Jeremiah 8 9

Jeremiah 8:9 kjv

The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?

Jeremiah 8:9 nkjv

The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they have?

Jeremiah 8:9 niv

The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?

Jeremiah 8:9 esv

The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?

Jeremiah 8:9 nlt

These wise teachers will fall
into the trap of their own foolishness,
for they have rejected the word of the LORD.
Are they so wise after all?

Jeremiah 8 verses

Jeremiah 8 9 Meaning

Jeremiah 8:9 powerfully denounces the intellectual and spiritual leadership of Judah. Despite their claims of wisdom, these "wise men"—scribes, counselors, and priests—are exposed as utterly discredited, destined for public shame, overwhelming despair, and eventual capture. Their self-proclaimed knowledge is rendered void because they have willfully turned away from and rejected the foundational source of all true insight: the revealed Word of the Lord. Consequently, any wisdom they possessed or purported to have is shown to be non-existent, leading only to national and personal calamity.

Jeremiah 8 9 Context

Jeremiah 8:9 sits within a larger prophetic discourse of impending judgment against Judah for its persistent rebellion against YHWH. The preceding verses (v. 4-7) contrast Judah's spiritual stubbornness with the instinctive obedience of migratory birds, highlighting their unnatural rejection of God. Verse 8, specifically, mentions the "lying pen of the scribes," setting the stage for the condemnation of the "wise men" in verse 9. These wise men, often the legal and religious experts responsible for preserving and interpreting the Torah, are accused not merely of ignorance but of active perversion and rejection of God's authentic message. The overall context of chapter 8 details Judah's unfaithfulness, the deception of its leaders, the impending disaster (Babylonian invasion), and Jeremiah's lament over his people's incurable hurt. Historically, this prophecy occurs during a period of spiritual decline in Judah after King Josiah's reforms, where leaders continued to lead the people astray, clinging to false assurances of peace even as judgment loomed.

Jeremiah 8 9 Word analysis

• "The wise men" (הַחֲכָמִים, hachakhamim): Refers to the intellectual and societal elite of Judah—scribes, court counselors, priests, or respected elders. These were the educated individuals responsible for upholding and interpreting the Law, dispensing advice, and leading the people in matters of wisdom and righteousness. Their wisdom, however, is revealed to be superficial.

• "are ashamed" (בֹּשׁוּ, boshu): Denotes a profound sense of public humiliation and disgrace. It suggests a stripping away of their reputation and dignity, revealing the moral and intellectual nakedness behind their façade of wisdom.

• "they are dismayed" (חַתּוּ, chattu): Carries the sense of being terrified, bewildered, or completely confounded. It implies a collapse of their spirit and composure, facing a reality they cannot comprehend or avert, having no answer or escape.

• "and taken" (וַיִּלָּכְדוּ, vayilakhedu): Signifies being caught, captured, or entrapped. This imagery strongly points to the consequences of God's impending judgment, where they will literally be taken by enemies or figuratively caught in the snares of their own folly and God's just decree.

• "behold" (הִנֵּה, hinneh): An emphatic interjection. It draws immediate and urgent attention to the reason for the "wise men's" downfall, highlighting the certainty and crucial nature of the following revelation.

• "they have rejected" (פָּרָזוּ, parazu, often translated from a similar root, or signifying a breaking away): This key verb implies a deliberate and willful act of spurning, refusing, or casting aside. It's not a mere misunderstanding but a conscious, contemptuous dismissal of divine truth.

• "the word of the Lord" (דְּבַר יְהוָה, devar YHWH): Refers to the explicit divine revelation, instructions, covenant, and prophetic utterances given by YHWH. It is the ultimate standard of truth, righteousness, and the source of true life and wisdom for His people.

• "and what wisdom is in them?" (וּמַה-חָכְמָה לָהֶם, u'mah-chakhmah lahem): A rhetorical question that delivers a crushing indictment. It serves as a devastating punchline, meaning "Absolutely no wisdom at all!" It utterly nullifies any claims they might have to sagacity or understanding, exposing their human wisdom as barren when it separates itself from God's revelation.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken": This powerful triadic phrase encapsulates the trajectory of their failure and divine judgment. Their intellectual and social standing dissolves into public disgrace, followed by an internal collapse of courage, culminating in inevitable physical or metaphorical captivity. It demonstrates the hollowness of their self-reliant wisdom.
  • "behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord": This phrase pinpoints the precise and grievous cause of their predicament. Their catastrophic decline is directly attributed to their deliberate act of turning away from, ignoring, or perverting God's direct and authoritative communication. This rejection is not an oversight but a conscious choice with devastating repercussions.
  • "and what wisdom is in them?": This conclusive rhetorical question dramatically seals their condemnation. It highlights the ultimate emptiness and futility of any human wisdom—however esteemed or sophisticated—that operates independently from, or in opposition to, the divine revelation of YHWH. It asserts that true wisdom fundamentally resides only in adherence to God's word.

Jeremiah 8 9 Bonus section

• This verse contains a direct polemic against the notion that mere intellectual understanding or formal religious training guarantees true wisdom. It implies a critical distinction between possessing knowledge and submitting to its divine source.
• The condemnation of the "wise men" is not for lacking intelligence, but for using their intellect to contradict or replace the divine instruction, particularly after Jeremiah 8:8 which speaks of the "lying pen of the scribes." This suggests active falsification or reinterpretation of the Law for selfish gain or to appease the people, rather than mere error.
• The phrase "what wisdom is in them?" resonates throughout the Bible, particularly in the New Testament (e.g., 1 Corinthians), where God's "foolishness" is shown to be wiser than human "wisdom" and human reasoning often blinds one to divine truth.

Jeremiah 8 9 Commentary

Jeremiah 8:9 serves as a sharp prophetic rebuke, unmasking the spiritual and intellectual deceit rampant among Judah's leaders. It's a stark declaration that worldly wisdom, however sophisticated or highly regarded, becomes utter folly and leads to destruction when it actively rejects the clear, divine Word of God. The "wise men," entrusted with the Law, not only failed to embody its truth but consciously "rejected" it, effectively cutting themselves off from the very source of genuine wisdom. Their intellectual pride and spiritual rebellion lead directly to their impending "shame," "dismay," and being "taken," illustrating God's judgment against those who pervert His truth and mislead His people. This verse profoundly asserts that true wisdom is synonymous with knowing and obeying the Lord's commands; any alternative path ultimately yields only confusion, humiliation, and destruction. It calls all who claim to teach or lead to ground their knowledge solely in the unerring truth of God.