Jeremiah 9:3 kjv
And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:3 nkjv
"And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me," says the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:3 niv
"They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me," declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:3 esv
They bend their tongue like a bow; falsehood and not truth has grown strong in the land; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:3 nlt
"My people bend their tongues like bows
to shoot out lies.
They refuse to stand up for the truth.
They only go from bad to worse.
They do not know me,"
says the LORD.
Jeremiah 9 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 12:3-4 | "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks proud things, those who say, 'With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own—who is master over us?'" | Misuse of tongue, pride in deceptive speech. |
| Ps 52:2 | "Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, working deceitfully." | Tongue as a destructive weapon of deceit. |
| Ps 57:4 | "I am in the midst of lions; I lie among fiery beasts... their tongue a sharp sword." | Metaphor for malicious tongues as deadly weapons. |
| Ps 64:3 | "who sharpen their tongue like a sword and aim bitter words like arrows." | Direct parallel: tongues as bows shooting bitter words. |
| Prov 6:17 | "...a lying tongue..." | Lying tongue listed among abominations to God. |
| Prov 10:18 | "The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool." | Link between hatred and deceptive speech. |
| Prov 12:19 | "Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment." | Contrast between truth's endurance and lie's transience. |
| Prov 17:4 | "An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue." | Companionship in wickedness and deceit. |
| Prov 26:28 | "A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin." | Harmful consequences of deceitful and flattering speech. |
| Jas 3:5-8 | "So also the tongue is a small member... but no human being can tame the tongue..." | Expansive teaching on the destructive power of the tongue. |
| Isa 59:3-4 | "For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity... no one pleads with integrity, no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas and speak lies..." | Pervasive lying and iniquity in society. |
| Isa 59:13 | "...rebelling and denying the Lord, turning from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words." | Rejection of God manifesting in deceptive speech. |
| Hos 4:1-2 | "There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery..." | Moral decay, lack of knowledge of God, pervasive sins. |
| Mic 7:2-4 | "The godly have perished from the earth, and there is no upright among mankind... they hunt each other with nets... they skillfully do evil..." | Complete moral breakdown, including deliberate malice. |
| Rom 1:21, 24-32 | "...although they knew God, they did not honor him... God gave them up to dishonorable passions... God gave them up to a debased mind..." | Progression of sin due to rejecting the knowledge of God. |
| 2 Tim 3:13 | "But evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." | Continuing downward spiral of moral depravity and deceit. |
| Prov 4:16 | "For they cannot sleep unless they have done evil; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble." | Delight and ingrained habit of evil actions. |
| Hos 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." | Central theme of Hosea: destruction due to lack of God's knowledge. |
| Jer 2:8 | "The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me..." | Religious leaders themselves lacking knowledge of God. |
| Jer 4:22 | "For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are children that have no understanding." | God lamenting His people's ignorance and foolishness. |
| John 17:3 | "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." | New Testament perspective: eternal life is knowing God. |
| 1 Cor 15:34 | "Awaken to righteousness, and do not continue to sin; for some have no knowledge of God." | Exhortation to stop sinning based on a lack of God's knowledge. |
| 1 John 2:3-4 | "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments... whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar..." | True knowledge of God evidenced by obedience, otherwise it's a lie. |
| Matt 7:23 | "And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" | Divine rejection of those who claim devotion but practice lawlessness. |
Jeremiah 9 verses
Jeremiah 9 3 Meaning
Jeremiah 9:3 describes a society entrenched in deliberate falsehood and spiritual ignorance. The verse vividly portrays the people's malicious speech as a weapon, likened to an archer bending a bow, ready to shoot arrows of deceit rather than speaking truthfully. This pervasive practice of lying has become dominant in the land, reflecting a continuous and worsening moral decline, moving from one evil act to another. The root cause for this profound corruption, as declared by the Lord, is their fundamental lack of intimate, covenantal knowledge and relationship with Him.
Jeremiah 9 3 Context
Jeremiah 9:3 appears within Jeremiah's deep laments over the moral corruption and spiritual apostasy of Judah just prior to its exile to Babylon. Chapter 9, specifically, expresses the prophet's profound sorrow, wishing he could cry endlessly over the desolation and deception rampant among his people. It vividly details the breakdown of trust and truthfulness, highlighting that no one can rely on their neighbor. The people, from the highest leadership to the common person, had become masters of deceit, valuing cleverness in wickedness over integrity. This verse encapsulates the systemic nature of their sin, where verbal deception is not accidental but a calculated act, a weapon in their daily interactions. The underlying issue, articulated at the verse's end, is their failure to maintain their covenant relationship with God, resulting in societal decay and divine judgment.
