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Selected Verse: Jeremiah 9:9 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Jer 9:9	Strong Concordance	Shall I not visit [06485] them for these things? saith [05002] the LORD [03068]: shall not my soul [05315] be avenged [05358] on such a nation [01471] as this?
	King James	Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
(Jer 5:9, Jer 5:29).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

(Jer 5:9, Jer 5:29).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The land laid waste, and the people scattered amongst the heathen. - Jer 9:9. "For the mountains I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lament; for they are burnt up so that no man passeth over them, neither hear they the voice of the flock; the fowls of the heavens and the cattle are fled, are gone. Jer 9:10. And I make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling of jackals; and the cities of Judah I make a desolation, without an inhabitant. Jer 9:11. Who is the wise man, that he may understand this? and to whom the mouth of Jahveh hath spoken, that he may declare it? Wherefore doth the land come to ruin, is it burnt up like the wilderness, that none passeth through? Jer 9:12. Jahveh said: Because they forsake my law which I set before them, and have not hearkened unto my voice, neither walked therein, Jer 9:13. But went after the stubbornness of their heart, and after the Baals, which their fathers have taught them. Jer 9:14. Therefore thus hath Jahveh of hosts spoken, the God of Israel: Behold, I feed this people with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink, Jer 9:15. And scatter them among the nations which they knew not, neither they nor their fathers, and send the sword after them, until I have consumed them." Already in spirit Jeremiah sees God's visitation come upon the land, and in Jer 9:9 and Jer 9:10 he raises a bitter lamentation for the desolation of the country. The mountains and meadows of the steppes or prairies are made so desolate, that neither men nor beasts are to be found there. Mountains and meadows or pastures of the steppes, as contrasted with the cities (Jer 9:10), represent the remoter parts of the country. על is here not local: upon, but causal, concerning = because of, cf. Jer 4:24., as is usual with (נשׂא נהי )קינה; cf. Sa2 1:17; Amo 5:1; Eze 26:17, etc. נצּתוּ, kindled, burnt up, usually of cities (cf. Jer 2:15), here of a tract of country with the sig. be parched by the glowing heat of the sun, as a result of the interruption of agriculture. מדבּר is steppe, prairie, not suitable for tillage, but well fitted for pasturing cattle, as e.g., the wilderness of Judah; cf. Sa1 17:28. With מבּלי, Jer 9:11, cf. Eze 33:28. Not only have the herds disappeared that used to feed there, but the very birds have flown away, because the parched land no longer furnishes food for them; cf. Jer 4:25. To "are fled," which is used most properly of birds, is added: are gone away, departed, in reference to the cattle. Jer 9:10-13 Jerusalem is to become stone-heaps, where only jackals dwell. תּנּים is jackals (canis aureus), in Isa 13:22 called איּים from their cry; see on Isa. l.c., and Gesen. thes. s. v. מבּלי יושׁב as in Jer 2:15; Jer 4:7. - That such a judgment will pass over Judah every wise man must see well, and every one enlightened by God is to declare it; for universal apostasy from God and His law cannot but bring down punishment. But such wisdom and such spiritual enlightenment is not found in the infatuated people. This is the idea of Jer 9:11-13. The question: Who is the wise man? etc., reminds us of Hos 14:9, and is used with a negative force: unhappily there