King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
How do ye say, We [are] wise, and the law of the LORD [is] with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he [it]; the pen of the scribes [is] in vain.
Complete Jewish Bible:
"'How can you say, "We are wise; ADONAI's Torah is with us," when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has turned it into falsehood?
Berean Standard Bible:
How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception?
American Standard Version:
How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of Jehovah is with us? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes hath wrought falsely.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
How do ye say{H559}, We are wise{H2450}, and the law{H8451} of the LORD{H3068} is with us? Lo, certainly{H403} in vain{H8267} made{H6213} he it; the pen{H5842} of the scribes{H5608} is in vain{H8267}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Job 5:12
- He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform [their] enterprise.
Job 5:13
- He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
Isaiah 10:1
- ¶ Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness [which] they have prescribed;
Isaiah 10:2
- To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and [that] they may rob the fatherless!
John 9:41
- Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
1 Corinthians 3:18
- ¶ Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
1 Corinthians 3:20
- And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Jeremiah 8:8
Jeremiah 8:8 is a verse that confronts the false confidence of the people of Judah, particularly their religious leaders and scribes. The historical context is set during the final years before the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Jeremiah, known as the "weeping prophet," is calling out the hypocrisy and complacency that has taken root among the people, especially those who are supposed to be the guardians of God's law.
In this verse, Jeremiah addresses the arrogance of those who claim to be wise and possess the law of the Lord, implying that they have special insight or favor with God. The people's assertion that they are wise suggests a self-assuredness in their own understanding and interpretation of the law. However, Jeremiah declares that their wisdom is actually foolishness because they have failed to live according to the law they claim to uphold. The phrase "Lo, certainly in vain made he [it]" is a scathing rebuke, indicating that the law, which was meant to guide and sanctify them, has been rendered useless by their actions. The "pen of the scribes" refers to the copies and interpretations of the law that these scholars produced; Jeremiah says these writings are also in vain, implying that they have either misinterpreted the law or failed to apply it correctly in their lives.
The themes of Jeremiah 8:8 include the condemnation of religious hypocrisy, the rejection of false wisdom that does not lead to righteous living, and the assertion that true wisdom comes from obeying God's law. Jeremiah's message is a warning that merely possessing or even understanding the law is not enough; it must be put into practice. The verse underscores the importance of integrity and authenticity in faith, challenging the people to recognize that their outward adherence to religious practices is meaningless without genuine obedience and transformation of the heart.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H2450
There are 133 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָכָם
Transliteration: châkâm
Pronunciation: khaw-kawm'
Description: from חָכַם; wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful); cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man). - Strong's Number: H8451
There are 213 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תּוֹרָה
Transliteration: tôwrâh
Pronunciation: to-raw'
Description: or תֹּרָה; from יָרָה; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch; law. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H403
There are 70 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָכֵן
Transliteration: ʼâkên
Pronunciation: aw-kane'
Description: from כּוּן (compare כֵּן); firmly; figuratively, surely; also (advers.) but; but, certainly, nevertheless, surely, truly, verily. - Strong's Number: H8267
There are 109 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֶׁקֶר
Transliteration: sheqer
Pronunciation: sheh'-ker
Description: from שָׁקַר; an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial); without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, [phrase] lie, lying, vain (thing), wrongfully. - 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. - Strong's Number: H5842
There are 4 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֵט
Transliteration: ʻêṭ
Pronunciation: ate
Description: from עִיט (contracted) in the sense of swooping, i.e. side-long stroke; a stylus or marking stick; pen. - Strong's Number: H5608
There are 154 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סָפַר
Transliteration: çâphar
Pronunciation: saw-far'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to score with a mark as a tally or record, i.e. (by implication) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. celebrate; commune, (ac-) count; declare, number, [phrase] penknife, reckon, scribe, shew forth, speak, talk, tell (out), writer.