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Selected Verse: Jeremiah 5:20 - King James

Verse	Translation	Text
Jer 5:20	King James	Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Against the God (1) of Creation Jer 5:22, and (2) of Providence Jer 5:24, They sin, not merely by apostasy, but by a general immorality extending to all classes Jer 5:25-28. It is in this immorality that their idolatry has its root. Jer 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 they not prevail - The opposite of "thou couldest" Jer 3:5. The sea, the mightiest of God's works, cannot prevail, cannot break God's laws, because He has not endowed it with free-will. Man, physically impotent, can prevail, because, being made in God's image, he is free. Jer 5:23 The heart, or will of the Jews was first "revolting," literally a will that "drew back" from God, because it disliked His service; and secondly it was "rebellious," a will that actively resisted Him. Compare Deu 21:18, Deu 21:20. Jer 5:24 As God's Providence addresses itself chiefly to the thoughtful, Jeremiah says in their heart. By the intelligent study of God's dealings men perceive that they are not merely acts of power but also of love. The appointed weeks - literally, He guardeth, maintaineth, for us the weeks which are the statutes or settled laws "of the harvest." These were the seven weeks from the Passover to Pentecost, and were as important for the ingathering of the crops as the rainy seasons for their nourishment. Jer 5:25 It was not that the rains did not fall, or that the harvest weeks were less bright; the good was there, but the wickedness of the community blocked up the channels, through which it shou d have reached the people. The lawlessness and injustice of the times kept the mass of the people in poverty. Jer 5:26 Rather, he spieth about like the crouching down of fowlers; they have set the fatal snare; "they catch men." Trap - literally, "The destroyer;" it was probably a gin, which strangled the birds caught in it. Jer 5:27 Deceit - The wealth gained by deceit and fraud. Jer 5:28 Fatness is admired in the East as a sign of wealth. They shine - This word is used of the sleekness of the skin, soft and smooth as ivory. They overpass the deeds of the wicked - literally, "They have overpassed words of wickedness," i. e., they go to excess in wickedness. Yet they prosper - Or, that they (the orphans) may prosper, enjoy their rights. Jer 5:30 Rather, A terrible "and horrible thing" has happened "in the land." Jer 5:31 Bear rule by their means - Rather, "The priests" rule at their hands, i. e., govern according to their false prophecies, guidance, and directions. My people love to have it so - False teaching lightens the yoke of God's Law, and removes His fear from the conscience: and with this, man is ready to be content.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Against the God

(1) of Creation Jer 5:22, and

(2) of Providence Jer 5:24,

They sin, not merely by apostasy, but by a general immorality extending to all classes Jer 5:25-28. It is in this immorality that their idolatry has its root.

Jer 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 they not prevail - The opposite of "thou couldest" Jer 3:5. The sea, the mightiest of God's works, cannot prevail, cannot break God's laws, because He has not endowed it with free-will. Man, physically impotent, can prevail, because, being made in God's image, he is free.

Jer 5:23

The heart, or will of the Jews was first "revolting," literally a will that "drew back" from God, because it disliked His service; and secondly it was "rebellious," a will that actively resisted Him. Compare Deu 21:18, Deu 21:20.

Jer 5:24

As God's Providence addresses itself chiefly to the thoughtful, Jeremiah says in their heart. By the intelligent study of God's dealings men perceive that they are not merely acts of power but also of love.

The appointed weeks - literally, He guardeth, maintaineth, for us the weeks which are the statutes or settled laws "of the harvest." These were the seven weeks from the Passover to Pentecost, and were as important for the ingathering of the crops as the rainy seasons for their nourishment.

Jer 5:25

It was not that the rains did not fall, or that the harvest weeks were less bright; the good was there, but the wickedness of the community blocked up the channels, through which it shou d have reached the people. The lawlessness and injustice of the times kept the mass of the people in poverty.

Jer 5:26

Rather, he spieth about like the crouching down of fowlers; they have set the fatal snare; "they catch men."

Trap - literally, "The destroyer;" it was probably a gin, which strangled the birds caught in it.

Jer 5:27

Deceit - The wealth gained by deceit and fraud.

Jer 5:28

Fatness is admired in the East as a sign of wealth.

They shine - This word is used of the sleekness of the skin, soft and smooth as ivory.

They overpass the deeds of the wicked - literally, "They have overpassed words of wickedness," i. e., they go to excess in wickedness.

Yet they prosper - Or, that they (the orphans) may prosper, enjoy their rights.

Jer 5:30

Rather, A terrible "and horrible thing" has happened "in the land."

Jer 5:31

Bear rule by their means - Rather, "The priests" rule at their hands, i. e., govern according to their false prophecies, guidance, and directions.

My people love to have it so - False teaching lightens the yoke of God's Law, and removes His fear from the conscience: and with this, man is ready to be content.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Judah - By Judah and Jacob we are to understand the two tribes only.

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³¹ The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

³⁰ A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

²⁸ 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.

²⁷ As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.

²⁶ For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

²⁵ Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

²⁴ Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

²⁰ And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

¹⁸ If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

²³ But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

⁵ Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

²² Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which 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?

²⁵ Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.
²⁶ For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
²⁷ As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.
²⁸ 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.

²⁴ Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.