is none so wise as to see this. "This" is explained by the clause, Wherefore doth the land, etc.: this, i.e., the reason why the land is going to destruction. The second clause, "and to whom," etc., is dependent on the מי, which is to be repeated in thought: and who is he that, etc. Jeremiah has the false prophets here in view, who, if they were really illumined by God, if they had the word of God, could not but declare to the people their corruptness, and the consequences which must flow from it. But since none is so wise...Jeremiah proposes to them the question in Jer 9:11, and in Jer 9:12 tells the answer as given by God Himself. Because they have forsaken my law, etc. נתן לפני, to set before; as in Deu 4:8, so here, of the oral inculcation of the law by the prophets. "Walketh therein" refers to the law. The stubbornness of their heart, as in Jer 3:17; Jer 7:24. After the Baals, Jer 2:23. The relative clause, "which their fathers," etc., refers to both clauses of the verse; אשׁר with a neuter sense: which their fathers have taught them. Jer 9:14-15 The description of the offence is again followed by the threatening of judgment. To feed with wormwood and give gall to drink is a figure for sore and bitter suffering at the overthrow of the kingdom and in exile. The meaning of the suffix in מאכילם is shown by the apposition: this people. On water of gall see Jer 8:14, and for the use of לענה and ראשׁ together see Deu 29:17. - 'הפיצותים וגו implies a verbal allusion to the words of Deu 28:64 and Deu 28:36, cf. Lev 26:33. With this latter passage the second clause: I send the sword after them, has a close affinity. The purport of it is: I send the sword after the fugitives, to pursue them into foreign lands and slay them; cf. Jer 42:16; Jer 44:27. Thus it is indicated that those who fled into Egypt would be reached by the sword there and slain. This does not stand in contradiction to what is said in Jer 4:27; Jer 5:18, etc., to the effect that God will not make an utter end of them (Graf's opinion). This appears from Jer 44:27, where those that flee to Egypt are threatened with destruction by famine and sword עד כּלּותי או, while Jer 44:28 continues: but they that have escaped the sword shall return. Hence we see that the terms of the threatening do not imply the extirpation of the people to the last man, but only the extirpation of all the godless, of this wicked people.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The land laid waste, and the people scattered amongst the heathen. - Jer 9:9. "For the mountains I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lament; for they are burnt up so that no man passeth over them, neither hear they the voice of the flock; the fowls of the heavens and the cattle are fled, are gone. Jer 9:10. And I make Jerusalem heaps, a dwelling of jackals; and the cities of Judah I make a desolation, without an inhabitant. Jer 9:11. Who is the wise man, that he may understand this? and to whom the mouth of Jahveh hath spoken, that he may declare it? Wherefore doth the land come to ruin, is it burnt up like the wilderness, that none passeth through? Jer 9:12. Jahveh said: Because they forsake my law which I set before them, and have not hearkened unto my voice, neither walked therein, Jer 9:13. But went after the stubbornness of their heart, and after the Baals, which their fathers have taught them. Jer 9:14. Therefore thus hath Jahveh of hosts spoken, the God of Israel: Behold, I feed this people with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink, Jer 9:15. And scatter them among the nations which they knew not, neither they nor their fathers, and send the sword after them, until I have consumed them."

