Jeremiah 5 21

Jeremiah 5:21 kjv

Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

Jeremiah 5:21 nkjv

'Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not:

Jeremiah 5:21 niv

Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:

Jeremiah 5:21 esv

"Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

Jeremiah 5:21 nlt

Listen, you foolish and senseless people,
with eyes that do not see
and ears that do not hear.

Jeremiah 5 verses

Jeremiah 5 21 Meaning

Jeremiah 5:21 is a divine address through the prophet, a direct challenge to the people of Judah concerning their profound spiritual obtuseness. It portrays them as a "foolish" nation, utterly devoid of true discernment and understanding of God's ways, despite possessing physical faculties. They are admonished for having eyes that do not truly "see" spiritual truths and ears that do not genuinely "hear" the warnings, instructions, or divine appeals of the Lord, signifying a willful spiritual blindness and deafness that renders them unresponsive to God’s message and the impending judgment.

Jeremiah 5 21 Context

Jeremiah 5:21 is set within Jeremiah's prophetic message to Judah, emphasizing their profound moral decay and spiritual rebellion as reasons for impending judgment (the Babylonian exile). The chapter opens with God's search for just and faithful individuals in Jerusalem (Jer 5:1), only to find pervasive unrighteousness and deceit (Jer 5:2-6). Jeremiah's lament (Jer 5:7-9) questions how God could not punish such a nation given their widespread apostasy and idolatry. Amidst the catalogue of their sins, this verse specifically highlights their internal state of spiritual blindness and deafness. Historically, this period was prior to Judah's full collapse, marked by the persistent warnings of prophets like Jeremiah, met largely with rejection and obstinacy. The people had become desensitized to God's covenant demands and promises, refusing to genuinely listen to His call for repentance.

Jeremiah 5 21 Word analysis

• Hear: The Hebrew word is Shema (שְׁמַע). While literally "to hear," it encompasses a much broader meaning in biblical Hebrew: to listen intently, understand, obey, and respond. It's an active, volitional act. Here, it highlights a failure not of physical auditory function, but of spiritual perception and obedience, reflecting a core command of the covenant (e.g., Shema Yisrael, "Hear, O Israel" in Deut 6:4).
• this: The demonstrative pronoun directly points to the very people Jeremiah is addressing, Judah. It signifies the immediacy and specificity of God's complaint against them.
• you foolish people, without understanding: The Hebrew phrase is ʿam na-ḥaš lēb wĕlōʾ-lēb (עַם נְחַר לֵב וְלֹא לֵב).
  • ʿAm: "People" or "nation," denoting a collective entity, often implying the covenant people.
  • Na-ḥaš lēb: "Foolish heart" or "stupid heart." The verb naḥash means to be heavy, dull, or sluggish. "Heart" (lēb) in Hebrew thought is not merely the seat of emotions but the center of one's intellect, will, and moral character. Thus, a "dull heart" indicates a lack of mental discernment and moral sensitivity.
  • Wĕlōʾ-lēb: "and no heart." This intensifies the previous phrase, literally meaning "and no understanding" or "without discernment." It highlights an absence of internal moral compass and spiritual insight, suggesting a total void where wisdom should be. It implies a deeper problem than mere ignorance; it is a profound and willful spiritual vacancy.
• Who have eyes but see not: Hebrew: asher ʿê·nayim lâhem wĕlōʾ yirʾû (אֲשֶׁר עֵינַיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יִרְאוּ). The possession of physical sight (ʿê·nayim) is contrasted with the absence of spiritual discernment (loʾ yirʾû – "do not see"). They perceive things on a physical level, but miss the divine purpose, the moral implications, and the unfolding of God’s judgment right before them. This is a common biblical idiom for willful spiritual blindness.
• Who have ears but hear not: Hebrew: ʾo·zə·na·yim lâhem wĕlōʾ yiš·māʿû (אֹזְנַיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יִשְׁמָעוּ). Similarly, they have physical hearing organs (ʾo·zə·na·yim) but lack the capacity to process and obey divine messages (loʾ yiš·māʿû – "do not hear" or "do not obey"). This implies that the problem is not a lack of revelation (God had sent many prophets) but a hardened heart unwilling to respond to it.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "Hear this, you foolish people, without understanding": This collective address from God reveals deep frustration. It identifies the core issue as intellectual and spiritual deficiency. Their "foolishness" is not a lack of worldly intelligence, but an inability or refusal to understand divine truth, covenant obligations, and the consequences of their actions.
• "Who have eyes but see not, Who have ears but hear not": This classic prophetic parallelism (also found in Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and later quoted in the New Testament) emphasizes the paradoxical situation. Their physical senses are intact, but they are spiritually dysfunctional. They are presented with evidence of God’s actions (e.g., judgment on other nations, prosperity as blessing, prophecy of future events) and direct verbal warnings, yet remain impervious. It points to a deep-seated spiritual pathology – a chosen ignorance rather than an incapacity. This deliberate rejection of truth is often a precursor to hardening of the heart by divine hand in judgment.

Jeremiah 5 21 Bonus section

The concept of having senses yet lacking spiritual understanding highlights that revelation is not merely external, but requires an internal receptivity or "heart" for understanding. God does not hide Himself, nor are His warnings ambiguous, yet the people willfully suppress truth (Rom 1:18). This verse serves as a crucial theological insight: a physical endowment with the means to perceive is meaningless without spiritual openness. The indictment of Judah serves as a perpetual warning that possession of scripture or exposure to God's word does not guarantee spiritual discernment; active, humble, and obedient listening, a transformed "heart," is essential. It's not a deficiency in the message, but in the heart of the listener.

Jeremiah 5 21 Commentary

Jeremiah 5:21 powerfully conveys God's exasperation with His people, Judah, who have become spiritually deadened despite continual divine revelation. It's a lament over a nation that possesses the physical capacity to perceive and listen but chooses to remain oblivious to the moral and spiritual realities of their rebellion against God. The phrase "foolish people, without understanding" underscores that their deficiency is not intellectual but volitional—a hardness of heart that prevents them from grasping God's truths and the imminent consequences of their covenant unfaithfulness. The striking imagery of having eyes but not seeing, and ears but not hearing, signifies a profound spiritual insensitivity and unwillingness to acknowledge divine truth or respond to prophetic warnings. This verse essentially diagnoses the core problem leading to Judah's downfall: a deliberate refusal to apprehend God’s presence, power, and principles, resulting in their inability to perceive impending judgment or recognize their need for repentance.