Logos Bible Study

Jeremiah 9:4–8

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9:4Everyone must be on his guard around his friends.

He must not even trust any of his relatives.12

For every one of them will find some way to cheat him.13

And all of his friends will tell lies about him.

9:5One friend deceives another

and no one tells the truth.

These people have trained themselves14 to tell lies.

They do wrong and are unable to repent.

9:6They do one act of violence after another,

and one deceitful thing after another.15

They refuse to pay attention to me,”16

says the Lord.

9:7Therefore the Lord who rules over all says,17

“I will now purify them in the fires of affliction18 and test them.

The wickedness of my dear people19 has left me no choice.

What else can I do?20

9:8Their tongues are like deadly arrows.21

They are always telling lies.22

Friendly words for their neighbors come from their mouths.

But their minds are thinking up ways to trap them.23

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Footnotes

  1. 12 Heb “Be on your guard … Do not trust.” The verbs are second masculine plural of direct address and there seems no way to translate literally and not give the mistaken impression that Jeremiah is being addressed. This is another example of the tendency in Hebrew style to turn from description to direct address (a figure of speech called apostrophe).
  2. 13 Heb “cheating, each of them will cheat.” There is perhaps an intentional pun and allusion here to Gen 27:36 and the wordplay on the name Jacob there. The text here reads עָקוֹב יַעְקֹב (’aqob ya’qob).
  3. 14 Heb “their tongues.” However, this is probably not a natural idiom in contemporary English and the tongue may stand as a part for the whole anyway.
  4. 15 An alternate reading for vv. 5d–6b is: “They wear themselves out doing wrong. Jeremiah, you live in the midst of deceitful people. They deceitfully refuse to take any thought of/acknowledge me.” The translation which has been adopted is based on a redivision of the lines, a redivision of some of the words, and a revocalization of some of the consonants. The reads literally “doing wrong they weary themselves. Your sitting in the midst of deceit; in deceit they refuse to know me” (הַעֲוֵה נִלְאוּ׃ שִׁבְתְּךָ בְּתוֹךְ מִרְמָה בְּמִרְמָה מֵאֲנוּ דַעַת־אוֹתִי). The Greek version reads literally “they do wrong and they do not cease to turn themselves around. Usury upon usury and deceit upon deceit. They do not want to know me.” This suggests that one should read the Hebrew text as שֻׁב׃ תֹּךְ בְּתוֹךְ מִרְ־מָה בְּמִרְ־מָה מֵאֲנוּ דַעַת אוֹתִי הַעֲוֵה נִלְאוּ, which translated literally yields “doing evil [= “they do evil” using the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a finite verb (cf. §113.ff)] they are not able [cf. 468 לָאָה Niph.3 and see Exod 7:18 for parallel use] to repent. Oppression on oppression [cf. 1067 תֹּךְ, II תּוֹךְ]; deceit on deceit. They refuse to know me.” This reading has ancient support and avoids the introduction of an unexpected second masculine suffix into the context. It has been adopted here along with a number of modern commentaries (cf., e.g., W. McKane, Jeremiah [], 1:) and English versions as the more likely reading.
  5. 16 Or “do not acknowledge me”; Heb “do not know me.” See the note on the phrase “do not take any thought of me” in .
  6. 17 Heb “Yahweh of armies.” For the significance of this title see the notes at and .
  7. 18 Heb “I will refine/purify them.” The words “in the fires of affliction” are supplied in the translation to give clarity to the metaphor.
  8. 19 Heb “daughter of my people.” For the translation given here see 4:11 and the note on the phrase “dear people” there.
  9. 20 Heb “For how else shall I deal because of the wickedness of the daughter of my people.” The does not have the word “wickedness.” The word, however, is read in the Greek version. This is probably a case of a word dropping out because of its similarities to the consonants preceding or following it (i.e., haplography). The word “wickedness” (רַעַת, ra’at) has dropped out before the words “my dear people” (בַּת־עַמִּי, bat-’ammi). The causal nuance which is normal for מִפְּנֵי (mippéne) does not make sense without some word like this, and the combination of רַעַת מִפְּנֵי (mippéne ra’at) does occur in Jer 7:12 and one very like it occurs in Jer 26:3.
  10. 21 This reading follows the Masoretic consonants (the Kethib, a Qal active participle from שָׁחַט, shakhat). The Masoretes preferred to read “a sharpened arrow” (the Qere, a Qal passive participle from the same root or a homonym, meaning “hammered, beaten”). See II שָׁחַט for discussion. The exact meaning of the word makes little difference to the meaning of the metaphor itself.
  11. 22 Heb “They speak deceit.”
  12. 23 Heb “With his mouth a person speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets an ambush for him.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Let everyone beware of his neighbor,

and put no trust in any brother,

for every brother is a deceiver,

and every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.

Everyone deceives his neighbor,

and no one speaks the truth;

they have taught their tongue to speak lies;

they weary themselves committing iniquity.

Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit,

they refuse to know me, declares the Lord.

Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts:

“Behold, I will refine them and test them,

for what else can I do, because of my people?

Their tongue is a deadly arrow;

it speaks deceitfully;

with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor,

but in his heart he plans an ambush for him.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Beware of your friends;

do not trust anyone in your clan.

For every one of them is a deceiver,

and every friend a slanderer.

Friend deceives friend,

and no one speaks the truth.

They have taught their tongues to lie;

they weary themselves with sinning.

You live in the midst of deception;

in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,”

declares the Lord.

Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says:

“See, I will refine and test them,

for what else can I do

because of the sin of my people?

Their tongue is a deadly arrow;

it speaks deceitfully.

With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors,

but in their hearts they set traps for them.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Everyone has to be on guard against his friend.

Don’t trust any brother,

for every brother will certainly deceive,

and every friend spread slander.

Each one betrays his friend;

no one tells the truth.

They have taught their tongues to speak lies;

they wear themselves out doing wrong.

You live in a world of deception.

In their deception they refuse to know me.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says:

I am about to refine them and test them,

for what else can I do

because of my dear people?

Their tongues are deadly arrows—

they speak deception.

With his mouth

one speaks peaceably with his friend,

but inwardly he sets up an ambush.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

“Beware of your neighbor!

Don’t even trust your brother!

For brother takes advantage of brother,

and friend slanders friend.

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.

They pile lie upon lie

and utterly refuse to acknowledge me,”

says the Lord.

Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:

“See, I will melt them down in a crucible

and test them like metal.

What else can I do with my people?

For their tongues shoot lies like poisoned arrows.

They speak friendly words to their neighbors

while scheming in their heart to kill them.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Let everyone be on your guard against his neighbor,

and you must not trust in any brother,

for everyone surely betrays,

and every neighbor goes about with slander.

And everyone deceives his neighbor,

and they do not speak the truth,

they have taught their tongues to speak lies,

they are tired from going astray.

Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit,

upon deceit they refuse to know me,” declares Yahweh.

Therefore, thus says Yahweh of hosts:

“Look, I am about to refine them,

and I will test them,

for what else can I do,

because of the presence of the daughter of my people?

Their tongue is a murderous arrow,

it speaks deceit.

With his mouth he speaks peace with his neighbor,

but in his inner parts he sets up his ambush.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Take ye heed every one of his neighbour,

And trust ye not in any brother:

For every brother will utterly supplant,

And every neighbour will walk with slanders.

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.

Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit;

Through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord.

Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts,

Behold, I will melt them, and try them;

For how shall I do for the daughter of my people?

Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit:

One speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth,

But in heart he layeth his wait.

Public Domain