Jeremiah 9 3 Word analysis
They bend: From the Hebrew root darak (דָּרַךְ), which literally means "to tread" but also "to bend a bow." This verb emphasizes a deliberate, prepared, and purposeful action, like an archer meticulously preparing a shot. It implies calculation and intent, not impulsive speech.
their tongue: Lashon (לְשׁוֹנָם). While referring to the physical organ, it primarily represents speech, language, and the words that proceed from the mouth. Here, it is personified as the active agent of deception.
like their bow: Qeshet (קַשְׁתָּם). A military weapon, designed for firing arrows accurately and lethally over a distance. The metaphor is stark: their speech is not for communication or truth, but for targeting, harming, and destroying.
lies: Sheqer (שֶׁקֶר). Denotes falsehood, deception, treachery, and deliberate untruth. It is the active manufacturing of untruth.
and not faithfulness / and not for truth: V'lo l'emunah (וְלֹא לֶאֱמוּנָה). Emunah signifies reliability, faithfulness, truthfulness, and steadfastness—qualities essential for covenantal relationship and societal trust. The negation highlights a profound departure from these foundational virtues, showing speech is oriented away from truth and fidelity.
prevail: From gavru (גָּבְרוּ), meaning "to be mighty," "to be strong," or "to overcome." It signifies that lies are not merely present but are dominant and effective in the land, overpowering truth and justice.
in the land: Ba'aretz (בָּאָרֶץ). Refers specifically to the land of Judah, the covenant land God gave to His people. This emphasizes the widespread, societal, and geographical prevalence of this moral failing.
for they proceed: Implies a continuous, unrestrained advancement.
from evil to evil: Me-ra'ah el ra'ah (מֵרָעָה אֶל רָעָה). Ra'ah (רָעָה) means wickedness, evil, or mischief. This phrase illustrates a relentless, progressive deterioration in character and conduct. It's not a single act but a worsening, compounding cycle of depravity, implying an ingrained habit and an unrepentant spirit.
and they do not know Me: Lo yada'u 'otiy (לֹא יָדָעוּ אֹתִי). Yada (יָדַע) for "know" is profound in biblical Hebrew, meaning more than intellectual acquaintance. It signifies a deep, personal, intimate, covenantal relationship, characterized by obedience, experience, and recognition of God's character and demands. To "not know" God is a rejection of this relationship, leading to moral anarchy.
declares the Lord: Ne'um Yahweh (נְאֻם־יְהוָה). This authoritative prophetic formula confirms that this indictment is a direct divine revelation and judgment from the sovereign God, Yahweh.
Words-group analysis:
- "They bend their tongue like their bow; lies and not faithfulness prevail in the land": This phrase vividly captures the deliberate and destructive nature of deceitful speech. It's a calculated act, using the most powerful means of human interaction (speech) as a weapon to achieve wicked ends, instead of building trust or upholding truth. This intentional distortion of communication has become the societal norm, overwhelming honesty and integrity.
- "for they proceed from evil to evil": This indicates a trajectory of progressive sinfulness. Their actions are not isolated incidents but a continuous downward spiral into greater depravity, showing a lack of any moral braking system or repentance. It paints a picture of entrenched wickedness that self-perpetuates and worsens.
- "and they do not know Me," declares the Lord": This final statement is both an indictment and the ultimate explanation for their corruption. Their deep-seated moral failings stem directly from a broken covenantal relationship and a fundamental misunderstanding or rejection of God's character and His commands. Without a genuine knowledge of God, there is no foundation for truth, justice, or faithfulness, making their lies and escalating evil a natural consequence.
Jeremiah 9 3 Bonus section
The metaphor of the "bow" for the tongue emphasizes readiness and potency. An archer keeps a bow bent and taut when expecting to shoot, implying a constant state of preparedness for deception in Judah. The cumulative effect of these individual acts of deceit becomes a collective force ("prevail in the land"), illustrating how personal sin can metastasize into societal norms. The 'not knowing God' goes beyond simple ignorance; it implies a refusal to acknowledge Him in their lives, despite having the Law and prophets. This highlights the severity of spiritual blindness, where even religious observance can exist without true communion with God, rendering it hollow and ineffective against the tide of sin. This verse also serves as a warning for all ages, that without true knowledge and fear of God, human society inevitably descends into a spiral of deceit and increasing wickedness.
Jeremiah 9 3 Commentary
Jeremiah 9:3 powerfully unmasks the heart of Judah's spiritual sickness: a pervasive culture of lies rooted in a profound ignorance of God. The graphic image of the tongue bent like a bow portrays not just casual untruths, but calculated, malicious, and damaging deception. Their speech is aimed with intent to wound and betray, demonstrating a total disregard for covenantal trust and social fabric. This moral degradation is not static; it's a relentless slide "from evil to evil," indicating a society actively choosing deeper depravity and losing its moral compass. The climactic reason provided by the Lord Himself – "they do not know Me" – reveals that all societal ills and individual corruptions stem from a fundamental failure in their relationship with Him. This is not a lack of intellectual understanding, but an absence of experiential, obedient, and covenantal knowledge of who God truly is and what He demands. When people cease to truly know God, their moral universe collapses, leading to widespread deception and an escalation of wickedness.