Jeremiah 5 1

Jeremiah 5:1 kjv

Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

Jeremiah 5:1 nkjv

"Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places If you can find a man, If there is anyone who executes judgment, Who seeks the truth, And I will pardon her.

Jeremiah 5:1 niv

"Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.

Jeremiah 5:1 esv

Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look and take note! Search her squares to see if you can find a man, one who does justice and seeks truth, that I may pardon her.

Jeremiah 5:1 nlt

"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.

Jeremiah 5 verses

Jeremiah 5 1 Meaning

Jeremiah 5:1 conveys God's profound yearning for righteousness amidst widespread corruption in Jerusalem. It depicts a divine challenge to "run to and fro" through the city, implying an exhaustive search for even one individual who practices justice and seeks truth. This pursuit highlights God's conditional mercy, where the presence of a faithful remnant could avert impending judgment and secure His pardon for the entire city. It underscores the complete moral degradation of Jerusalem, where basic virtues like justice and truth were shockingly absent, leading to an imminent divine reckoning.

Jeremiah 5 1 Context

Jeremiah 5:1 opens a new section of the book (chapters 5-6), which details the reasons for God's impending judgment upon Judah. Following the previous chapter's general call for repentance and warnings of desolation from the North, this verse focuses specifically on Jerusalem, the spiritual and political heart of the nation. It serves as a preamble to a series of specific indictments against the people's pervasive moral decay, including idolatry, perverted justice, social oppression, and spiritual deafness. Historically, this prophecy occurs during the twilight of the Kingdom of Judah, just prior to its conquest by Babylon, a time when moral and spiritual standards had catastrophically collapsed despite continuous prophetic warnings. The verse sets the stage by illustrating God's desperate search for any trace of righteousness before final judgment is pronounced.

Jeremiah 5 1 Word analysis

• Run to and fro (שׁוּטוּ, shūṭū): This is an imperative verb, emphasizing an urgent and exhaustive command. It conveys a thorough, relentless search, suggesting a state of almost frenetic activity. The word implies a deep divine earnestness in finding what is desired.
• Streets (חוּצוֹת, ḥūṣōt): Refers to the public thoroughfares and outside areas of the city. These were the places of daily life, commerce, and also where justice was traditionally administered at the city gate or in the public square. This emphasizes that the search is not in hidden places, but in the most accessible and visible parts of society.
• Jerusalem: The capital of Judah, the chosen city, meant to be a city of God, symbolizing the center of true worship and covenant faithfulness. The state of Jerusalem reflects the spiritual condition of the entire nation.
• Look now and see (רְאוּ-נָא וּדְעוּ, reʾū-nā wūdəʿū): Another imperative, combined with the particle "now" (nāʾ), intensifying the command. It's an invitation to a clear observation and comprehension. The double imperative implies an immediate and clear-eyed assessment.
• Seek (בַּקְּשׁוּ, baqqešū): Implies a diligent, earnest search. Not just a casual glance, but an active pursuit and investigation.
• Open places (רְחֹבוֹתֶיהָ, rĕḥōḇôṯeha): Similar to streets, referring to broad public squares or plazas within the city where people gathered and public life occurred. The repetition underscores the extensiveness of the search across all public domains.
• If you can find a man (אִם-תִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ, ʾim-timṣʾū ʾîš): "Man" here (אִישׁ, ʾîš) means a human being, but in this context, it is qualified by the subsequent phrases, indicating not just any person, but one of moral uprightness. The "if" clause suggests the low expectation of finding such a person.
• Executes justice (עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט, ʿōśeh mišpāṭ): Mišpāṭ (justice) refers to ethical judgment, righteous behavior, and adherence to God's standards of law and righteousness in all social, legal, and personal interactions. "Executes" (ʿōśeh, doing/making) signifies active performance, not just knowing about it.
• Seeks the truth (מְבַקֵּשׁ אֱמֶת, mĕbaqqēš ʾĕmeṯ): ʾEmet (truth) carries a broad meaning of faithfulness, reliability, covenant loyalty, and conformity to reality as defined by God. "Seeks" (mĕbaqqēš) again indicates an active, earnest pursuit and commitment, implying not merely acknowledging truth but living by it and embodying faithfulness.
• That I may pardon her (וְאֶסְלַח-לָהּ, wĕʾeslaḥ-lāh): God's conditional promise of forgiveness and the withholding of punishment. This highlights His merciful nature and His reluctance to destroy, always seeking a path for restoration, even for a remnant. It emphasizes that the judgment is not arbitrary but a last resort.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "Run to and fro through the streets... and seek in her open places": This vivid imagery paints a picture of an intensive, even desperate, investigation across the entire urban landscape. It's a public survey, indicating that righteousness is meant to be visibly manifest in society, not hidden away.
• "if you can find a man, if there is anyone": The repetition underscores the shocking scarcity. It highlights God's longing for just one individual to stand apart in righteousness, drawing parallels to Abraham's intercession for Sodom.
• "who executes justice, who seeks the truth": These two characteristics are presented as non-negotiable prerequisites. Justice (mišpāṭ) encompasses ethical actions and righteous social conduct, while truth (emet) signifies covenant faithfulness, integrity, and genuine devotion to God. These are not merely intellectual qualities but manifested in deeds.

Jeremiah 5 1 Bonus section

• Rhetorical Device: The verse uses a rhetorical question or challenge. The implication, strongly conveyed by Jeremiah's subsequent prophecies, is that such a person could not be found. This powerfully emphasizes the pervasive nature of Judah's sin, highlighting its thorough corruption.
• The Principle of the Righteous Remnant: While here highlighting its absence, the verse also subtly reinforces a biblical principle—that God often preserves or delivers based on the presence of a faithful few. Its absence here foreshadows destruction, contrasting with situations where a remnant is found (e.g., Noah, Lot).
• Beyond Legalism: "Executes justice" and "seeks the truth" point to qualities beyond mere adherence to rituals or external laws. They denote a deeply ingrained ethical posture and a heart-commitment to God's faithfulness and moral order. It’s about integrity of character, not just outward religious display.
• God's Longing for Humanity: This verse reveals a glimpse into God's very nature—a God who prefers mercy over judgment, and who actively seeks righteousness from His created beings, not as a demanding overlord, but with a compassionate yearning.

Jeremiah 5 1 Commentary

Jeremiah 5:1 serves as a stark theological statement, illustrating God's ultimate desire for a just and righteous people and His readiness to exercise mercy if such a remnant can be found. The divine command to exhaustively search the public spaces of Jerusalem for "one man" who embodies both justice and truth reveals the shocking degree of spiritual and moral decay that had permeated every layer of Judahite society. The call is not for perfection but for fundamental integrity and covenant faithfulness.

The fact that the implied answer is "no one" profoundly indicts a nation that had utterly rejected God's standards despite generations of warnings. It demonstrates that the impending judgment was not capricious but the inevitable outcome of a complete absence of righteous living and genuine seeking after God. This verse encapsulates both God's infinite patience and His unwavering righteousness, showing that even He searches for a reason to pardon before delivering on His holy judgments. It is a powerful reminder that national well-being is intrinsically linked to the collective moral and spiritual health of its people, and a profound call for personal integrity within a corrupt environment.