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Jeremiah 5:22

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Jeremiah 5:22 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Fear 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.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Fear 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.
Jeremiah 5:22 — American Standard Version

Context — Jeremiah 5

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
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.
24Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; that preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good from you.
← Jeremiah 5:21Jeremiah 5:23 →
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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
“Fear ye not me? saith the Lord, etc.] They did not fear the Lord, and this is a reproof to them for the want of it, which is a reproof of their ignorance and folly; for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, (<200910>Proverbs 9:10), and where that is there is true wisdom; but, where it is not, there is nothing but ignorance and stupidity: will ye not tremble at my presence? or “face”; his wrath and anger, justly resenting their carriage to him. The Targum is, “from before my Word;” the essential Word, his Son: or, “will ye not be in pain?” as a woman in travail; as Kimchi observes the wordf122 signifies: which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree,…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“sand--Though made up of particles easily shifting about, I render it sufficient to curb the violence of the sea. Such is your monstrous perversity, that the raging, senseless sea sooner obeys Me, than ye do who profess to be intelligent [CALVIN], (Job 26:10; Job 38:10-11; Pro 8:29; Rev 15:4).”
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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
“The sand - That need not make rocks for walls unto it, but can give a check to it by so small a matter as the sand. Jeremiah 5:23”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“5:22 The people should at least respect the Lord for his power and tremble at the thought of his unleashing that power against them. If even the mighty sea was unable to pass the boundaries the Lord had set for it, surely the rebellion of little Jerusalem would fail.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Fear ye not: Jer 10:7; Deu 28:58; Psa 119:120; Mat 10:28; Luk 12:5; Rev 15:4 tremble: Psa 99:1, Psa 119:120; Isa 66:5; Dan 6:26 placed: Job 26:10, Job 38:10, Job 38:11; Psa 33:7, Psa 93:3, Psa 93:4, Psa 104:9; Pro 8:29; Isa 50:2; Amo 9:6; Nah 1:4; Mar 4:39 Jeremiah 5:23”
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Related study paths

Read Jeremiah 5 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification