Jeremiah 8:2
in Jeremiah 8They will be exposed to the sun and moon, and to all the host of heaven which they have loved, served, followed, consulted, and worshiped. Their bones will not be gathered up or buried, but will become like dung lying on the ground.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they have loved, and which they have served, and after which they have walked, and which they have sought, and which they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
KJV
And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
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This verse in Jeremiah 8
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Loved ... served ... walked ... sought ... worshipped - There is great force in the piled-up verbs by which their worship of the heavenly bodies is described. The prophet beginning with the heart’s “love” describes that worship) in the various stages of its development, and then contrasts its fulness with the miserable reward which ensues.
This site's exposition
they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah
on Jeremiah 8:1-3
The bones of Judah's kings, princes, priests, prophets and common people alike are pictured dragged from their graves and spread before the sun, moon and host of heaven they had worshipped, the exact objects of devotion turned into witnesses of the corpse's shame. Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain states the depth of the coming siege and exile in one line, a captivity so bitter that survivors will envy the dead rather than the living. The bench reads the scene as judgment answering idolatry in kind, worship offered to the sky repaid by exposure under it.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
The faithful, as I have said, suffer no loss, when burial is denied them; but yet they do not disregard burial, inasmuch as it is a badge of the resurrection.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
They sought them, consulted them as oracles, appealed to them as judges, implored their favour, and prayed to them as their benefactors. They worshipped them, gave them divine honour, as having a sovereign dominion over them.
The words behind it
27 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּשְׁטָחוּם֩ | ushetachum | and they will spread out them | H7849 → | |
| לַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ | lashemesh | to the sun | H8121 → | 134 times |
| וְלַיָּרֵ֜חַ | velaiyareach | and to the moon | H3394 → | |
| וּלְכֹ֣ל׀ | ulekhol | and to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| צְבָ֣א | tzeva' | [the] host of | H6635 → | 485 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אֲהֵב֜וּם | ʾahevum | they loved them | H157 → | 211 times |
| וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר | vaasher | and which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עֲבָדוּם֙ | ʾavadum | they served them | H5647 → | 288 times |
| וַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ | vaasher | and which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָלְכ֣וּ | halekhu | they walked | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ם | ʾachareihem | after them | H310 → | 715 times |
| וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר | vaasher | and which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דְּרָשׁ֔וּם | derashum | they consulted them | H1875 → | 164 times |
| וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר | vaasher | and which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ | hishtachavu | they bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| לָהֶ֑ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ | yeasefu | they will be gathered | H622 → | 200 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִקָּבֵ֔רוּ | yikaveru | they will be buried | H6912 → | 133 times |
| לְדֹ֛מֶן | ledomen | <into> dung | H1828 → | 6 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּנֵ֥י | penei | [the] surface of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הָאֲדָמָ֖ה | haadamah | the ground | H127 → | 225 times |
| יִֽהְיֽוּ׃ | yihyu | they will become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
וּשְׁטָחוּם֩and they will spread out them
ushetachumH7849 →
לַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁto the sun
lashemeshH8121 →134 times
וְלַיָּרֵ֜חַand to the moon
velaiyareachH3394 →
וּלְכֹ֣ל׀and to all
ulekholH3605 →5413 times
צְבָ֣א[the] host of
tzeva'H6635 →485 times
הַשָּׁמַ֗יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אֲהֵב֜וּםthey loved them
ʾahevumH157 →211 times
וַאֲשֶׁ֤רand which
vaasherH834 →5497 times
עֲבָדוּם֙they served them
ʾavadumH5647 →288 times
וַֽאֲשֶׁר֙and which
vaasherH834 →5497 times
הָלְכ֣וּthey walked
halekhuH1980 →1546 times
אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔םafter them
ʾachareihemH310 →715 times
וַאֲשֶׁ֣רand which
vaasherH834 →5497 times
דְּרָשׁ֔וּםthey consulted them
derashumH1875 →164 times
וַאֲשֶׁ֥רand which
vaasherH834 →5497 times
הִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּthey bowed down
hishtachavuH7812 →172 times
לָהֶ֑םto <the> them
lahem
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יֵאָֽסְפוּ֙they will be gathered
yeasefuH622 →200 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִקָּבֵ֔רוּthey will be buried
yikaveruH6912 →133 times
לְדֹ֛מֶן<into> dung
ledomenH1828 →6 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּנֵ֥י[the] surface of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הָאֲדָמָ֖הthe ground
haadamahH127 →225 times
יִֽהְיֽוּ׃they will become
yihyuH1961 →3559 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Acts 7:42But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and…
it leads to
- Amos 5:25–26
Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
- Jeremiah 19:13
The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like that place, Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they burned incense to all the host of heaven and…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 20:39
And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you…
- Psalms 81:11–12
But My people would not listen to Me, and Israel would not obey Me.
- Amos 5:25–26
Through
Deuteronomy 4:19When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to…
it leads to
- Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.
- Deuteronomy 17:3
and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
- 2 Kings 21:3
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped…
- Genesis 1:16–18
God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.
- Romans 1:25
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.