Jeremiah 8 14

Jeremiah 8:14 kjv

Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

Jeremiah 8:14 nkjv

"Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, And let us enter the fortified cities, And let us be silent there. For the LORD our God has put us to silence And given us water of gall to drink, Because we have sinned against the LORD.

Jeremiah 8:14 niv

Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him.

Jeremiah 8:14 esv

Why do we sit still? Gather together; let us go into the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

Jeremiah 8:14 nlt

"Then the people will say,
'Why should we wait here to die?
Come, let's go to the fortified towns and die there.
For the LORD our God has decreed our destruction
and has given us a cup of poison to drink
because we sinned against the LORD.

Jeremiah 8 verses

Jeremiah 8 14 Meaning

Jeremiah 8:14 depicts a moment of collective despair and grim realization among the people of Judah facing imminent judgment. The verse opens with a rhetorical question reflecting their futile inaction, swiftly transitioning to a desperate, fatalistic suggestion to gather in fortified cities only to "perish there." They explicitly acknowledge that the LORD their God has destined them for destruction, symbolized by being given "poisoned water to drink," all because of their sins against Him. It captures a moment of forced confession of national guilt and the dreadful inevitability of divine judgment, which even their strongest human defenses cannot avert.

Jeremiah 8 14 Context

Jeremiah 8:14 falls within a section (chapters 7-10) where the prophet Jeremiah confronts Judah's false security, deep-seated idolatry, and refusal to repent, predicting severe divine judgment. Immediately preceding this verse, Jeremiah has lamented the spiritual blindness and incurable "wound" of his people (8:4-13), contrasting their steadfast turning away from God with migratory birds knowing their seasons (8:7). The leaders, prophets, and priests are exposed for their deceit and for offering false hopes of peace. In this verse, the collective "we" signals a shift from Jeremiah's prophetic voice to what sounds like the desperate, belated realization of the people themselves or their spokespersons. They have been warned, but now the impending Babylonian invasion makes the reality inescapable. Fortified cities, traditionally symbols of safety and defense, are now ironically seen as places of certain destruction due to God's decree against them.

Jeremiah 8 14 Word analysis

• Why do we sit still? (לָמָּה אֲנַחְנוּ יֹשְׁבִים, Lammah anachnu yoshvim)
  • Why do we sit still?: A rhetorical question expressing bewildered inertia or futility. It indicates a sudden, painful realization of their passive and inadequate response in the face of escalating danger. It also might imply an initial inaction, now replaced by panicked despair.
• Assemble yourselves, (הֵאָסְפוּ, he'asefu)
  • Assemble yourselves: A command, urging a gathering. This could imply a last-ditch effort for defense, or more likely, for seeking refuge, albeit one they acknowledge as futile.
• and let us enter into the fortified cities (וְנָבוֹא אֶל־עָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר, ve-navo el-arei ha-mivtzar)
  • fortified cities (arei ha-mivtzar): Lit. "cities of the fortress/stronghold." These were strategically vital defensive locations in ancient warfare, normally offering protection. Their proposed refuge highlights their reliance on human structures, yet this reliance is immediately undermined.
• and perish there, (וְנִדְּמָה־שָּׁם, ve-niddəmah-sham)
  • perish there: From the root דָּמַם (damam), meaning to be silenced, cut off, or destroyed. The immediate admission that they will perish even within their strongholds signifies utter despair and a complete loss of confidence in human security. The repetition of this idea through "doomed us to perish" emphasizes its certainty and God's role.
• for the LORD our God has doomed us to perish (כִּי־הַדִּמָּנוּ יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ לֹהַדְמָּה, ki-hadimmanu Yahweh Eloheinu lohaddamman)
  • the LORD our God: A direct and explicit acknowledgment of Yahweh, their covenant God, as the orchestrator of their fate, not merely some impersonal disaster.
  • doomed us to perish: Uses the intensive form of damam, strongly asserting God's decisive and active role in their destruction. This is not happenstance; it is a divinely decreed judgment.
• and has given us poisoned water to drink (וַיַּשְׁקֵנוּ מֵי־רֹאשׁ, vayashqenu mei-rosh)
  • poisoned water (mei-rosh): Lit. "water of gall/poison." Rosh refers to a bitter or poisonous plant (like hemlock or gall) that produces a severe, often deadly, effect. It is a powerful metaphor for the bitter, destructive consequences of their sin, a divinely appointed "cup of wrath" or a taste of judgment and suffering (compare with Deut 29:18 and Lam 3:15,19).
  • to drink: Emphasizes the consumption and absorption of these bitter consequences into their very being, inescapable and devastating.
• because we have sinned against the LORD. (כִּי חָטָאנוּ לַיהוָה, ki chat'anu la-Yahweh)
  • because we have sinned against the LORD: A clear and concise confession of national guilt, providing the ultimate theological justification for the severe judgment. This acknowledges their violation of the covenant relationship with Yahweh.

Jeremiah 8 14 Bonus section

The "we" voice in this verse is highly significant. Unlike many preceding passages where Jeremiah directly confronts the people, here it sounds like a communal cry of despair and resignation. While it is a confession of guilt, it lacks the spirit of repentance that might lead to a change in their fate, appearing instead as a lament over inevitable consequences rather than a turning back to God for mercy. The metaphor of "poisoned water" not only depicts suffering but might also evoke images of judgment associated with the Mosaic Law (e.g., the bitter water in the ordeal of jealousy in Numbers 5, though this passage carries a broader theological implication of covenant curses). This passage also strongly challenges any "prosperity gospel" mindset, as it demonstrates that faithless action leads directly to bitter divine retribution, where no amount of human strength or resource can withstand God's righteous judgment.

Jeremiah 8 14 Commentary

Jeremiah 8:14 powerfully articulates the culmination of national sin leading to desperate and inevitable divine judgment. It showcases the shattering of false security and the belated, agonizing realization of Judah's perilous state. The people's rhetorical question, "Why do we sit still?" marks a transition from defiant indifference or denial to a bleak, resigned understanding. Their subsequent plan to seek refuge in "fortified cities" is immediately tainted by the confession that they will "perish there"—an acknowledgement that even their most robust human defenses are impotent against the decree of their own God. This stark admission ("for the LORD our God has doomed us to perish") and the vivid imagery of "poisoned water to drink" underline the absolute sovereignty of God in judgment, where their covenant violations directly yield destructive consequences. The verse concludes with a crucial confession, "because we have sinned against the LORD," revealing their recognition of the righteous basis for their suffering, yet without indication of genuine repentance for salvation. It serves as a somber illustration of sin's inexorable wages and God's unwavering justice.