Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 5:4
Therefore I said, Surely these [are] poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, [nor] the judgment of their God.
4. The prophet thinks, Surely it is poverty and ignorance that mislead them. Cp. Hos 4:6.
the way of the Lord ] the way prescribed by God to man.
judgement ] primarily a decision given by a judge, and hence an ordinance, or a prescribed system of ordinances (so in Jer 8:7). See Dr. pp. 334 f. and cp. note on Jer 10:24. The sense here is well illustrated by 2Ki 17:26 f., where, however, “manner” in E. VV. is an inadequate rendering.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Therefore – More simply and.
They are foolish – Or, they act foolishly (see Num 12:11), not having that knowledge which would enable them to guide their ways with discretion.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. These are poor] They are ignorant; they have no education; they know no better.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Therefore I said; or, perhaps, I said with myself; not, possibly, that he thought so, but that he might thus express himself, as men use to speak.
Surely these are poor; poor, low-spirited, or of the meanest rank among the vulgar, understand but little; either men of greater ignorance, Joh 7:49, and therefore said not to know the way of the Lord; see Jer 8:7; being better skilled in fields and vineyards than in the law; or of less conscience than the better sort may be, and therefore said to be foolish, or infatuated, or put upon greater temptation by reason of their poverty, Pro 30:9.
The judgment of their God; the methods or ways of his providence, the usual manner of his dealing; so judgment is to be taken here for the same with ways, 1Sa 2:13, as it is also Jer 8:7.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. poorrather, “thepoor.” He supposes for the moment that this utter depravity isconfined to the uninstructed poor, and that he would find a differentstate of things in the higher ranks: but there he finds unbridledprofligacy.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then I said, surely these are poor, they are foolish,…. The prophet, observing that reproofs and corrections in providence had no effect upon the people, he thought within himself that surely the reason must be, because these people are poor, and in low circumstances in the world, and are so busy in their worldly employments to get bread for their families, that they were not at leisure to attend unto divine things; nor of capacity to receive instruction and correction by providences; therefore it is they were so foolish, stupid, and infatuated:
for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God; either the way which God takes in the salvation of the sons of men, and in justifying of them, which is revealed in his word; or that which he prescribes them to walk in, in his law, even the way of truth and righteousness, and for failure of which he judges and condemns them; but of these things they were ignorant; see Joh 7:48, not that this is observed in excuse for them, but in order to introduce what follows; and to show that this depravity, stupidity, and ignorance, obtained among all sort of people, high and low, rich and poor.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Some think that the Prophet here makes an excuse for the people, and, as far as he could, extenuates their fault; but they are greatly mistaken. For there is no doubt but that he, by this comparison, more clearly shews how past remedy was then the state of things. The sum, then, of what he says is, — that corruptions so prevailed, not only among the multitude, but also among the chief men, that there remained no soundness, as they say, from the head to the sole of the foot. Nearly the same thing, only in other words, is stated by Isaiah in the twenty-eighth chapter; for after having spoken generally against the people, he assails the leading men, and says that they were inebriated no less than the common people, that they were inebriated with wine and strong drink. But the meaning is, that they were like drunken men, because they felt no shame, while they abandoned themselves to deeds the most disgraceful.
To the same purpose is what Jeremiah says here, when he declares, that he thought that they were the poor who had thus sinned, and obscure men and of no repute; but that he had found the same thing among the chief men as among the common people. He might, indeed, have only said, “Not only the lowest orders, the multitude, are become corrupt, but also the chief men, who ought to have excelled the rest.” But much more striking is the comparison, when he says, “It may be, that these miserable men have thus sinned because they understood not the law of God, nor is it a matter of wonder; but greater integrity will be found in the chief men.” By speaking thus the Prophet brings the reader into the midst of the scene, and shews to him that not only all the people were guilty, but also the priests and the prophets, and the chief men in the state. The design of the Prophet is thus evident.
I said, he says, not that he thought so; for he saw that all things were in such a disorder, that nothing better could be hoped from the chief men than from the common people. This was clearly seen by the Prophet: but, as I have said, he wished to shew here, by a striking representation, how wretched was the condition of the whole people. He says, Surely The particle אך , ak, is an affirmative, or, as in the next verse, an adversative. Some, indeed, take it here in the sense of אולי, auli, perhaps, or, it may be; and regard it as signifying a concession, “Let us grant this,” he says; “they are the poor, they are of no account, they are as it were the offscourings, who have thus sinned: it is nothing strange, if they conduct themselves thus foolishly, for they know not the way of Jehovah, nor the judgment of their God ” (131)
The law was, indeed, given to all without any difference; so that the common people had no excuse. But this evil has prevailed almost in all ages, — that few attend to the teaching of the law; for there is no one who is not inclined to shake off this yoke. The common people, indeed, think that they have some excuse for neglecting it, because they have no leisure, and are not born for high stations. The Prophet then speaks according to this prevailing opinion; but he does not extenuate their fault who pleaded ignorance as an excuse, because they had not been taught in schools; for, as it has been said, God intended his law for the whole people without exception.
By the way of Jehovah and the judgment of God, the Prophet means the same thing: such a repetition is very common in Hebrew. God, in prescribing to us the rule of life, shews to us the way in which we are to walk: our life, indeed, is like to a course; and it is not God’s will that we should run at random, but he sets before us the goal to which we are to proceed, and also directs us in the only way that leads to it. For it is the office of the law to call us back from our wandering, and to lead us to the mark set before us. Hence the law is called the way of Jehovah; and judgment, משפת, meshephet, as it was said yesterday, means rectitude, or a rule of life. What he calls in the first clause the law of Jehovah, he calls in the second the judgment of God And thus he shews that they were inexcusable, who made the objection that they were miserably ignorant, and knew nothing; for it was God’s purpose to shew to them, no less than to the most learned, how they were to live.
