Jeremiah 7 28

Jeremiah 7:28 kjv

But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.

Jeremiah 7:28 nkjv

"So you shall say to them, 'This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the LORD their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth.

Jeremiah 7:28 niv

Therefore say to them, 'This is the nation that has not obeyed the LORD its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

Jeremiah 7:28 esv

And you shall say to them, 'This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.

Jeremiah 7:28 nlt

Say to them, 'This is the nation whose people will not obey the LORD their God and who refuse to be taught. Truth has vanished from among them; it is no longer heard on their lips.

Jeremiah 7 verses

Jeremiah 7 28 Meaning

Jeremiah 7:28 declares God's severe indictment against the nation of Judah. It articulates their profound spiritual crisis as a complete failure to obey the Lord's voice and to accept His divine instruction. Consequently, truth, encompassing faithfulness, integrity, and reliability, has vanished and been completely cut off from their speech and actions. This verse signifies a total rupture in their covenant relationship, marking them as a people who have deliberately turned away from God's way.

Jeremiah 7 28 Context

Jeremiah 7:28 is a climactic statement within the "Temple Sermon" (Jer 7:1-15), delivered by Jeremiah at the gate of the Temple in Jerusalem. God commanded Jeremiah to confront the people's false security in the Temple and their ritualistic worship, while their daily lives were filled with idolatry, injustice, and disobedience to God's covenant laws. The preceding verses (Jer 7:21-26) emphasize that God desired obedience, not merely sacrifice, and recounts Israel's persistent disobedience from the Exodus onwards. Verse 27 explicitly states that Jeremiah would speak, but they would not listen, setting the stage for the definitive declaration of their incorrigibility in verse 28. Historically, this prophecy occurs during a period of profound spiritual decline in Judah, after the reign of righteous King Josiah, leading towards the inevitable Babylonian exile, a direct consequence of their unrepentant apostasy.

Jeremiah 7 28 Word analysis

• Therefore (וְלָכֵן - və-la-khen): This conjunctive adverb signifies a logical consequence or outcome, connecting God's impending pronouncement directly to the persistent disobedience and refusal to listen previously described. It establishes a cause-and-effect relationship.

• you shall say (תֹּאמַר - to-mar): A divine imperative to Jeremiah, emphasizing the authoritative and unavoidable nature of this declaration as coming directly from God.

• to them (אֲלֵיהֶם - ‘ă-lê-hem): Refers to the people of Judah, particularly those gathered at the Temple, the audience of the preceding sermon.

• This is the nation (זֹאת הַגּוֹי - zōṯ hag-gōw): A powerful and ironic designation. Goy (גּוֹי) typically refers to a gentile or foreign nation. By calling Judah "this nation," God highlights their failure to maintain their unique, consecrated identity as His covenant people, implicitly equating them with godless foreign entities due to their actions.

• that has not obeyed (אֲשֶׁר לֹא־ שָׁמְעוּ - ’ă-šer lō’- šā-mə-‘ū): Šāma‘ (שָׁמַע) means more than just "to hear"; it fundamentally means "to listen and obey" or "to heed." The "not" (לֹא) indicates a definitive and absolute refusal, underscoring their chronic spiritual deafness.

• the voice (בְּקוֹל - bə-qōw): Refers to the verbal commands, teachings, and pronouncements of God, communicated through the Law, prophets, and direct revelation.

• of the Lord their God (יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם - YHWH ’ĕ-lō-hê-hem): This phrase emphasizes the broken covenant relationship. YHWH (יְהוָה) signifies the covenant-keeping God, while "their God" (Elohim) underscores the personal relationship they were meant to cherish. They have rebelled against the very One to whom they were bound by sacred promise.

• nor received instruction (וְלֹא־ לָקְחוּ מוּסָר - wə-lō’- lāq-ḥū mūsār): Mûsār (מוּסָר) refers to discipline, correction, moral guidance, or training, often with the intent of leading to wisdom and righteousness (e.g., from a father to a son in Proverbs). "Received" (lāqaḥ) implies taking to heart and accepting. Their rejection of divine discipline indicates deep-seated stubbornness and pride.

