Jeremiah 8:6
in Jeremiah 8I have listened and heard; they do not speak what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, asking, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone has pursued his own course like a horse charging into battle.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repenteth him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turneth to his course, as a horse that rusheth headlong in the battle.
KJV
I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.
⋯
This verse in Jeremiah 8
Commentary
4 notes on this verse(Verse 6.) I listened and heard: no one speaks what is good. There is no one who repents for his sin, saying: what have I done? All have turned to their own course, like a horse rushing into battle. Called to repentance, they scornfully refuse to listen: and it is not enough for them to have sinned against the Lord and spoken blasphemy, but they all rush like horses, and with fervent speed into battle, not reflecting on their sin, nor saying, what have I done?
This site's exposition
Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?
on Jeremiah 8:4-7
Shall they fall, and not arise, shall he turn away, and not return, describes the ordinary law of gravity and repentance that Judah alone seems to have suspended, a perpetual backsliding that holds fast deceit and refuses to return. The stork, turtle, crane and swallow keep their appointed migrations by instinct while my people know not the judgment of the Lord, an argument from creation's obedience against the one creature made to know better, which the older writers read as the sharpest of the book's nature comparisons. No man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done, pictures a nation that has stopped even asking the question.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
(2.) They were so far from repenting of their sins that they went on resolutely in their sins: Every one turned to his course, his wicked course, that course of sin which he had chosen and accustomed himself to, as the horse rushes into the battle, eager upon action, and scorning to be curbed. How the horse rushes into the battle is elegantly described, Job xxxix.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
I hearkened and heard - God, before passing sentence, carefully listens to the words of the people. Compare Gen 11:5, where the divine judgment is preceded by the Almighty going down to see the tower. Not aright - Or, “not-right;” which in the Hebrew idiom means that which is utterly wrong. No man repented - The original phrase is very striking: No “man had pity upon his own wickedness.” If men understood the true nature of sin, the sinner would repent out of very pity upon himself.
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִקְשַׁ֤בְתִּי | hikshavti | I have paid attention | H7181 → | 46 times |
| וָֽאֶשְׁמָע֙ | vaeshma' | and I have heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| לוֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| כֵ֣ן | khen | right | H3651 → | 771 times |
| יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ | yedaberu | they speak | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֵ֣ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| אִ֗ישׁ | ʾish | [is] anyone | H376 → | 1663 times |
| נִחָם֙ | nicham | [who] relents | H5162 → | 108 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| רָ֣עָת֔וֹ | raato | wickedness his | H7451 → | 662 times |
| לֵאמֹ֖ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מֶ֣ה | meh | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| עָשִׂ֑יתִי | ʾasiti | have I done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כֻּלֹּ֗ה | kuloh | all of it | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שָׁ֚ב | shav | [is] turning | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| בִּמְר֣וּצָתָ֔ם | bimrutzotam | in own course their | H4794 → | |
| כְּס֥וּס | kesus | like a horse | H5483 → | 140 times |
| שׁוֹטֵ֖ף | shotef | [which] rushes | H7857 → | 31 times |
| בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ | bamilchamah | in the battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
הִקְשַׁ֤בְתִּיI have paid attention
hikshavtiH7181 →46 times
וָֽאֶשְׁמָע֙and I have heard
vaeshma'H8085 →1159 times
לוֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
כֵ֣ןright
khenH3651 →771 times
יְדַבֵּ֔רוּthey speak
yedaberuH1696 →1141 times
אֵ֣יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
אִ֗ישׁ[is] anyone
ʾishH376 →1663 times
נִחָם֙[who] relents
nichamH5162 →108 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
רָ֣עָת֔וֹwickedness his
raatoH7451 →662 times
לֵאמֹ֖ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
מֶ֣הwhat?
mehH4100 →752 times
עָשִׂ֑יתִיhave I done
ʾasitiH6213 →2628 times
כֻּלֹּ֗הall of it
kulohH3605 →5413 times
שָׁ֚ב[is] turning
shavH7725 →1056 times
בִּמְר֣וּצָתָ֔םin own course their
bimrutzotamH4794 →
כְּס֥וּסlike a horse
kesusH5483 →140 times
שׁוֹטֵ֖ף[which] rushes
shotefH7857 →31 times
בַּמִּלְחָמָֽה׃in the battle
bamilchamahH4421 →320 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
2 Peter 3:9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 2:4
who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- Romans 2:4
Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
- Psalms 86:15
But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
- Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision awaits an appointed time; it testifies of the end and does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it, since it will surely come and will not delay.
- Isaiah 30:18
Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
- 1 Timothy 2:4
Through
Isaiah 30:18Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
- Lamentations 3:25–26
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
- Proverbs 16:20
Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
- 2 Peter 3:9
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.