(131) It is better to take אך here and in the next verse as an affirmative, Truly, surely, doubtless. Blayney, as well as Calvin, render נואלו, “have acted foolishly.” The verb occurs in three other places, Num 12:11; Isa 19:13; Jer 50:36. To be, or to become, foolish, or rather stupid, sottish, or stupidly ignorant, seems to be its meaning. It is here opposed to knowledge; and evidently refers to the state of the mind, and not to the conduct. Their sottishness was their idolatry. This is the special sin referred to throughout the passage, —
Then I said, Doubtless, the poor are these, they have become stupid, For they have not known the way of Jehovah, The judgment of their God.
—
Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) Therefore.Literally, And. The prophet makes for the poor the half-pitying plea of ignorance. Looking upon the masses that toil for bread, those whom the Scribes afterwards called the people of earth, it was not strange that they who had been left untaught should have learnt so little. The thought finds a parallel in our Lords compassion for the multitude who were as sheep having no shepherd (Mat. 9:36), for the servant who knew not his Lords will (Luk. 12:48).
The way of the Lord.That which He approves, that which leads to Him, as in Gen. 18:19; Deu. 31:29.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4, 5. This corruption extends to high as well as low. The prophet thought that those who showed this lack of truth and uprightness were of the baser sort the poor and the foolish; but on betaking himself to the great men he found the same state of things; these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds that is, of duty.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 5:4. Therefore I said, Surely, &c. The meaning of this verse is sufficiently plain from that which follows. Houbigant, however, renders it better thus: But I thought thus with myself; these men of mean condition are certainly foolish, because they have not known, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Jer 5:4 Therefore I said, Surely these [are] poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, [nor] the judgment of their God.
Ver. 4. Therefore I said, ] i.e., I thought with myself.
Surely these,
Are poor.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Jer 5:4-6
4Then I said, They are only the poor,
They are foolish;
For they do not know the way of the LORD
Or the ordinance of their God.
5I will go to the great
And will speak to them,
For they know the way of the LORD
And the ordinance of their God.
But they too, with one accord, have broken the yoke
And burst the bonds.
6Therefore a lion from the forest will slay them,
A wolf of the deserts will destroy them,
A leopard is watching their cities.
Everyone who goes out of them will be torn in pieces,
Because their transgressions are many,
Their apostasies are numerous.
Jer 5:4-6 It seems that the prophet acknowledges Judah’s rebellion, but asks permission to address them again in hopes of diverting YHWH’s judgment.
1. Judah’s spiritual condition
a. they are poor (BDB 195, the opposite of great, BDB 152, Jer 5:5)
b. they are foolish
c. they do not know the way of the LORD (i.e., willful ignorance and violations)
2. Jeremiah’s proposal
a. I will go and speak (both COHORTATIVES) to the great (i.e., leadership, cf. Jer 5:31)
b. I will remind them of their knowledge of YHWH’s covenant
c. I will inform them of their corporate sin
(1) with one accord
(2) broken the yoke
(3) burst the bonds
Jer 5:4 the way. . .ordinance These two words (BDB 202 and 1048) are two of several terms used to describe God’s revelation.
The point of Jer 5:4-5 is that those who are uneducated and spend all their time just surviving, might not know God’s revelation, but the socially elite do have education and instruction in God’s revelation.
SPECIAL TOPIC: Terms for God’s Revelation (Using Deuteronomy and Psalms)
Jer 5:5 the yoke This word (BDB 760) was used by the rabbis to refer to the regulations of the law (cf. Mat 11:29).
burst the bonds These were the cords which held the yoke in place. It is another metaphor of known rebellion and covenant violation.
Jer 5:6 This verse describes YHWH’s judgment in metaphors of predators (a metaphor for invaders, cf. Jer 2:15; Jer 4:7).
1. a lion
2. a wolf
3. a leopard
The reason for the attacks was Judah’s open-eyed rebellion.
1. many transgressions (BDB 833)
2. numerous apostasies (see Special Topic: Apostasy [aphistmi] )
Notice here the parallelism in the first three lines and the last two lines of Jer 5:6.
apostasies See Special Topic: Apostasy (aphistmi) .
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
poor = become poor, or impoverished, reduced in means. Hebrew. dal. See note on “poverty”, Pro 6:11.
judgment = justice.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jer 4:22, Jer 7:8, Jer 8:7, Isa 27:11, Isa 28:9-13, Hos 4:6, Mat 11:5, Joh 7:48, Joh 7:49
Reciprocal: Neh 3:5 – their nobles Psa 49:2 – General Isa 2:9 – the mean Isa 5:15 – the mean Isa 29:12 – I am not Isa 59:4 – calleth Jer 5:21 – O foolish Jer 6:10 – To whom Jer 42:1 – from Hos 4:1 – nor knowledge Amo 3:10 – they Mic 3:1 – Is it Zec 11:7 – General Mar 7:18 – General Luk 6:24 – woe Luk 14:18 – all 2Pe 2:12 – as natural
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 5:4. The prophet incidentally tells us what constitutes a poor and foolish man: it is one who knows not the way and judgment of God. And that does not mean one who is thus ignorant because of circumstances beyond his control. The Lord has offered full information on these subjects in his law and all have the privilege of learning it for it has been composed in language adapted to mans understanding.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jeremiah, as he searched for righteous people in the city, initially concluded that only the ignorant and foolish ordinary citizens were blind to God’s ways and laws. But as he continued to investigate, he discovered that the informed leaders among the people had also rebelled against the Lord.