Jeremiah 5 23

Jeremiah 5:23 kjv

But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

Jeremiah 5:23 nkjv

But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; They have revolted and departed.

Jeremiah 5:23 niv

But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.

Jeremiah 5:23 esv

But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.

Jeremiah 5:23 nlt

But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.
They have turned away and abandoned me.

Jeremiah 5 verses

Jeremiah 5 23 Meaning

Jeremiah 5:23 declares that the people of Judah possess an unyielding and defiant inner nature, evidenced by their deliberate spiritual deflection and continued abandonment of God's ways. Despite divine warnings and the display of God's power, their hearts remain closed to obedience and correction, choosing instead a path of self-willed deviation. This verse attributes the nation's deteriorating spiritual condition directly to a fundamental flaw in their deepest convictions and will.

Jeremiah 5 23 Context

Jeremiah chapter 5 vividly depicts God's search for a righteous person in Judah and His profound disappointment upon finding widespread corruption, injustice, and idolatry. The surrounding verses (5:20-25) directly address Judah, reminding them of God's power over nature (holding the sand as a barrier for the sea) yet lamenting their failure to revere Him. Despite experiencing God's providential care, including timely rains, they have remained ungrateful and unwilling to obey. Verse 23 specifically describes the inner state that fuels their external transgressions mentioned in other verses of the chapter, such as exploitation of the poor (v. 26-28), false prophecy (v. 30-31), and idol worship. The historical context is pre-exilic Judah, facing impending judgment from Babylon, a consequence of persistent covenant unfaithfulness in the face of Jeremiah's earnest prophetic warnings. The verse acts as a lament from God, exposing the root cause of their rebellion, which is not ignorance, but a deliberate refusal of the heart.

Jeremiah 5 23 Word analysis

• But this people (וְלָעָם הַזֶּה - vəla’ām hazzeh):

  • Word: "This people" singles out Judah/Israel as the specific target of divine condemnation. It highlights a relationship gone awry.
  • Significance: God is identifying His chosen people, whose privileged position (Deut 4:5-8) should have led to obedience, not rebellion. The demonstrative pronoun "this" emphasizes their immediate, undeniable identity.

• has a stubborn (סוֹרֵר - sôrer):

  • Word: Means "stubborn," "rebellious," "unruly," "recalcitrant." Implies an inherent disposition to resist authority and direction.
  • Significance: It denotes an active, inherent opposition to God's will, not just a passive lack of understanding. It describes a will set against divine instruction.

• and rebellious (וּמוֹרֶה - ūmôreh):

  • Word: Means "rebellious," "defiant," "disobedient," or "obstinate." Often used in parallel with "stubborn."
  • Significance: Reinforces "stubborn," creating an intensified picture of persistent, ingrained resistance. The Hebrew often associates this term with provoking God or being bitter (similar root). It points to deliberate transgression rather than mere weakness.

• heart (לֵב - lēv):

  • Word: In Hebrew thought, the lēv (heart) is the seat of intellect, will, emotion, and moral decision. It represents the inner person, the core of one's being.
  • Significance: This isn't just about actions; it's about the internal origin of those actions. Their entire being – thoughts, desires, intentions – is fundamentally flawed and disloyal to God. Their external rebellion flows from this corrupted internal source.

• they have turned aside (וַיִּסּוֹגּוּ - vayissōggū):

  • Word: Means "to draw back," "to deviate," "to apostatize," "to retreat from." It indicates a departure from a right path or covenant.
  • Significance: It suggests a conscious and active movement away from God and His Law. It is not merely standing still but actively turning in an opposing direction. This signifies unfaithfulness to the covenant relationship.

• and gone away (וַיֵּלְכוּ - vayyēlkū):

  • Word: Means "to go," "to walk," often in the sense of proceeding along a chosen path.
  • Significance: Paired with "turned aside," it depicts a continuing and progressive deviation. Not just a momentary lapse, but an ongoing lifestyle of departure from God. This describes their sustained practice of abandoning God for idols or their own ways.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "stubborn and rebellious heart": This phrase paints a complete picture of internal defiance. It is not a weak or unknowing heart, but one that actively and persistently rejects divine authority, instruction, and covenant loyalty. This is a foundational, moral flaw.
  • "turned aside and gone away": These two verbs signify a deliberate, two-stage process of apostasy. First, a conscious choice to deviate from God's path, then a continuous walk on that divergent path, fully embracing