Jeremiah 5 3

Jeremiah 5:3 kjv

O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Jeremiah 5:3 nkjv

O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, But they have not grieved; You have consumed them, But they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to return.

Jeremiah 5:3 niv

LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Jeremiah 5:3 esv

O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.

Jeremiah 5:3 nlt

LORD, you are searching for honesty.
You struck your people,
but they paid no attention.
You crushed them,
but they refused to be corrected.
They are determined, with faces set like stone;
they have refused to repent.

Jeremiah 5 verses

Jeremiah 5 3 Meaning

Jeremiah 5:3 portrays a lament and an indictment against Judah, highlighting God's direct appeal and observation of their spiritual condition. It emphasizes that while God's discerning gaze is fixed upon truth and faithfulness, His people, Judah, remained utterly unresponsive to His divine discipline. Despite being "stricken" and "consumed" by various forms of affliction and judgment, they exhibited no genuine pain, sorrow, or a desire for repentance. Instead, their hearts grew harder and more resistant than solid rock, leading to their steadfast refusal to turn back to the LORD. This verse underscores the tragic futility of God's corrective measures when faced with an obdurate, unrepentant spirit.

Jeremiah 5 3 Context

Jeremiah chapter 5 depicts God's search through Jerusalem for even one righteous person who practices justice and seeks truth, a search that proves futile. This specific verse builds upon that failed search, illustrating why God's judgment is inevitable. Historically, this prophecy occurs during a period in Judah's kingdom before the final Babylonian exile (late 7th to early 6th century BCE), under kings like Jehoiakim. The people had become entrenched in idolatry, social injustice, and covenant breaking, despite repeated prophetic warnings and periods of national distress (the "stricken" and "consumed" experiences). Jeremiah highlights that even God's attempts at discipline, intended to bring about repentance and prevent full judgment, were met with an insurmountable wall of stubbornness, spiritual apathy, and outright rebellion, solidifying their path toward destruction.

Jeremiah 5 3 Word analysis

• O LORD (יְהוָה - YHWH, Yahweh): Refers to the personal, covenant God of Israel. Jeremiah directly addresses the sovereign, living God, appealing to His character and knowledge. This direct address underscores the divine perspective of the lament.

• are not Your eyes on truth? (הֲלוֹא־עֵינֶיךָ לֶאֱמוּנָה - halō’-‘eineyka la’emûnâh):

  • eyes (עֵינֶיךָ - ‘eineyka): Implies not merely physical sight but comprehensive divine observation, discerning insight, and moral scrutiny. God sees beyond external actions to the heart's condition and intentions.
  • on truth (לֶאֱמוּנָה - la’emûnâh): Refers to אֱמוּנָה (emûnâh), meaning faithfulness, trustworthiness, steadfastness, integrity, and adherence to covenant loyalty. The rhetorical question asserts God's unwavering focus on these qualities, implicitly contrasting them with Judah's utter lack thereof. It's not just about propositional truth, but truth lived out in covenant faithfulness.

• You have stricken them (הִכִּיתָם - hikkîthām): From נָכָה (nakah), "to strike, smite, afflict, beat down." This refers to God's direct agency in bringing about various forms of adversity or minor judgments, such as drought, famine, or military setbacks. This is divine discipline.

• but they felt no anguish (וְלֹא־חָלוּ - welō’-ḥālû): From חוּל (chûl), "to twist, writhe, bring forth, be in pain/anguish." It conveys a lack of inner turmoil, sorrow, or genuine brokenness in response to suffering. They experienced the blows but lacked the spiritual sensitivity to internalize the pain and be moved to repentance. Their hearts remained untouched.

• You have consumed them (כִּלִּיתָם - killîtām): From כָּלָה (kalah), "to complete, bring to an end, exhaust, destroy." This suggests a more severe or extensive form of judgment than merely "striking." It points to God's continued, escalated disciplinary action, bringing them near ruin or exhaustion, often through further desolations.

• but they refused to take correction (מֵאֲנוּ קַחַת מוּסָר - me'anû qaḥath mûsār):

  • refused (מֵאֲנוּ - me'anû): From מָאַן (ma’an), "to refuse, decline, be unwilling, reject." This signifies a stubborn, wilful, and active rejection of something offered or required. It's not passive neglect, but defiant opposition.
  • correction (מוּסָר - mûsār): Instruction, discipline, moral teaching, chastisement. It encompasses both verbal admonition and disciplinary suffering intended for moral reformation. Judah vehemently rejected both the teaching and the corrective experience.