Already in spirit Jeremiah sees God's visitation come upon the land, and in Jer 9:9 and Jer 9:10 he raises a bitter lamentation for the desolation of the country. The mountains and meadows of the steppes or prairies are made so desolate, that neither men nor beasts are to be found there. Mountains and meadows or pastures of the steppes, as contrasted with the cities (Jer 9:10), represent the remoter parts of the country. על is here not local: upon, but causal, concerning = because of, cf. Jer 4:24., as is usual with (נשׂא נהי )קינה; cf. Sa2 1:17; Amo 5:1; Eze 26:17, etc. נצּתוּ, kindled, burnt up, usually of cities (cf. Jer 2:15), here of a tract of country with the sig. be parched by the glowing heat of the sun, as a result of the interruption of agriculture. מדבּר is steppe, prairie, not suitable for tillage, but well fitted for pasturing cattle, as e.g., the wilderness of Judah; cf. Sa1 17:28. With מבּלי, Jer 9:11, cf. Eze 33:28. Not only have the herds disappeared that used to feed there, but the very birds have flown away, because the parched land no longer furnishes food for them; cf. Jer 4:25. To "are fled," which is used most properly of birds, is added: are gone away, departed, in reference to the cattle.

Jer 9:10-13

Jerusalem is to become stone-heaps, where only jackals dwell. תּנּים is jackals (canis aureus), in Isa 13:22 called איּים from their cry; see on Isa. l.c., and Gesen. thes. s. v. מבּלי יושׁב as in Jer 2:15; Jer 4:7. - That such a judgment will pass over Judah every wise man must see well, and every one enlightened by God is to declare it; for universal apostasy from God and His law cannot but bring down punishment. But such wisdom and such spiritual enlightenment is not found in the infatuated people. This is the idea of Jer 9:11-13. The question: Who is the wise man? etc., reminds us of Hos 14:9, and is used with a negative force: unhappily there is none so wise as to see this. "This" is explained by the clause, Wherefore doth the land, etc.: this, i.e., the reason why the land is going to destruction. The second clause, "and to whom," etc., is dependent on the מי, which is to be repeated in thought: and who is he that, etc. Jeremiah has the false prophets here in view, who, if they were really illumined by God, if they had the word of God, could not but declare to the people their corruptness, and the consequences which must flow from it. But since none is so wise...Jeremiah proposes to them the question in Jer 9:11, and in Jer 9:12 tells the answer as given by God Himself. Because they have forsaken my law, etc. נתן לפני, to set before; as in Deu 4:8, so here, of the oral inculcation of the law by the prophets. "Walketh therein" refers to the law. The stubbornness of their heart, as in Jer 3:17; Jer 7:24. After the Baals, Jer 2:23. The relative clause, "which their fathers," etc., refers to both clauses of the verse; אשׁר with a neuter sense: which their fathers have taught them.

Jer 9:14-15

The description of the offence is again followed by the threatening of judgment. To feed with wormwood and give gall to drink is a figure for sore and bitter suffering at the overthrow of the kingdom and in exile. The meaning of the suffix in מאכילם is shown by the apposition: this people. On water of gall see Jer 8:14, and for the use of לענה and ראשׁ together see Deu 29:17. - 'הפיצותים וגו implies a verbal allusion to the words of Deu 28:64 and Deu 28:36, cf. Lev 26:33. With this latter passage the second clause: I send the sword after them, has a close affinity. The purport of it is: I send the sword after the fugitives, to pursue them into foreign lands and slay them; cf. Jer 42:16; Jer 44:27. Thus it is indicated that those who fled into Egypt would be reached by the sword there and slain. This does not stand in contradiction to what is said in Jer 4:27; Jer 5:18, etc., to the effect that God will not make an utter end of them (Graf's opinion). This appears from Jer 44:27, where those that flee to Egypt are threatened with destruction by famine and sword עד כּלּותי או, while Jer 44:28 continues: but they that have escaped the sword shall return. Hence we see that the terms of the threatening do not imply the extirpation of the people to the last man, but only the extirpation of all the godless, of this wicked people.

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²⁹ Shall I not visit [06485] for these things? saith [05002] the LORD [03068]: shall not my soul [05315] be avenged [05358] on such a nation [01471] as this?

⁹ Shall I not visit [06485] for these things? saith [05002] the LORD [03068]: and shall not my soul [05315] be avenged [05358] on such a nation [01471] as this?

²⁸ Yet a small [04962] number [04557] that escape [06412] the sword [02719] shall return out [07725] of the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] into the land [0776] of Judah [03063], and all the remnant [07611] of Judah [03063], that are gone [0935] into the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] to sojourn [01481] there, shall know [03045] whose words [01697] shall stand [06965], mine, or theirs.

²⁷ Behold, I will watch [08245] over them for evil [07451], and not for good [02896]: and all the men [0376] of Judah [03063] that are in the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] shall be consumed [08552] by the sword [02719] and by the famine [07458], until there be an end [03615] of them.

¹⁸ Nevertheless in those days [03117], saith [05002] the LORD [03068], I will not make [06213] a full end [03617] with you.

²⁷ For thus hath the LORD [03068] said [0559], The whole land [0776] shall be desolate [08077]; yet will I not make [06213] a full end [03617].

¹⁶ Then it shall come to pass, that the sword [02719], which ye feared [03373], shall overtake [05381] you there in the land [0776] of Egypt [04714], and the famine [07458], whereof ye were afraid [01672], shall follow close [01692] after [0310] you there in Egypt [04714]; and there ye shall die [04191].

³³ And I will scatter [02219] you among the heathen [01471], and will draw out [07324] a sword [02719] after [0310] you: and your land [0776] shall be desolate [08077], and your cities [05892] waste [02723].