• truth (הָאֱמוּנָה - hā-’ĕ-mū-nāh): ’Ěmûnāh (אֱמוּנָה) is a rich theological term meaning faithfulness, steadfastness, integrity, reliability, and loyalty, extending beyond mere factual accuracy to character and commitment. It is a core attribute of God and a quality demanded of His covenant people.

• has perished (אָבְדָה - ’ā-və-ḏāh): From ’ābad (אָבַד), meaning to be lost, destroyed, to perish. It indicates that truth has completely vanished, no longer present or discoverable among them.

• and has been cut off (וְנִכְרְתָה - wə-niḵ-rə-ṯāh): From kārat (כָּרַת), "to cut off," "to sever." Often used for breaking a covenant. Here in the Niphal (passive), it implies a definitive and permanent severing, as if truth has been violently removed or amputated.

• from their mouth (מִפִּיהֶם - mip-pî-hem): The "mouth" represents their speech, communication, and outward expression. This phrase means that truth is absent not only from their inner being but conspicuously missing from their public declarations, promises, and testimony. It signifies a profound lack of integrity in their very words and public witness.

• "not obeyed the voice of the Lord their God": This phrase captures the essence of covenant disobedience. They willfully ignored the divine commands and communications from the One who called them into existence as a nation. It implies a failure to actively listen and respond to God's will.

• "nor received instruction": This phrase highlights their resistance to God's corrective discipline. Like rebellious children, they refused the guidance and correction meant to bring them back to righteousness, revealing a hardened heart unwilling to learn or change.

• "truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth": This signifies the total absence of integrity, faithfulness, and reliability within the nation. Not only do they lack these qualities internally, but their very words and public expressions are devoid of truth. This is a severe judgment, indicating a fundamental spiritual corruption.

Jeremiah 7 28 Bonus section

• The stark designation of Judah as "this nation" (hazzeh hagoy), instead of God's cherished "My people," underscores God's deep disillusionment and suggests that Judah, by its actions, has effectively forfeited its special covenant status and behaved no better than pagan nations.
• The progression of the indictment from hearing ("not obeyed the voice") to receiving correction ("nor received instruction") and finally to expressing reality ("truth...cut off from their mouth") reveals a comprehensive breakdown in their spiritual faculties. It implies a willful refusal to engage with God's word at every level.
• The absence of ’emûnāh (truth/faithfulness) is critically significant because faithfulness is an intrinsic attribute of God (e.g., Deut 32:4; Psa 36:5) and a foundational requirement for His people. Its total disappearance from Judah means they no longer reflect the character of the God they claim to serve.
• This verse can be understood as a direct response to Jeremiah's repeated warnings earlier in the chapter that his words, despite being God's truth, would fall on deaf ears (Jer 7:27). Their internal corruption manifests as an external inability to speak or live truthfully.

Jeremiah 7 28 Commentary

Jeremiah 7:28 serves as a devastating verdict on Judah's spiritual condition, pronounced by God Himself through His prophet. It summarily articulates the twin failures of disobedience to the divine word and a rejection of God's corrective discipline. The phrase "not obeyed the voice of the Lord their God" underscores a consistent, deep-seated refusal to heed the covenant commands of the God who graciously chose them. This was not a passive oversight but an active, willful defiance that permeated their national life. Their failure to "receive instruction" points to a profound stubbornness, akin to a child who rejects a loving father's guidance, thus demonstrating an unwillingness to learn or change their destructive course.

The most striking condemnation comes with the declaration that "truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth." Here, "truth" (’emûnāh) encompasses more than just factual accuracy; it signifies faithfulness, integrity, reliability, and moral uprightness, essential qualities for a covenant people. Its "perishing" indicates that it has completely vanished from among them, rendered non-existent. The imagery of truth being "cut off from their mouth" paints a picture of deliberate severance, implying that even their public speech, their testimony, and their religious professions have become empty, devoid of genuine faithfulness to God or one another. This pervasive spiritual rot, manifested in both hearing and speaking, signifies a nation fundamentally broken and ripe for God's just judgment. This is a sober reminder that true worship extends beyond ritual to heartfelt obedience and genuine integrity.