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Jeremiah 5:20

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Jeremiah 5:20 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
Jeremiah 5:20 — American Standard Version

Context — Jeremiah 5

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
17And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, [which] thy sons and thy daughters should eat; they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds; they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall beat down thy fortified cities, wherein thou trustest, with the sword.
18But even in those days, saith Jehovah, I will not make a full end with you.
19And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say unto them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
20Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; that have eyes, and see not; that have ears, and hear not:
22Fear ye not me? saith Jehovah: will ye not tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it? and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.
23But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Declare this in the house of Jacob, etc.] That a mighty nation should come and destroy them, and they should be servants in a strange land; or rather the words seem to be an order to declare war against the Jews, and even in their own land; and do not seem to be addressed to the prophet, but to others, seeing the words are in the plural number; (see <240405> Jeremiah 4:5): and publish it in Judah: the house of Jacob and Judah are the same, namely, the two tribes of Benjamin and Judah; for, as for the ten tribes, as observed on (<240515>Jeremiah 5:15), they had been carried captive before this time: saying: as follows:”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Against the God (1) of Creation Jeremiah 5:22, and (2) of Providence Jeremiah 5:24, They sin, not merely by apostasy, but by a general immorality extending to all classes Jeremiah 5:25-28. It is in this immorality that their idolatry has its root. Jeremiah 5:22 The sea is the symbol of restless and indomitable energy, chafing against all resistance, and dashing to pieces the works whereby man endeavors to restrain its fury. Yet God has imposed upon it laws which it must obey, and keeps it in its appointed place, not by barriers of iron but by a belt of sand. Modern science has shown that the resisting power of sand is enormous. A wave which would shatter rocks fails powerless upon sand. Can…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Judah - By Judah and Jacob we are to understand the two tribes only. Jeremiah 5:21”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“5:20-21 to Israel: Literally to the house of Jacob. The names “Jacob” and “Israel” are often interchanged throughout the Old Testament, referring sometimes to the individual patriarch and sometimes to the nation. • To be foolish is to engage in rash and immoral behavior that ignores consequences. • senseless: Literally no heart. When “heart” is used in a negative sense, it means that a person or group does not desire to do moral acts and so disdains the intelligent behavior that is pleasing to God. • The people’s ears and eyes functioned (see study note on 6:10), but they stubbornly shut out the true meaning of what they heard and saw (Isa 6:9; Ezek 12:2; Mark 8:18).”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification