): This emphasizes the lion's untamed nature and its natural habitat where it hunts and roars. It suggests that Judah is acting outside the bounds of the covenant relationship, behaving wildly and independently, separate from God's guiding hand, much like a predator lurking in a dense thicket.

• it cries out against me (נָתְנָה עָלַי קוֹלָהּ - nātənāh ʿālay qôlāh, lit. "she has given against me her voice"): This powerful anthropomorphism refers to a roar, a defiant sound, an outcry of protest, or a hostile accusation. It vividly describes Judah's persistent rebellion, idolatry, and covenant breaking not merely as passive disobedience but as an active, aggressive vocal challenge to God's authority and relationship. Their actions are a loud statement of defiance.

• therefore (עַל כֵּן - ʿal kēn): This marks a direct logical consequence. The prior action of "crying out against Me" directly leads to God's subsequent stance.

• I hate it (שְׂנֵאתִיהָ - śənēʾtîhā): This is a strong anthropomorphic expression of divine rejection, not emotional hatred in a human sense, but a decisive turning away, a withdrawal of favor, and a declaration of judicial disfavor and covenantal condemnation. God does not abandon His character of love, but He acts justly in response to persistent, hostile rebellion against His holiness and covenant. It signals that the relationship, as it existed, is now fractured beyond repair, necessitating severe judgment.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "My heritage is to me like a lion in the forest": This phrase tragically illustrates the profound inversion of the covenant relationship. God's special possession, meant for His glory and fellowship, has transformed into a dangerous, wild, and unpredictable enemy in His own spiritual "forest." The people act like untamed predators, rather than faithful flock.
  • "it cries out against me, therefore I hate it": This connection clearly delineates cause and effect. The sustained, aggressive rebellion of His people ("cries out against me") is the direct and sole reason for God's withdrawal of favor and declaration of judgment ("I hate it"). It is a statement of righteous indignation and sorrowful justice, not capricious malice.

Jeremiah 12 8 Bonus section

The intense language of Jeremiah 12:8 serves a dual purpose: it emphasizes the depth of God's personal anguish over His people's defection, employing anthropomorphism to make His grief and anger relatable; and it communicates the severity and justification of the impending judgment. The contrast between "My heritage" (an affectionate, possessive term) and "like a lion" (a destructive, dangerous entity) creates a jarring reversal that is meant to shock. This profound sense of betrayal is foundational to understanding the harsh judgments described throughout Jeremiah. Furthermore, the verse subtly challenges the common ancient Near Eastern idea of national deities unconditionally favoring their people; Yahweh's covenant with Israel required faithfulness, and its violation led to consequences from the very God who chose them.

Jeremiah 12 8 Commentary

Jeremiah 12:8 unveils the deep pain and tragic disillusionment God feels towards His chosen people. Judah, who was once His "heritage" and treasured possession, has devolved into an antagonist—a "lion in the forest" roaring its defiance. This imagery forcefully communicates their ferocity in sin, their untamed rebellion against divine authority, and their complete lack of reverence for the covenant. The "crying out against me" highlights their active, loud rejection of God's ways, through their idolatry, social injustice, and obstinate disobedience to His prophets. In response, God declares "I hate it," signifying a judicial and covenantal repudiation. This "hate" is God's just, sorrowful response to sustained, flagrant unfaithfulness. It implies that the terms of the covenant, which promised blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience, are now being enforced with grave consequences. It is a divine statement of the utter breakdown of the special relationship due to the people's choices. This verse underscores the reality that even a divinely chosen relationship is not immune to rupture when one party (Israel) persistently acts with hostility towards the other (God). It prepares the listener for the severe judgments soon to fall upon Judah.