Jeremiah 9 13

Jeremiah 9:13 kjv

And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;

Jeremiah 9:13 nkjv

And the LORD said, "Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it,

Jeremiah 9:13 niv

The LORD said, "It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law.

Jeremiah 9:13 esv

And the LORD says: "Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it,

Jeremiah 9:13 nlt

The LORD replies, "This has happened because my people have abandoned my instructions; they have refused to obey what I said.

Jeremiah 9 verses

Jeremiah 9 13 Meaning

Jeremiah 9:13 provides God's direct explanation for the catastrophic judgment befalling Judah: their persistent abandonment of His divine law. The verse highlights three specific dimensions of their disobedience: they forsook His instruction that was clearly revealed, they refused to listen to His authoritative voice, and they failed to live out or follow His statutes. This demonstrates a comprehensive and willful rebellion against their covenant Lord, underscoring the spiritual root of their impending destruction.

Jeremiah 9 13 Context

Jeremiah 9:13 directly answers the rhetorical question posed by God in verse 12: "Why has the land perished...?" This chapter vividly portrays the depth of Judah's moral and spiritual corruption. It laments the prevalence of deceit, injustice, and idolatry, with the prophet expressing profound grief over his people's spiritual state and the impending judgment from God. Jeremiah, serving during the tumultuous final decades of the Kingdom of Judah (late 7th to early 6th century BCE), delivered these messages against a backdrop of increasing political instability and growing threat from the Babylonian Empire. Spiritually, the people of Judah had strayed significantly from the Mosaic Covenant, embracing idolatry and relying on external religious observances rather than genuine heart-obedience. The land itself was affected by their sin, suffering a "desolation" as forewarned in covenant curses (e.g., Lev 26, Dt 28). This verse stands as God's unambiguous pronouncement, cutting through any human rationalization, to pinpoint the sole cause of their suffering: their consistent and intentional abandonment of His revealed will.

Jeremiah 9 13 Word analysis

• It is because (כִּי, kî): This causal conjunction serves as a direct answer to the preceding rhetorical question "Why?". It states the explicit reason, leaving no room for alternative explanations.
• they have forsaken (עָזְבָם, ʿāzəbām): From the verb ʿāzaḇ, meaning "to abandon, to leave, to desert." This signifies a deliberate, conscious act of turning away from something once possessed or known. It's a severing of connection, a deep spiritual act of betrayal.
• my law (אֶת־תּוֹרָתִי, ʾet-tōrātî): Tōrāh (instruction, teaching, law) comes from a root meaning "to teach" or "to direct." It implies God's benevolent guidance and wisdom, designed for the people's good, not merely a set of rules. The possessive suffix "-my" (ī) emphasizes its divine origin and personal relationship with God. Forsaking Tōrāh is forsaking God's wisdom and Himself.
• which I set before them (אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵיהֶם, ʾăšer nāṯattî lip̄nêhem): Nāṯattî (I gave/set) indicates God's proactive revelation. Lip̄nêhem (before their faces) emphasizes clarity and accessibility. The law was not hidden or obscure; it was openly and plainly presented, making their forsaking of it even more egregious.
• and have not obeyed (וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ, wəloʾ šāməʿû): Šāmaʿ means "to hear" but in the biblical context, it strongly implies "to hear and obey," to heed. The negation "not" indicates an active refusal to listen and follow God's commands.
• my voice (בְקוֹלִי, bəqôlî): Qôl refers to the voice, sound, or thunder. Here, "My voice" represents God's direct personal communication, His commands, His declarations. Not obeying His voice indicates a deeper, more personal rejection of the speaker (God) Himself, beyond merely disregarding His written law.
• or walked in it (וְלֹא־הָלְכוּ בָהּ, wəloʾ-hālḵû bāh): Hālaḵ (to walk, go, live, follow) is a common biblical metaphor for one's way of life or conduct. "To walk in it" (referring to the law) means to embody its principles in daily life, to live according to its dictates. This highlights that their disobedience was not just theoretical or a lack of intellectual assent, but a practical failure in their daily lives and societal interactions.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "because they have forsaken my law": This identifies the primary offense. It's an act of spiritual apostasy – a conscious and willful abandonment of God's revealed instruction given to His covenant people.
• "which I set before them": This phrase underscores God's justice. The law was not a secret, but clearly communicated, placing full responsibility for its rejection upon the people.
• "and have not obeyed my voice": This indicates a deeper relational failure. It's a refusal to listen to God's authority and guidance, signifying a breakdown in the covenant relationship established on hearing and heeding.
• "or walked in it": This signifies a practical, lived rebellion. It demonstrates that their disobedience permeated their daily conduct, revealing that their heart condition led to ungodly actions. The progression from "forsaking law" to "not obeying voice" to "not walking in it" illustrates a comprehensive and pervasive spiritual decline.

Jeremiah 9 13 Bonus section

The specific three-fold description of Judah's sin—forsaking the law, not obeying God's voice, and not walking in it—shows a comprehensive and layered spiritual breakdown. It moves from an intellectual and theological rejection of the revealed Tōrāh (God's wisdom), to a relational refusal of God's personal command (His voice), and finally to a practical and behavioral disobedience in daily life (walking in it). This progression highlights that their sin was deeply entrenched, affecting their understanding, their relationship with God, and their everyday actions, collectively resulting in complete apostasy from their covenant. It suggests that merely "knowing" the law is insufficient; one must "hear and obey" (as in Dt 6:4, "Hear, O Israel..."), and "walk" in its ways. The verse serves as a powerful reminder that spiritual judgment arises from a consistent and active departure from divine truth, particularly when that truth has been clearly and lovingly provided.

Jeremiah 9 13 Commentary

Jeremiah 9:13 is God's succinct yet profound diagnosis of Judah's spiritual malady, the foundational reason for their judgment. The verse attributes the coming catastrophe directly to the people's pervasive rebellion against their covenant God. This was not a passive negligence but an active abandonment of the very instruction (Tōrāh) that shaped their identity and promised them blessing. God stresses that this law was "set before them" – openly and unambiguously revealed since Sinai, indicating their full culpability. Their failure to "obey His voice" points to a profound relational rupture; they not only neglected rules but ignored the speaker. Furthermore, their refusal to "walk in it" reveals a disconnect between their professed faith and their practical life, signifying a complete failure to embody the law's principles. This verse thus articulates the culmination of centuries of Israel's spiritual decline, a persistent pattern of choosing self-will and idolatry over divine wisdom, leading inevitably to the just consequences foretold in their own covenant.