Logos Bible Study

Jeremiah 5:26–28

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5:26“Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people.

They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush.72

They set deadly traps73 to catch people.

5:27Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught,74

their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit.75

That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful.76

5:28That is how77 they have grown fat and sleek.78

There is no limit to the evil things they do.79

They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it.

They do not defend the rights of the poor.

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Footnotes

  1. 72 The meaning of the last three words is uncertain. The pointing and meaning of the Hebrew word rendered “hiding in ambush” is debated. relates the form (כְּשַׁךְ, késhakh) to a root שָׁכַךְ (shakhakh), which elsewhere means “decrease, abate” (cf. 1013 שָׁכַךְ), and notes that this is usually understood as “like the crouching of fowlers,” but they say this meaning is dubious. I שׁוֹר questions the validity of the text and offers three proposals; the second appears to create the least textual modification, i.e., reading כְּשַׂךְ (kesakh, “as in the hiding place of (bird catchers)”; for the word שַׂךְ (sakh) see שׂךְ 4 and compare Lam 2:6 for usage. The versions do not help. The Greek does not translate the first two words of the line. The proposal given in is accepted with some hesitancy.
  2. 73 Heb “a destroying thing.”
  3. 74 The words, “that have been caught” are not in the text but are implicit in the comparison.
  4. 75 Heb “are filled with deceit.” The translation assumes a figure of speech of cause for effect (metonymy). Compare the same word in the same figure in Zeph 1:9.
  5. 76 Heb “therefore they have gotten great and rich.”
  6. 77 These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to show that this line is parallel with the preceding.
  7. 78 The meaning of this word is uncertain. This verb occurs only here. The lexicons generally relate it to the word translated “plate” in Song 5:14 and understand it to mean “smooth, shiny” (so 799 I עֶשֶׁת) or “fat” (so II עֶשֶׁת). The word in Song 5:14 more likely means “smooth” than “plate” (so ). So “sleek” is most likely here.
  8. 79 Heb “they cross over/transgress with respect to matters of evil.” There is a wordplay in the use of this word which has twice been applied in v. 22 to the sea not crossing the boundary set for it by God.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For wicked men are found among my people;

they lurk like fowlers lying in wait.

They set a trap;

they catch men.

Like a cage full of birds,

their houses are full of deceit;

therefore they have become great and rich;

they have grown fat and sleek.

They know no bounds in deeds of evil;

they judge not with justice

the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper,

and they do not defend the rights of the needy.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Among my people are the wicked

who lie in wait like men who snare birds

and like those who set traps to catch people.

Like cages full of birds,

their houses are full of deceit;

they have become rich and powerful

and have grown fat and sleek.

Their evil deeds have no limit;

they do not seek justice.

They do not promote the case of the fatherless;

they do not defend the just cause of the poor.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

for wicked men live among my people.

They watch like hunters lying in wait.

They set a trap;

they catch men.

Like a cage full of birds,

so their houses are full of deceit.

Therefore they have grown powerful and rich.

They have become fat and sleek.

They have also excelled in evil matters.

They have not taken up cases,

such as the case of the fatherless, so they might prosper,

and they have not defended the rights of the needy.

NLTNew Living Translation

“Among my people are wicked men

who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind.

They continually set traps

to catch people.

Like a cage filled with birds,

their homes are filled with evil plots.

And now they are great and rich.

They are fat and sleek,

and there is no limit to their wicked deeds.

They refuse to provide justice to orphans

and deny the rights of the poor.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For wicked people are found among my people,

they lie in wait like the hiding of fowlers,

they set up a trap,

they catch humans.

Like a cage full of birds,

so their houses are full of fraud.

Therefore they have become great,

and they have become rich.

They have grown fat,

they have grown sleek,

also, their evil deeds have no limit.

They do not judge with justice,

the legal cause of the orphan,

or allow it to succeed,

and the legal case of the poor,

they do not defend.

KJV 1900King James Version

For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.