Jeremiah 5 27

Jeremiah 5:27 kjv

As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

Jeremiah 5:27 nkjv

As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich.

Jeremiah 5:27 niv

Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful

Jeremiah 5:27 esv

Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich;

Jeremiah 5:27 nlt

Like a cage filled with birds,
their homes are filled with evil plots.
And now they are great and rich.

Jeremiah 5 verses

Jeremiah 5 27 Meaning

Jeremiah 5:27 portrays a stark image of corruption, likening the homes of the powerful and wealthy in Judah to a "cage full of birds" – a fowler's trap filled with captured fowl. This vividly illustrates that their houses are brimming with the spoils of treachery and dishonest dealings. The verse explicitly states that it is precisely because of this pervasive deceit and accumulation of ill-gotten gains that these individuals have achieved prominence and great material wealth in society.

Jeremiah 5 27 Context

Jeremiah 5 falls within the broader prophetic message to Judah before the Babylonian exile, lamenting the nation's profound spiritual and moral decay. Chapter 5, in particular, describes a widespread corruption, where a diligent search for even "one" righteous person in Jerusalem proves futile (5:1). The people, from the least to the greatest, are depicted as having rebelled against God, broken covenant, and indulged in idolatry and pervasive social injustice. Verses 20-31 form a distinct section where God announces His intention to bring judgment upon a nation that has forsaken Him for pagan gods and embraced rampant iniquity. Jeremiah 5:26-29 specifically targets the rich and powerful, revealing their elaborate schemes to ensnare the innocent and accumulate wealth unjustly, culminating in the shocking realization that their "greatness" and "richness" are a direct consequence of their wickedness, not divine blessing. Historically, Judah was facing immense political instability, with the looming threat of Babylonian invasion, a crisis compounded by internal moral rot where the privileged exploited the vulnerable, neglecting the Mosaic Law and the cries for justice.

Jeremiah 5 27 Word analysis

• Like a cage: The Hebrew word is kāmô sevakh (כָּמוֹ סְבָךְ). Sevakh refers to a thicket, dense bushes, or a lair used to hide or trap animals/birds. Here, it is commonly translated as "trap" or "snare." It implies not a comfortable dwelling for birds, but a device of capture and entrapment. The simile conveys cunning and predatory intent.
• full of birds: Hebrew mālēʾ tsippôrim (מָלֵא צִפּוֹרִים). Tsippôrim are small birds. This imagery speaks to an abundance of victims who have been lured and caught. Just as a fowler's snare captures many unsuspecting creatures, so do these corrupt individuals trap the vulnerable through their deceit.
• so their houses: Hebrew kēn battêhem (כֵּן בָּתֵּיהֶם). This draws a direct parallel between the image of the trap and the actual homes of the wealthy, indicating where their deceit manifests and where its spoils are collected. Houses in this culture often symbolized one's identity, stability, and lineage.
• are full of deceit: Hebrew melēʾîm mirmāh (מְלֵאִים מִרְמָה). Mirmāh denotes treachery, fraud, craftiness, and cunning. It describes not isolated incidents, but a pervasive, defining characteristic of their household and existence. Their homes literally contain the accumulated results of their dishonest actions, much like a cage contains its prey.
• therefore they have become great: Hebrew ʿal kēn gādĕlû (עַל כֵּן גָּדְלוּ). ʿAl kēn establishes a direct causal link. Gādĕlû means to grow, become great, powerful, or significant in stature. This refers to their rise in social and political influence.
• and rich: Hebrew wayyaʿăšîrû (וַיַּעֲשִׁירוּ). This word means to acquire wealth or become wealthy. It directly attributes their material prosperity to the preceding "deceit," challenging any notion that their riches might stem from righteous blessing or honest labor.

Words-group analysis:

• "Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit": This central simile powerfully communicates the predatory and exploitative nature of the rich. The "birds" represent the innocent and vulnerable members of society who are "trapped" and taken advantage of through their schemes. The comparison implies a calculated, strategic method of exploitation.
• "their houses are full of deceit": This phrase means that deception is not merely an external practice but permeates their private, domestic sphere. It suggests that their homes are repositories of ill-gotten gain, places where corrupt schemes are hatched, and where the evidence of their treachery (the spoils) is kept, analogous to a trapper's full cage.
• "therefore they have become great and rich": This highlights the perverse reality in Judah, where wicked behavior directly leads to social elevation and material prosperity. It's a prophetic indictment of a system where justice is perverted, and ethical misconduct is rewarded, underscoring the severe moral decay that necessitated God's impending judgment.

Jeremiah 5 27 Bonus section

• Echoes in Wisdom Literature: The idea that wealth gained unjustly is fleeting or cursed is a recurring theme in Proverbs (e.g., Prov 1:19, 13:11, 21:6). Jeremiah observes the present reality of their prosperity, but this biblical principle implies such a foundation cannot truly endure or find God's favor in the long run.
• Contrasting with Covenant Law: Ancient Israelite law, enshrined in the Mosaic covenant, contained numerous injunctions against the very practices Jeremiah describes, such as laws against dishonest scales (Lev 19:35-36), exploitation of the poor, and taking advantage of hired workers (Deut 24:14-15). The elite's actions directly flouted these divine commands, illustrating their complete departure from covenant faithfulness.
• Moral Blindness: The leaders and wealthy of Judah, in their pursuit of gain, had become morally and spiritually blind. They likely rationalized their actions or considered their shrewdness a virtue, completely ignoring the suffering they caused and God's absolute demand for justice and righteousness. Their wealth had become a veil over their conscience.

Jeremiah 5 27 Commentary

Jeremiah 5:27 presents a scathing critique of Judah's powerful elite, exposing the true source of their societal prominence and material abundance. Far from being a blessing from God, their "greatness and richness" are explicitly linked to pervasive "deceit." The imagery of a "cage full of birds" underscores their predatory nature: they are not nurturers but fowlers, cunningly trapping the vulnerable and extracting wealth through treachery. Their very "houses" are stained with this corruption, serving as storehouses for illicit gains, rather than havens of integrity. This verse profoundly challenged the popular misconception that material prosperity was always a sign of divine favor. Instead, it revealed a tragic truth about a society so morally compromised that injustice itself became the engine of power and wealth. It is a timeless warning against the illusion of success achieved through unethical means, ultimately highlighting the severe consequences for those who forsake righteousness for illicit profit.