Jeremiah 6 28

Jeremiah 6:28 kjv

They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

Jeremiah 6:28 nkjv

They are all stubborn rebels, walking as slanderers. They are bronze and iron, They are all corrupters;

Jeremiah 6:28 niv

They are all hardened rebels, going about to slander. They are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly.

Jeremiah 6:28 esv

They are all stubbornly rebellious, going about with slanders; they are bronze and iron; all of them act corruptly.

Jeremiah 6:28 nlt

They are the worst kind of rebel,
full of slander.
They are as hard as bronze and iron,
and they lead others into corruption.

Jeremiah 6 verses

Jeremiah 6 28 Meaning

Jeremiah 6:28 declares a severe divine verdict against the people of Judah, specifically Jerusalem, after being put to a prophetic test by Jeremiah as a "refiner" (verse 27). The verse reveals their collective, profound spiritual corruption and resistance to repentance. They are described as utterly rebellious and obstinate, marked by pervasive slander and deceit in their interactions. Their spiritual nature is likened to common, hard, and impure metals like brass and iron, rather than precious silver or gold. This metaphor signifies their worthlessness in the refining process and their inability to be purified, rendering them irrevocably spoiled and destructive in their essence.

Jeremiah 6 28 Context

Jeremiah chapter 6 details God's imminent judgment upon Judah, primarily Jerusalem, using the imagery of an invading army from the North. The prophet laments the city's impending doom, but acknowledges the justness of the judgment due to its widespread sin, especially among its leaders and people who repeatedly refuse to heed God's warnings. Jeremiah is called to be a "refiner and assayer" (v.27), an agent through whom God would test the moral quality of His people. Verse 28 serves as the conclusion to this divine assay, a stark declaration of the complete failure of the people to withstand the refining process. Their state of corruption, as described in this verse, is the direct reason for God's impending severe discipline and rejection, ultimately leading to their exile. The historical context is the decline of Judah before the Babylonian invasion, a time when moral and religious decay was rampant despite prophetic warnings.

Jeremiah 6 28 Word analysis

• They are all (כֻּלָּם kullam): Emphatic. Signifies totality, universality. No one is exempt from this description, highlighting the pervasive nature of their wickedness across society. It emphasizes a collective identity defined by these negative traits.
• grievous revolters (סָרֵי סוֹרְרִים sarei sorerim): An intensive Hebrew construct meaning "stubborn of the stubborn," "rebellious of the rebellious," or "chief of revolters." This is a superlative phrase, indicating not merely occasional backsliding but deep-seated, chronic, and ingrained rebellion against God's law and will. It implies an unchangeable disposition to disobedience.
• walking with slanders (הֹלְכֵי רָכִיל hol'khei rachil): Hol'khei means "walkers" or "those who walk," indicating a habitual pattern of behavior, not an isolated act. Rachil refers to gossip, tale-bearing, backbiting, and slander – speech that causes division, harm, and defamation. This signifies that deception and maligning others were deeply embedded in their daily social fabric.
• they are brass and iron (נְחֹשֶׁת וּבַרְזֶל nechoshet uvarzel): This is a powerful metaphor directly referencing the previous verse (v.27) where God commissioned Jeremiah to test the people like metal. Unlike precious metals such as silver or gold, brass (or bronze) and iron are common, hard, and considered base or inferior. In the refining process, these metals indicate unsuitability for purification; they resist true refining and only produce dross. It symbolizes their spiritual hardness, inflexibility, and lack of spiritual value or malleability for God's purposes.
• they are all corrupters (מַשְׁחִיתִים הֵמָּה mashchitim hema): Mashchitim means "destroyers" or "corrupters." It suggests both being in a state of moral decay themselves and actively corrupting others or destructive in their actions. The addition of the emphatic pronoun hema ("they") at the end underscores that this corrupting nature is fundamental to their identity, leaving no room for doubt about their character. They are inherently destructive to themselves and their society, devoid of integrity.

• "grievous revolters, walking with slanders": This phrase highlights the dual nature of their sin: internal obstinate rebellion against God and external manifestation through harmful speech in society. Their spiritual estrangement fuels their social pathology.
• "they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters": These two clauses link their inherent worthlessness and unrefinable nature (brass and iron) directly to their active moral corruption and destructive impact. Their hard-heartedness leads inevitably to a corrupt existence, resistant to any transforming influence, even God's own prophetic word.

Jeremiah 6 28 Bonus section

The strong, repetitive language in the Hebrew text, such as sarei sorerim, is a classic prophetic device for intensifying a description, indicating not merely deviation but profound, consistent, and willful perversion. This isn't just about minor transgressions but a foundational state of being. The prophet's lament in verse 29, "The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melts in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away," further reinforces the verdict of verse 28, declaring the refining effort futile. This signifies that God's patience and method of purification, through prophetic warning and trials, have exhausted their purpose on an utterly unrepentant people. The analogy suggests that their sin had permeated so deeply, their will was so hardened, that even intense divine heat could not extract purity, but only prove their worthlessness. This tragic outcome serves as a stark warning about the consequences of persistent rebellion against God's persistent grace and patience.

Jeremiah 6 28 Commentary

Jeremiah 6:28 provides God's definitive judgment following a divine assay. It starkly reveals that the people of Judah are not merely flawed but fundamentally and thoroughly corrupt, characterized by chronic, ingrained rebellion against God. Their pervasive slander demonstrates a societal breakdown of truth and charity, reflecting a deeply depraved moral core. The metallic imagery of brass and iron vividly illustrates their spiritual hardness and utter resistance to God's refining work; unlike precious silver, they yield no purity under trial, only worthless dross. This unyielding nature marks them as beyond salvaging by the current process, rendering them spiritually valueless and active agents of destruction in their world. Their corruption is comprehensive, from heart to action, making them utterly unprepared for divine favor.