Jeremiah 5 22

Jeremiah 5:22 kjv

Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

Jeremiah 5:22 nkjv

Do you not fear Me?' says the LORD. 'Will you not tremble at My presence, Who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea, By a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass beyond it? And though its waves toss to and fro, Yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.

Jeremiah 5:22 niv

Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.

Jeremiah 5:22 esv

Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

Jeremiah 5:22 nlt

Have you no respect for me?
Why don't you tremble in my presence?
I, the LORD, define the ocean's sandy shoreline
as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross.
The waves may toss and roar,
but they can never pass the boundaries I set.

Jeremiah 5 verses

Jeremiah 5 22 Meaning

Jeremiah 5:22 conveys God's profound query and challenge to Judah, underscoring His unchallenged sovereignty over creation as a basis for His expectation of human fear and reverence. Through a vivid illustration of the vast and powerful sea, restrained by the seemingly insignificant sand by an eternal divine decree, God highlights His majestic power. He questions the people's lack of awe and trembling at His presence, contrasting the unwavering obedience of natural, chaotic forces with the rebellious and spiritually apathetic hearts of His chosen people, implying imminent judgment for their defiant disregard.

Jeremiah 5 22 Context

Jeremiah 5:22 is situated within a broader lament over Judah's pervasive moral and spiritual corruption. Chapter 5 depicts Jerusalem's widespread wickedness, from the poor to the powerful, with no one found truly seeking justice or truth (v. 1). The people are characterized by rebellion, idolatry, covenant-breaking, and a persistent refusal to repent despite repeated divine warnings. They deny the Lord's speaking and believe no harm will come to them (v. 12). Verses 20-31 form a distinct section condemning Judah's "foolish and senseless people" (v. 21) who have eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear. Within this, verse 22 serves as a rhetorical crescendo, directly appealing to their lack of basic reverence by pointing to a visible, undeniable testament of God's cosmic power. Historically, Judah stood on the precipice of Babylonian exile, a judgment meticulously detailed in Jeremiah's prophecy. This verse's illustration of God's control over the unyielding sea underscores His absolute power to also execute His declared judgment upon a rebellious nation, contrasting the natural world's obedience to God's decree with Israel's defiance. It implicitly confronts pagan beliefs where the sea was a powerful, often uncontrollable, deity, asserting Yahweh's singular, unchallenged sovereignty over all creation.

Jeremiah 5 22 Word analysis

• Do you not fear Me? (הֲלֹא־תִירְאוּ אֹתִי Hălo-tira'u oti)

  • הֲלֹא (Hălo): A rhetorical interrogative particle, translating to "Is it not so?" or "Surely you do/will not...?" It expresses strong affirmation in question form, implying the expected answer is 'yes, you should fear/tremble.'
  • תִירְאוּ (tira'u): From the root יָרֵא (yare'), meaning "to fear, revere, stand in awe of." In the biblical sense, this fear is not mere terror but a respectful awe, an acknowledgment of God's authority and holiness. The plural form implies a communal responsibility.
  • אֹתִי (oti): "Me." Emphatically pointing to the divine Person Himself, not just His commandments or judgment.
  • Significance: God asks a question whose answer should be self-evident to a rational being who has witnessed His power. It exposes Judah's profound spiritual failure and insensitivity to His greatness.

• says the LORD. (נְאֻם־יְהוָה Ne'um Yahweh)

  • נְאֻם (Ne'um): "A declaration," typically of a prophet, indicating divine inspiration or, as here, a direct speech from God Himself.
  • יְהוָה (Yahweh): The covenant name of God, revealing Him as the personal, unchanging God of Israel, who fulfills His promises and judgments.
  • Significance: Establishes ultimate divine authority for the question and the ensuing statement, making it a direct challenge from the supreme sovereign.

• Will you not tremble at My presence, (וּמִפָּנַי לֹא תָחִילוּ Umippanai lo tahilu)

  • וּמִפָּנַי (Umippanai): "And from My face/presence." Emphasizes God's direct, personal revelation and the impact His divine personage should have.
  • לֹא תָחִילוּ (lo tahilu): "Will you not writhe/be in anguish/tremble." From the root חוּל (chul), implying a shaking, twisting, or being in great dread. Often used for birth pains or the terror of judgment.
  • Significance: Parallel to "fear," this verb conveys a visceral, profound, and appropriate reaction of dread and awe in the presence of overwhelming power, which Judah clearly lacked.

• Who has placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, (אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי חוֹל גְּבוּל לַיָּם 'Asher-samti chol g'vul layam)

  • אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי (asher-samti): "Who I have placed/set." Active, divine agency. The verb שׂוּם (sum) is foundational, indicating establishment and designation.
  • חוֹל (chol): "Sand." A material of seemingly no strength, easily scattered.
  • גְּבוּל (g'vul): "Boundary, limit, territory." A fixed, uncrossable demarcation.
  • לַיָּם (layam): "For the sea." The powerful, often violent, and symbolic force of chaos in ancient thought.
  • Significance: Juxtaposition of the insignificant (sand) with the immense (sea) under divine decree, showcasing God's effortless, yet absolute, control. It refutes any notion of the sea being an uncontrollable force or a deity unto itself.

