Jeremiah 9 5

Jeremiah 9:5 kjv

And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Jeremiah 9:5 nkjv

Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Jeremiah 9:5 niv

Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning.

Jeremiah 9:5 esv

Everyone deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves committing iniquity.

Jeremiah 9:5 nlt

They all fool and defraud each other;
no one tells the truth.
With practiced tongues they tell lies;
they wear themselves out with all their sinning.

Jeremiah 9 verses

Jeremiah 9 5 Meaning

This verse describes God's rejection of deception and false worship practiced by the Israelites. They trusted in their lies and their strength, forgetting the true God and His covenant. This betrayal was so profound that it rendered their prayers and sacrifices worthless.

Jeremiah 9 5 Context

Jeremiah chapter 9 is part of Jeremiah's prophecy during a time of significant national crisis for Judah. The people were facing imminent destruction due to their continued idolatry, injustice, and spiritual adultery, despite God's repeated warnings through Jeremiah. This specific verse, Jeremiah 9:5, follows Jeremiah's lament over the widespread sin and deceit among the people, lamenting that they have not turned from their wicked ways. He portrays them as skilled in speaking falsely and becoming powerful through deceit rather than righteousness. The verse highlights their false reliance on human strength and worldly wisdom, a reliance that ultimately renders their attempts to connect with God, through speaking or prayer, meaningless in God’s eyes because their hearts are far from Him.

Jeremiah 9 5 Word Analysis

• וְלֹא֙ (vəlō'): "and not". This is a strong negation combined with a conjunction, emphasizing the preceding or subsequent statement, in this case, the rejection of their habitation.
• יִרְבּוּ (’yirbū): "shall they increase" or "shall they multiply". Refers to an increase in population or prosperity, which they mistakenly trusted in.
• לָשֶׁ֔בֶת (lāšɛvɛṯ): "to dwell" or "to inhabit". Speaks of their physical presence and their comfortable habitation in the land.
• כִּֽי־ (kî-): "for" or "because". Introduces the reason for the preceding statement – their practice of falsehood.
• קָרְב֛וּ (qārvū): "they have drawn near" or "they have approached". This refers to approaching God in worship or prayer.
• כָּזָ֖ב (kāzāḇ): "a lie" or "falsehood". The core sin being addressed; their deceptive practices.
• נַפְשָׁ֑ם (nap̄šām): "their soul" or "themselves". Emphasizes that this deceit is deep-seated, affecting their very being.
• לְהִתְחַזֵּֽק (’lɪhɪṯḥazêq): "to strengthen themselves" or "to make themselves strong". They relied on their own strength, alliances, or material wealth, rather than God.
• לִהְיוֹ֖ת (lɪh₌yōṯ): "to be". Used here to indicate a state or consequence.
• אֱלֹהִ֥ים (’ĕlōhîm): "God". The true God they had forsaken.
• כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ (ka’ǎšɛr): "as" or "even as". Indicates a comparison or manner of their relationship with God.

Words Group Analysis:

• "speak lies every one of them with his neighbour": This phrase depicts a societal norm of deception, extending even to close relationships, highlighting a pervasive corruption.
• "tolling with lips and with a double heart": This captures hypocrisy – speaking one thing with their lips while harboring a different intention in their heart, a disconnect between outward profession and inward reality.
• "for they have drawn near with a lie, and with falsehood": This explains their attempts to approach God or present themselves as righteous were tainted by their consistent practice of deception.
• "and have made their hearts strong to be not a God": This powerful phrase articulates their conscious turning away from God, not merely through accidental sin but through a hardened resolve to depend on something else, essentially dethroning God in their lives.

Jeremiah 9 5 Bonus Section

The Hebrew word for "neighbour" in verse 4 and reiterated in the context of this verse, shaken, often implied more than just someone living nearby; it could refer to a trusted companion or even a brother, making the widespread deceit particularly egregious. The idea of "making their hearts strong" in verse 5 is a deliberate turning away from God's influence, an active hardening of the heart against His Word and guidance, which is a severe spiritual offense. The inability of their deceitful ways to secure them ultimately points to the futility of human endeavors apart from divine blessing and faithfulness.

Jeremiah 9 5 Commentary

The people of Judah in Jeremiah’s time had a superficial religious practice. They would engage in the outward forms of worship and prayer, drawing near to God. However, their hearts were filled with deceit, and their lives were characterized by falsehood and self-reliance. They boasted in their strength and alliances, believing these provided security. This internal corruption invalidated their external religious activities. God sees the heart and is repulsed by hypocrisy. Their spoken words of worship were not accompanied by sincerity or a genuine dependence on Him. Thus, their prayers and their attempts to connect with the Divine were empty and rejected because their foundational allegiance was not to God but to their own deceptive schemes and misplaced trust. This serves as a perpetual reminder that genuine worship is rooted in truthfulness and a sincere heart dedicated to God, not mere ritual or eloquent words masking inner falsehood.