³⁶ The LORD [03068] shall bring [03212] thee, and thy king [04428] which thou shalt set [06965] over thee, unto a nation [01471] which neither thou nor thy fathers [01] have known [03045]; and there shalt thou serve [05647] other [0312] gods [0430], wood [06086] and stone [068].

⁶⁴ And the LORD [03068] shall scatter [06327] thee among all people [05971], from the one end [07097] of the earth [0776] even unto the other [07097]; and there thou shalt serve [05647] other [0312] gods [0430], which neither thou nor thy fathers [01] have known [03045], even wood [06086] and stone [068].

¹⁷ And ye have seen [07200] their abominations [08251], and their idols [01544], wood [06086] and stone [068], silver [03701] and gold [02091], which were among them:)

¹⁴ Why do we sit still [03427]? assemble [0622] yourselves, and let us enter [0935] into the defenced [04013] cities [05892], and let us be silent [01826] there: for the LORD [03068] our God [0430] hath put us to silence [01826], and given us water [04325] of gall [07219] to drink [08248], because we have sinned [02398] against the LORD [03068].

¹⁴ But have walked [03212] after [0310] the imagination [08307] of their own heart [03820], and after [0310] Baalim [01168], which their fathers [01] taught [03925] them:
¹⁵ Therefore thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], the God [0430] of Israel [03478]; Behold, I will feed [0398] them, even this people [05971], with wormwood [03939], and give them water [04325] of gall [07219] to drink [08248].

²³ How canst thou say [0559], I am not polluted [02930], I have not gone [01980] after [0310] Baalim [01168]? see [07200] thy way [01870] in the valley [01516], know [03045] what thou hast done [06213]: thou art a swift [07031] dromedary [01072] traversing [08308] her ways [01870];

²⁴ But they hearkened [08085] not, nor inclined [05186] their ear [0241], but walked [03212] in the counsels [04156] and in the imagination [08307] of their evil [07451] heart [03820], and went backward [0268], and not forward [06440].

¹⁷ At that time [06256] they shall call [07121] Jerusalem [03389] the throne [03678] of the LORD [03068]; and all the nations [01471] shall be gathered [06960] unto it, to the name [08034] of the LORD [03068], to Jerusalem [03389]: neither shall they walk [03212] any more after [0310] the imagination [08307] of their evil [07451] heart [03820].

⁸ And what nation [01471] is there so great [01419], that hath statutes [02706] and judgments [04941] so righteous [06662] as all this law [08451], which I set [05414] before [06440] you this day [03117]?

¹² Who is the wise [02450] man [0376], that may understand [0995] this? and who is he to whom the mouth [06310] of the LORD [03068] hath spoken [01696], that he may declare [05046] it, for what the land [0776] perisheth [06] and is burned up [03341] like a wilderness [04057], that none passeth through [05674]?

⁹ Who is wise [02450], and he shall understand [0995] these things? prudent [0995], and he shall know [03045] them? for the ways [01870] of the LORD [03068] are right [03477], and the just [06662] shall walk [03212] in them: but the transgressors [06586] shall fall [03782] therein.

¹¹ And I will make [05414] Jerusalem [03389] heaps [01530], and a den [04583] of dragons [08577]; and I will make [05414] the cities [05892] of Judah [03063] desolate [08077], without an inhabitant [03427].
¹² Who is the wise [02450] man [0376], that may understand [0995] this? and who is he to whom the mouth [06310] of the LORD [03068] hath spoken [01696], that he may declare [05046] it, for what the land [0776] perisheth [06] and is burned up [03341] like a wilderness [04057], that none passeth through [05674]?
¹³ And the LORD [03068] saith [0559], Because they have forsaken [05800] my law [08451] which I set [05414] before [06440] them, and have not obeyed [08085] my voice [06963], neither walked [01980] therein;

⁷ The lion [0738] is come up [05927] from his thicket [05441], and the destroyer [07843] of the Gentiles [01471] is on his way [05265]; he is gone forth [03318] from his place [04725] to make [07760] thy land [0776] desolate [08047]; and thy cities [05892] shall be laid waste [05327], without an inhabitant [03427].

