Jeremiah 7:5

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;

Complete Jewish Bible:

No, but if you really improve your ways and actions; if you really administer justice between people;

Berean Standard Bible:

For if you really correct your ways and deeds, if you act justly toward one another,

American Standard Version:

For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbor;

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

For if ye throughly{H3190} amend{H3190} your ways{H1870} and your doings{H4611}; if ye throughly{H6213} execute{H6213} judgment{H4941} between a man{H376} and his neighbour{H7453};

Cross-References (KJV):

Jeremiah 7:3

  • Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.

Isaiah 1:19

  • If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

1 Kings 6:12

  • [Concerning] this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father:

1 Kings 6:13

  • And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

Jeremiah 4:1

  • ¶ If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.

Jeremiah 4:2

  • And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

Jeremiah 22:3

  • Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

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Commentary for Jeremiah 7:5

Jeremiah 7:5 is part of a larger discourse by the prophet Jeremiah, who lived during a tumultuous period in the history of the ancient kingdom of Judah, around the 7th and 6th centuries BCE. This verse is situated within a prophetic sermon delivered at the entrance of the Temple in Jerusalem, where Jeremiah challenges the people's false sense of security. The historical context is significant; it was a time when the people of Judah were under threat from the expanding Babylonian Empire, and many clung to the belief that their presence in the Temple and their religious rituals would automatically protect them from harm, regardless of their moral and ethical behavior.

In Jeremiah 7:5, the themes of justice, righteousness, and the need for genuine repentance are central. The verse can be understood as a conditional promise: if the people of Judah sincerely reform their ways and ensure that justice prevails in their dealings with one another, particularly in resolving disputes fairly ("between a man and his neighbour"), then they can hope for divine favor and the continuance of their presence in the land.

The verse reflects the prophetic insistence that outward religious observance is insufficient without an accompanying commitment to social justice and ethical conduct. Jeremiah emphasizes that the covenant between God and His people requires both personal piety and communal responsibility. The call to "throughly amend your ways and your doings" implies a deep and comprehensive change of heart and action, not merely superficial or ritualistic reform.

In essence, Jeremiah 7:5 captures the essence of the prophetic message in the Hebrew Bible: that true faith manifests in just actions and equitable social relationships, and that the well-being of the community is inextricably linked to its moral integrity. This verse serves as a reminder that the worship of God is incomplete without the pursuit of justice and righteousness in everyday life.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

  1. Strong's Number: H3190
    There are 102 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: יָטַב
    Transliteration: yâṭab
    Pronunciation: yaw-tab'
    Description: a primitive root; to be (causative) make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right); be accepted, amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better, seem best, make cheerful, be comely, [phrase] be content, diligent(-ly), dress, earnestly, find favour, give, be glad, do (be, make) good(-ness), be (make) merry, please ([phrase] well), shew more (kindness), skilfully, [idiom] very small, surely, make sweet, thoroughly, tire, trim, very, be (can, deal, entreat, go, have) well (said, seen).
  2. Strong's Number: H1870
    There are 627 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: דֶּרֶךְ
    Transliteration: derek
    Pronunciation: deh'-rek
    Description: from דָּרַךְ; a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb; along, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).
  3. Strong's Number: H4611
    There are 41 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מַעֲלָל
    Transliteration: maʻălâl
    Pronunciation: mah-al-awl'
    Description: from עָלַל; an act (good or bad); doing, endeavour, invention, work.
  4. Strong's Number: H6213
    There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עָשָׂה
    Transliteration: ʻâsâh
    Pronunciation: aw-saw'
    Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.
  5. Strong's Number: H4941
    There are 406 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מִשְׁפָּט
    Transliteration: mishpâṭ
    Pronunciation: mish-pawt'
    Description: from שָׁפַט; properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style; [phrase] adversary, ceremony, charge, [idiom] crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right, sentence, usest, [idiom] worthy, [phrase] wrong.
  6. Strong's Number: H376
    There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אִישׁ
    Transliteration: ʼîysh
    Pronunciation: eesh
    Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה.
  7. Strong's Number: H7453
    There are 173 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: רֵעַ
    Transliteration: rêaʻ
    Pronunciation: ray'-ah
    Description: or רֵיעַ; from רָעָה; an associate (more or less close); brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other.