• They have made their faces harder than rock (חִזְּקוּ פְנֵיהֶם מִסֶּלַע - ḥizzeqû fneyhem missela‘):

  • made their faces harder (חִזְּקוּ פְנֵיהֶם - ḥizzeqû fneyhem): חִזְּקוּ (ḥizzeqû) means "strengthened, hardened, made firm." The phrase ḥizzeqû pneyhem literally means "they have strengthened their faces." This is a strong idiomatic expression indicating unyielding obstinacy, defiance, and brazen impenitence. They presented an unyielding front.
  • than rock (מִסֶּלַע - missela‘): סֶלַע (sela‘) refers to a cliff, crag, or strong rock. This simile emphasizes the extreme, impenetrable nature of their spiritual insensitivity and resolve against God. Rock is immovable, unfeeling.

• they have refused to return (מֵאֲנוּ לָשׁוּב - me'anû lashûv):

  • refused (מֵאֲנוּ - me'anû): Reiteration of the stubborn refusal to heed God.
  • to return (לָשׁוּב - lashûv): From שׁוּב (shuv), the quintessential Old Testament term for repentance – turning away from sin and turning back to God, a change in direction, mind, and action. Their ultimate sin was this persistent rejection of repentance, the very thing God desired from them.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "O LORD, are not Your eyes on truth?": This opening rhetorical question immediately establishes God's absolute righteousness, omniscience, and adherence to His covenant character. It frames the entire indictment, setting God's steadfast emûnâh (faithfulness/truth) against Judah's utter lack thereof, justifying the severity of the subsequent judgment. It's an appeal to God's justice against Judah's injustice.
  • "You have stricken them, but they felt no anguish; You have consumed them, but they refused to take correction.": This couplet powerfully illustrates the inefficacy of divine discipline upon a calloused heart. There's a progression from lighter discipline ("stricken") to more severe (consumed), yet the spiritual response remains consistently negative: from passive insensitivity ("felt no anguish") to active, defiant rejection ("refused to take correction"). This depicts a profound spiritual numbness and obstinacy.
  • "They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to return.": These culminating phrases describe the full extent of Judah's chosen rebellion. Their hearts became impervious to divine influence, willingly taking on an unyielding quality like a stone. This deep-seated obduracy directly led to their ultimate sin: the categorical and active refusal to shuv – to turn from their wickedness and return to their covenant God. This wilful hardening of heart seals their fate.

Jeremiah 5 3 Bonus section

The progressive nature of Judah's defiance is key: from feeling no anguish (spiritual numbness), to refusing to take correction (active rejection of divine teaching/discipline), and finally to making faces harder than rock and refusing to return (utter, impenetrable rebellion). This spiritual decay is a conscious act, highlighting the perilous nature of continually resisting the Holy Spirit. The nation, not just individuals, cultivated this hardness of heart. Their rejection of mûsār (discipline/instruction) echoes the broader Old Testament wisdom tradition which warns against forsaking correction. Their inability to shuv (return/repent) signifies the ultimate failure of their covenant relationship with Yahweh. This pattern serves as a timeless warning that God's discipline, though perfect, is rendered ineffective when met with a will fully set against His ways.

Jeremiah 5 3 Commentary

Jeremiah 5:3 is a poignant summary of Judah's spiritual malady during Jeremiah's prophetic ministry. God, whose very nature is rooted in truth and faithfulness, continually seeks these qualities in His people. His divine eye observes not just outward actions, but the true inward state of the heart (la’emûnâh). The verse tragically details how God’s loving discipline, administered through various afflictions (striking and consuming), yielded no desired result. The intended purpose of suffering – to produce pain leading to repentance – was thwarted by the people's spiritual insensitivity. They showed no anguish or introspection, wilfully rejecting correction (mûsār), which is both instruction and discipline. Their stubbornness manifested as an unyielding, rock-like hardness of heart, a deliberate choice to resist God's voice. This hardened defiance led to the ultimate and most grievous refusal: to shuv, to genuinely turn from sin and return to the LORD. This persistent rejection of God’s corrective hand and call to repentance illuminates the path towards irreversible judgment, showcasing the dire consequences of spiritual insensitivity and obstinate rebellion against divine grace.