Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 5:21
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
21. understanding ] mg. Heb. heart, which was considered as the seat of intelligence. See Jer 24:7 (“an heart to know me”); Hos 7:11 (mg.).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Without understanding, Heb. heart. They have no heart to return, or to any thing of instruction or reformation, but are stupid and sottish, regardless of all counsel, wisdom, and common prudence. The heart is said to be the symbol, and according to Galen the seat, of wisdom; so the poet placeth it, Cor sapit, et joulmo loquitur, fel commovet iram, &c.
Which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: see Jer 6:10. They are wilfully blind, and obstinately deaf; will neither see nor hear the word, will, or works of God, of which he giveth two instances in two following verses, Jer 5:22,24, viz. in governing the sea, and appointing the seasons of the year. It may be he alludes herein to their idols, to which they were so much addicted.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. eyes . . . ears, andTranslate,”and yet” (compare Deu 29:4;Isa 6:9). Having powers ofperception, they did not use them: still they were responsible forthe exercise of them.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding,…. or, “heart” a; [See comments on Jer 4:22]:
which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not; like the idols they served, Ps 115:4. this is an upbraiding of them with their folly and stupidity, their want of common sense, their blindness and ignorance; notwithstanding they had the means of light and knowledge, the law, and the prophets.
a “et non cor”, Pagninus, Montanus; “qui non habes cor”, V. L. “excors”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator “cui cor non est”, Cocceius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Declare ye then this; and what is it? Hear, O foolish people, etc. Here he first reproves the Jews and Israelites for their stupidity, because they were even without common sense; for the heart in Hebrew means the mind or understanding, as we have seen elsewhere. He then says, that this people were destitute of all understanding. He first calls them fatuous or foolish; but as many are slow and heavy and yet not without common sense, he adds that they were a people without heart or understanding. He seems indeed to add by way of correction, that they had eyes and ears: but his object was ironically to enhance what he had said, and to shew that they were stupid, and no less so than blocks of wood or stones. How so? “Ye have ears and eyes, “he says, “but ye neither see nor hear.” (149)
He no doubt alludes to the idols to which they had become devoted: for it is said in Psa 115:8, that those who made idols were like them, as well as those who trusted in them; for it had been previously said, that idols had ears but heard not, and eyes but saw not. Jeremiah then indirectly condemns the Jews here for having become so stupid in their superstitions as to be like dead idols: for there is in an idol some likeness to man; it has various members but no understanding. So also he says, the Jews had eyes and ears and the external form of men; but they were at the same time no less stupid than if they were stones or blocks of wood. Now follows the proclamation —
(149) It is better to retain the future tense, as their obstinacy is thereby more fully expressed; the whole verse may be thus literally rendered, —
Hear, I pray, this, Ye perverse people and without understanding, — Eyes they have, but they will not see, Ears they have, but they will not hear.
The “this” which they were to hear is contained in the next verse. The two last lines are only explanatory of the preceding. They were “without understanding,“ for they would not see, though they had eyes; and they were “perverse,“ or perversely foolish, for they would not hear, though they had ears. When two things are mentioned and afterwards referred to, the prophets usually explain the last, and then the first, as the case is here. The two last lines may be included in a parenthesis. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(21) Which have eyes, and see not.An almost verbal reproduction from Isa. 6:10.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Hear this The prophet strives to impress upon the people the greatness of their sin, and so of their folly. As in all cases of persistent wickedness it is such stupidity or insanity as men show who have eyes, and see not; or ears, and hear not.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 5:21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
Ver. 21. Hear now this, O foolish people. ] They were strangely stupefied, and were therefore thus rippled up. Those that are in a lethargy must have a double quantity of physic to what others have.
And without understanding.
Which have eyes, and see not, &c.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
understanding. Hebrew “heart”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
O foolish: Jer 5:4, Jer 4:22, Jer 8:7, Jer 10:8, Deu 29:4, Deu 32:6, Psa 94:8, Isa 6:9, Isa 6:10, Isa 27:11, Isa 44:18, Eze 12:2, Mat 13:13-15, Joh 12:40, Act 28:26, Rom 11:8
understanding: Heb. heart, Pro 17:16, Hos 7:11
Reciprocal: 2Ch 16:9 – Herein Pro 6:32 – lacketh Isa 42:19 – Who is blind Isa 43:8 – General Isa 48:8 – thou heardest Jer 2:4 – Hear ye Hos 4:6 – for Joe 1:2 – Hear Amo 8:4 – Hear Mar 4:12 – That seeing Mar 8:18 – see Luk 8:10 – that seeing Luk 11:34 – but Luk 11:40 – fools Joh 3:3 – he cannot 2Co 3:14 – their 1Ti 4:2 – lies
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 5:21. There is no one as blind as a man who will not see, nor as deaf as one who will not hear. The ignorance of the people was not due to any lack of intelligence but it was because they failed to use that faculty in connection with the word of the Lord. The prophet Isaiah (ch. 1: 3) explains their ignorance by saying it was because they “doth not Consider. The sad experiences in Babylonian captivity was intended to open their eyes to see the truth of all the divine warnings.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 5:21. Hear this, O foolish people Ignorant and imprudent, as blind to your interest as to your duty; and without understanding Hebrew, , and there is no heart, or without heart, stupid and regardless of all counsel, wisdom, and common sense. Which have eyes and see not, &c. Wilfully blind, and obstinately deaf, who will neither see nor hear the word, will, or works of God; of which he gives two instances in the two following verses.