Jeremiah 5 25

Jeremiah 5:25 kjv

Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

Jeremiah 5:25 nkjv

Your iniquities have turned these things away, And your sins have withheld good from you.

Jeremiah 5:25 niv

Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.

Jeremiah 5:25 esv

Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have kept good from you.

Jeremiah 5:25 nlt

Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.
Your sin has robbed you of all these good things.

Jeremiah 5 verses

Jeremiah 5 25 Meaning

Jeremiah 5:25 declares that the deep moral and spiritual failings of the people of Judah are the direct cause for the removal of divine blessings and the prevention of good in their lives. Specifically referencing the natural blessings of rainfall (as indicated by the preceding verses) and general prosperity, this verse clearly links human sinfulness – particularly their iniquities and transgressions – to the withholding of God's benefaction. It establishes a divine principle of cause and effect: rebellion against God leads to a withdrawal of His provision.

Jeremiah 5 25 Context

Jeremiah chapter 5 depicts the severe moral and spiritual decay within Judah, outlining the people's pervasive rebellion against God despite His continuous goodness. God’s faithfulness in providing seasonal rains (the 'former' and 'latter' rains, essential for agriculture) is highlighted in 5:24, which contrasts sharply with Judah’s failure to fear or revere the Lord. The preceding verses (5:22-24) emphasize God's awesome power over creation and the fixed laws of nature, implying that if even the sea obeys His boundaries, how much more should His people obey Him. Yet, they possess stubborn, rebellious hearts that refuse to turn to God. Verse 25 directly attributes the ensuing judgment, primarily understood as the withholding of those very essential blessings mentioned in 5:24 (like the rain and resultant prosperity), to their avonot (iniquities) and chaṭṭāʾôt (sins). This verse serves as a crucial theological explanation for the adverse conditions Israel experienced, stating clearly that it was not arbitrary, but a direct consequence of their disobedience and spiritual corruption. Historically, this aligns with the curses outlined in the covenant, warning that such disobedience would result in famine, drought, and other afflictions.

Jeremiah 5 25 Word analysis

• Your iniquities (עֲוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם - 'avonoteychem):

  • Avonot (plural of עָוֹן - 'avon) signifies not merely a misdeed, but a twisting, perversion, or crookedness of character and action. It implies guilt and punishment arising from this perversion. It suggests a deviation from the straight path, a moral bending or distortion. This goes beyond simple transgression; it indicates a deep-seated spiritual corruption and willful rebellion against God's standards.
  • Significance: Highlights the profound moral failing, the inherent wrongness and guilt of their actions and intentions.

• have turned these away, (הִטּוּ אֵלֶּה - hitt.u eileh):

  • הִטּוּ (hitt.u): From the verb נָטָה (natah), meaning to incline, stretch out, turn aside, deviate. Here, in the Hiphil imperfect, it indicates that "your iniquities" have caused these things to turn away or depart. It's an active causation.
  • אֵלֶּה (eileh): "These" (plural demonstrative pronoun). Refers back directly to the blessings mentioned in Jer 5:24 – specifically, "the rains in their season, the autumn rains and the spring rains" (ESV), and implicitly, the agricultural prosperity that follows. It might also broadly encompass other "good" things God provides.
  • Significance: This clearly states that human sin is the active agent in separating the people from God's blessings, not some natural calamity or a failure of the cosmos.

• and your sins (וְחַטֹּאותֵיכֶם - v'chaṭṭaʾoteychem):

  • V'chaṭṭaʾoteychem (plural of חַטָּאָה - chaṭṭaʾah), with the ו (vav) meaning "and." Chaṭṭaʾah means sin, offense, error, or missing the mark. It's a broad term for transgression, a failure to meet a standard, often associated with a mistake or straying from the right path, as if an arrow missed its target.
  • Significance: Reinforces the collective guilt, complementing 'avonot by emphasizing a broad range of transgressions, both deliberate and unwitting. Together, 'avon and chaṭṭaʾah encompass the full scope of human failing.

• have withheld (מָנְעוּ - man'u):

  • From the verb מָנַע (mana') meaning to restrain, withhold, prevent, deny. Also in the Hiphil imperfect, emphasizing the active role of sin in preventing the good from reaching them.
  • Significance: Like "turned away," it highlights that sin is not passive but an active barrier, obstructing the flow of divine provision.

• good (טוֹב - tov):

  • Tov is a comprehensive term meaning good, well, prosperous, beneficial, pleasant, ethical rightness. In this agricultural context, it most immediately refers to prosperity, fruitful harvests, and general well-being that would result from timely rains. The broader meaning includes all beneficial aspects of life God provides.
  • Significance: Emphasizes that it is the overall well-being, both material and existential, that is directly impacted and taken away by their transgressions.

• from you. (מִכֶּם - mik.kem):

  • Mik.kem: "From you," indicating that the "good" that was withheld was intended for them, but their actions caused it to be removed.
  • Significance: Underscores the direct personal consequence; they are the recipients of the negative effects of their own choices.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Your iniquities have turned these away,": This phrase firmly establishes a causal link between the moral depravity and guilt of Judah ('avonoteychem) and the absence of blessings (hitt.u eileh). It points to a deep-seated spiritual problem actively pushing God's intended provision out of reach. It underscores God's governance over creation and human affairs, where nature itself responds to humanity's ethical posture towards Him.
• "and your sins have withheld good from you.": This parallel construction reinforces the message with another comprehensive term for sin (chaṭṭaʾoteychem). It clearly defines tov (good, prosperity, well-being) as the very thing that is explicitly prevented or blocked from reaching the people. The repetition through different Hebrew terms for sin ('avonot and chaṭṭaʾot) and similar verbs of causation (hitt.u and man'u) emphasizes the pervasive and manifold nature of their transgressions and their combined power to sever the flow of God's blessings. The passage highlights a reciprocal relationship: as Judah turns away from God through their sins, God, in turn, allows blessings to turn away from them.

Jeremiah 5 25 Bonus section

The consistent use of both avon (iniquity, guilt, twistedness) and chaṭṭaʾah (sin, missing the mark, offense) in close proximity throughout the Old Testament, as seen here, is significant. While both describe sin, avon often points to the deliberate nature, the rebellion and its resulting guilt/punishment, implying a twisting of the moral order. Chaṭṭaʾah can be more general, referring to error or failing a standard, though it can also be intentional. The dual emphasis in Jeremiah 5:25 signifies that Judah’s corruption was comprehensive – both deeply ingrained (the avon aspect) and expressed in a multitude of ways (chaṭṭaʾah), collectively alienating them from divine favor. This dual aspect communicates the depth of their moral depravity and its pervasive impact, stressing that their entire spiritual condition, not just isolated acts, contributed to the withholding of "good" from God.

Jeremiah 5 25 Commentary

Jeremiah 5:25 serves as a clear theological indictment, explaining that the adverse circumstances plaguing Judah were not random or divinely arbitrary, but a direct consequence of their iniquities (perverted deeds stemming from corrupted character) and sins (transgressions and failure to meet God’s standards). This verse underscores a fundamental principle of biblical justice: God, the benevolent source of all good, withholds His blessings (particularly seasonal rains, leading to famine and distress, as highlighted in the preceding verses) when His people consistently reject His covenant and engage in widespread moral and spiritual rebellion. It refutes any contemporary belief that drought or hardship was merely a natural occurrence or the caprice of pagan gods; instead, it powerfully asserts Yahweh's sovereign control over creation and His moral governance over the affairs of humanity, demonstrating that spiritual disobedience has tangible, often agricultural, repercussions in the theocratic nation.