• by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass beyond it? (חֹק עוֹלָם וְלֹא יַעֲבְרֶנְהוּ choq 'olam velo ya'avrenhu)

  • חֹק (choq): "Decree, statute, ordinance." A fixed, established law, binding and unchangeable.
  • עוֹלָם (olam): "Everlasting, perpetual, ancient." Emphasizes the unchangeable and eternal nature of this divine law.
  • וְלֹא יַעֲבְרֶנְהוּ (velo ya'avrenhu): "And it cannot pass over it/transgress it." An emphatic statement of impossibility.
  • Significance: Reinforces the absolute and eternal nature of God's control. The sea, despite its power, is bound by an immutable, ancient law.

• And though its waves toss themselves, yet they cannot prevail; (וְיִתְנָאֲרוּ גַּלָּיו וְלֹא יֻכְלוּ veyitna'aru gallav velo yukhlu)

  • וְיִתְנָאֲרוּ (veyitna'aru): From the root נָאַר (na'ar), here in Hithpael, meaning "to rise up tumultuously, be turbulent, toss themselves." Describes the violent agitation of the waves.
  • גַּלָּיו (gallav): "Its waves."
  • וְלֹא יֻכְלוּ (velo yukhlu): "And they cannot/are not able." From the root יָכֹל (yakol), "to be able, prevail." Denotes an intrinsic lack of power to overcome the boundary.
  • Significance: Further anthropomorphizes the sea's active, striving, but ultimately futile efforts against God's decree.

• though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it. (וְיֶהֱמוּ וְלֹא יַעַבְרֻנוּ vey'hemmu velo ya'avr'unu)

  • וְיֶהֱמוּ (vey'hemmu): From the root הָמָה (hamah), "to roar, rage, make a great noise." Emphasizes the audible, powerful fury of the sea.
  • וְלֹא יַעַבְרֻנוּ (velo ya'avr'unu): "And they cannot pass over it." A reiteration of the final point made previously, for emphatic closure. The repetition drives home the unyielding nature of the divine boundary.
  • Significance: Despite the noise and force, the divine law remains unbroken. The powerful contrast between the raw, primal energy of the sea and its unyielding containment highlights the absolute supremacy of the Creator.

Words-group analysis

• Do you not fear Me? ... Will you not tremble at My presence? This pair of rhetorical questions constitutes a powerful parallelism, emphasizing Judah's gross spiritual negligence. They present fear (respectful awe) and trembling (visceral dread) as appropriate responses to the LORD's person and presence, which Judah glaringly lacks.
• Who has placed the sand as a boundary for the sea... by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass beyond it? This describes the miraculous containment of chaos. The combination of "sand" (fragile) and "boundary" (limit) imposed on the "sea" (immense, chaotic) by "perpetual decree" (eternal law) signifies God's effortless yet absolute control over the most formidable natural forces. This is a testimony to God's inherent power as Creator, which should elicit reverential fear.
• And though its waves toss themselves, yet they cannot prevail; though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it. This section uses descriptive, action-oriented language to portray the sea's futile rebellion against the divine boundary. The pairing of "toss/roar" with "cannot prevail/cannot pass over" reiterates the unbreakability of God's decree. The sea's visible, audible, and persistent struggle, always ending in failure, serves as a powerful metaphor for the ultimate futility of human rebellion against God's will.

Jeremiah 5 22 Bonus section

This verse carries a significant polemic against the ancient Near Eastern mythologies common among Israel's neighbors, which often deified the sea (e.g., Yam in Ugaritic mythology) as a chaotic and powerful, sometimes supreme, entity that even other gods struggled to control. By declaring His effortless placement of "sand as a boundary" with an "everlasting decree," Yahweh fundamentally dismantles such pagan notions, asserting Himself as the singular, absolute Sovereign who created and effortlessly controls all cosmic forces. He alone is worthy of ultimate fear and worship, not any aspect of creation. This is also deeply connected to creation accounts like Genesis 1, where God divides the waters and sets boundaries, establishing order out of chaos, a consistent theme asserting Yahweh's unique identity as the ultimate Creator God. The repetitive nature of the verse also serves to build tension and emphasize the unwavering reality of God's unshakeable authority.

Jeremiah 5 22 Commentary

Jeremiah 5:22 vividly illustrates God's unchallengeable sovereignty by showcasing His control over the formidable sea with a mere sand barrier, upheld by an eternal decree. This visible, constant, and awe-inspiring display of power serves as God's rhetorical challenge to Judah's profound spiritual dullness. Despite witnessing this cosmic marvel daily, the people of Judah demonstrate a shocking lack of reverence and fear for their Creator. Their disobedience is starkly contrasted with the unwavering obedience of even the most turbulent natural forces. The implication is clear: if God so effortlessly controls the immense and chaotic sea, He is certainly capable of executing judgment upon a disobedient nation. This verse powerfully indicts those who acknowledge creation's wonder but fail to fear the Creator.

For practical usage, this passage calls for:

• Reverence: Recognizing God's immense power and His right to our respect, not just a casual acquaintance.
• Obedience: Understanding that if even nature obeys His decree, how much more should His covenant people.
• Trust: Finding security in a God who sovereignly controls all things, including life's "storms," setting boundaries on them too.