Jeremiah 5 4

Jeremiah 5:4 kjv

Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.

Jeremiah 5:4 nkjv

Therefore I said, "Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God.

Jeremiah 5:4 niv

I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the requirements of their God.

Jeremiah 5:4 esv

Then I said, "These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.

Jeremiah 5:4 nlt

Then I said, "But what can we expect from the poor?
They are ignorant.
They don't know the ways of the LORD.
They don't understand God's laws.

Jeremiah 5 verses

Jeremiah 5 4 Meaning

Jeremiah, while searching Jerusalem for righteous people, initially surmises that the prevalent sin among the populace is due to their lower social status, which he perceives as leading to foolishness and an experiential ignorance of God’s established path and specific moral commands. He suggests their moral decay stems from a fundamental lack of knowing how to live according to the Lord’s standards.

Jeremiah 5 4 Context

Jeremiah 5 forms part of the prophet's sharp rebuke against the kingdom of Judah just prior to its destruction by Babylon. Following God's command to search Jerusalem for even "one person who does justice, who seeks truth" to spare the city (5:1), Jeremiah begins his grim survey. Verse 4 is Jeremiah’s initial, sympathetic rationalization for the widespread corruption observed among the common people, positing their actions are rooted in ignorance rather than deliberate malice. This thought immediately sets up a contrast with his expectation in the subsequent verse (5:5), where he turns his attention to the "great ones," believing they, at least, should possess understanding of God’s ways. The verse highlights the prophet's attempt to categorize the spiritual decline before confronting the deeper reality that sin pervades all social strata.

Jeremiah 5 4 Word analysis

• Then I said,: (וָאֹמַר – va'omer) Indicates Jeremiah's personal thought or reflection. It introduces his internal attempt to explain the sinfulness he has observed. This marks a human interjection into the prophetic revelation.
• ‘These are only the poor,: (אַךְ־אֵ֣לֶּה דַלִּ֔ים – akh 'elleh dallim)
  • אַךְ (akh): "Only," "surely," or "indeed." It restricts or specifies, suggesting Jeremiah isolates this group, limiting his initial explanation to them.
  • אֵלֶּה (elleh): "These." Refers to the people Jeremiah has been observing in Jerusalem.
  • דַּלִּים (dallim): "Poor," "weak," "lowly," "common folk." It implies people of lesser social standing, often lacking formal education, status, or influence, which in ancient societies could limit access to and understanding of complex religious instruction.
• They are foolish;: (הֹבְלִ֣ים – hovlim) Derived from a root linked to "hebel" (vanity, futility, emptiness). It describes a profound spiritual senselessness, not merely lack of intelligence. This foolishness leads to behavior that is absurd, without purpose, or ultimately destructive, often associated with idolatry and moral depravity that serves no lasting value. It signifies a lack of spiritual insight and practical wisdom concerning God.
• For they do not know the way of the LORD,: (כִּי לֹא יָדְעוּ דֶּ֖רֶךְ יְהוָ֑ה – ki lo' yad'u derekh YHWH)
  • כִּי (ki): "For" or "because." Introduces the reason for their foolishness.
  • לֹא יָדְעוּ (lo' yad'u): "They do not know." From yada' (ידע), implying not just intellectual acquaintance but intimate, experiential, and covenantal knowledge. It speaks of a lack of living relationship, practical application, and adherence.
  • דֶּרֶךְ יְהוָה (derekh YHWH): "The way of the LORD." This encompasses God's moral character, His divine will, the righteous path of life He prescribes for His people, and the manner in which He acts. It is the divine standard for life and conduct.
• The law of their God.’: (מִשְׁפַּ֖ט אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם – mishpat 'elohehem)
  • מִשְׁפַּט (mishpat): "Judgment," "justice," "ordinance," "statute," "decree." It refers to God's legal and ethical rulings, His established principles for a righteous society and individual conduct, reflecting His divine justice. It’s a specific articulation of "the way of the Lord."
  • אֱלֹהֵיהֶם ('elohehem): "Their God." The possessive pronoun highlights Judah's covenantal relationship with Yahweh. Despite being His people with whom He made a covenant, they demonstrate a critical lack of knowledge and adherence to His specific instructions.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• ‘These are only the poor, They are foolish': Jeremiah's initial analysis is to rationalize the pervasive sin as primarily an issue of socio-economic status. He proposes that the "dallim" (common folk) are simply "hovlim" (spiritually empty, senseless), perhaps through no fault of their own, but due to their disadvantaged position. This reflects a desire to find a less damning explanation for their moral failure, implying a degree of pitiable ignorance.
• 'For they do not know the way of the LORD, The law of their God.': This phrase clarifies the nature of their "foolishness." It is not a lack of general intelligence but a specific failure to "know" (experientially and covenantally) God’s righteous path and His detailed ordinances. This knowledge is crucial for a people in covenant with "their God." The phrase asserts that their practical godlessness stems from an ignorance of divine standards.

Jeremiah 5 4 Bonus section

• This verse directly sets the stage for Jeremiah's subsequent and even more devastating observation in Jeremiah 5:5, where he seeks wisdom among the "great ones" but finds them equally, if not more, defiant against God. This narrative progression reveals that sin is not a class-specific issue but has corrupted the entire society of Judah.
• The possessive "their God" (elohehem) implicitly raises their culpability. This is not the ignorance of a pagan nation without divine revelation, but the failure of a people who have entered into a special covenant with God and have been given His laws, yet choose not to know or obey them.
• The prophetic message frequently uses "knowing God" (or the lack thereof) as a comprehensive term for true faithfulness, encompassing obedience, justice, and proper worship, as seen in Hosea 4:1-2 and Jeremiah 22:16. Jeremiah 5:4 therefore highlights a fundamental breach of this covenantal "knowing."

Jeremiah 5 4 Commentary

Jeremiah 5:4 presents the prophet's first attempt to account for the rampant sin he encounters in Jerusalem. He attributes the moral corruption of the lower social strata to a perceived lack of spiritual understanding and formal religious instruction. This "foolishness" is portrayed as an inability to comprehend or follow "the way of the LORD" and "the law of their God"—terms signifying the complete covenantal framework of divine ethics, justice, and proper living. His assessment is not merely about intellectual deficit but a deep-seated spiritual and experiential disconnect from God's revealed will. While appearing to offer a measure of mitigation, this excuse is soon found to be insufficient, as the subsequent verses reveal a deeper, willful rejection of God's ways across all segments of Judahite society, culminating in a collective apostasy rather than simple ignorance. The verse subtly underscores that the covenant relationship demands not just belief in God but a practical, active knowing of and obedience to His commands.