¹⁵ The young lions [03715] roared [07580] upon him, and yelled [05414] [06963], and they made [07896] his land [0776] waste [08047]: his cities [05892] are burned [03341] without inhabitant [03427].

²² And the wild beasts of the islands [0338] shall cry [06030] in their desolate houses [0490], and dragons [08577] in their pleasant [06027] palaces [01964]: and her time [06256] is near [07138] to come [0935], and her days [03117] shall not be prolonged [04900].

¹⁰ For the mountains [02022] will I take up [05375] a weeping [01065] and wailing [05092], and for the habitations [04999] of the wilderness [04057] a lamentation [07015], because they are burned up [03341], so that none [0376] can pass [05674] through them; neither can men hear [08085] the voice [06963] of the cattle [04735]; both the fowl [05775] of the heavens [08064] and the beast [0929] are fled [05074]; they are gone [01980].
¹¹ And I will make [05414] Jerusalem [03389] heaps [01530], and a den [04583] of dragons [08577]; and I will make [05414] the cities [05892] of Judah [03063] desolate [08077], without an inhabitant [03427].
¹² Who is the wise [02450] man [0376], that may understand [0995] this? and who is he to whom the mouth [06310] of the LORD [03068] hath spoken [01696], that he may declare [05046] it, for what the land [0776] perisheth [06] and is burned up [03341] like a wilderness [04057], that none passeth through [05674]?
¹³ And the LORD [03068] saith [0559], Because they have forsaken [05800] my law [08451] which I set [05414] before [06440] them, and have not obeyed [08085] my voice [06963], neither walked [01980] therein;

²⁵ I beheld [07200], and, lo, there was no man [0120], and all the birds [05775] of the heavens [08064] were fled [05074].

²⁸ For I will lay [05414] the land [0776] most [04923] desolate [08077], and the pomp [01347] of her strength [05797] shall cease [07673]; and the mountains [02022] of Israel [03478] shall be desolate [08074], that none shall pass through [05674].

²⁸ And Eliab [0446] his eldest [01419] brother [0251] heard [08085] when he spake [01696] unto the men [0582]; and Eliab's [0446] anger [0639] was kindled [02734] against David [01732], and he said [0559], Why camest thou down [03381] hither? and with whom hast thou left [05203] those [02007] few [04592] sheep [06629] in the wilderness [04057]? I know [03045] thy pride [02087], and the naughtiness [07455] of thine heart [03824]; for thou art come down [03381] that thou mightest see [07200] the battle [04421].

¹⁷ And they shall take up [05375] a lamentation [07015] for thee, and say [0559] to thee, How art thou destroyed [06], that wast inhabited [03427] of seafaring men [03220], the renowned [01984] city [05892], which wast strong [02389] in the sea [03220], she and her inhabitants [03427], which cause [05414] their terror [02851] to be on all that haunt [03427] it!

¹ Hear [08085] ye this word [01697] which I take up [05375] against you, even a lamentation [07015], O house [01004] of Israel [03478].

¹⁷ And David [01732] lamented [06969] with this lamentation [07015] over Saul [07586] and over Jonathan [03083] his son [01121]:

²⁴ I beheld [07200] the mountains [02022], and, lo, they trembled [07493], and all the hills [01389] moved lightly [07043].

⁹ Shall I not visit [06485] them for these things? saith [05002] the LORD [03068]: shall not my soul [05315] be avenged [05358] on such a nation [01471] as this?

¹⁵ Therefore thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], the God [0430] of Israel [03478]; Behold, I will feed [0398] them, even this people [05971], with wormwood [03939], and give them water [04325] of gall [07219] to drink [08248].

¹⁴ But have walked [03212] after [0310] the imagination [08307] of their own heart [03820], and after [0310] Baalim [01168], which their fathers [01] taught [03925] them:

¹³ And the LORD [03068] saith [0559], Because they have forsaken [05800] my law [08451] which I set [05414] before [06440] them, and have not obeyed [08085] my voice [06963], neither walked [01980] therein;

⁹ Shall I not visit [06485] them for these things? saith [05002] the LORD [03068]: shall not my soul [05315] be avenged [05358] on such a nation [01471] as this?