Jeremiah 9:14

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:

Complete Jewish Bible:

but have lived by their own hearts' stubbornness and by the ba'alim, as their ancestors taught them

Berean Standard Bible:

Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts and gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them.”

American Standard Version:

but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Baalim, which their fathers taught them;

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

But have walked^{H3212} after^{H310} the imagination^{H8307} of their own heart^{H3820}, and after^{H310} Baalim^{H1168}, which their fathers^{H1} taught^{H3925} them:

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Commentary for Jeremiah 9:14

Jeremiah 9:14 is a verse that captures the heart of the prophet Jeremiah's message to the people of Judah. The historical context of this verse is set during a time of great apostasy and moral decay in Judah, around the late 7th to early 6th centuries BCE. The nation had turned away from the worship of the one true God, Yahweh, and had instead embraced the worship of pagan gods, including the Baalim (a reference to the various local manifestations of the Canaanite storm god Baal).

In this verse, Jeremiah condemns the people for following the desires of their own hearts and for continuing the idolatrous practices taught by their ancestors. The Baalim were associated with fertility rites and were thought to control various aspects of nature, which made them attractive to a people concerned with agricultural success. However, Jeremiah emphasizes that these practices are not only a rejection of Yahweh but also a betrayal of the covenant relationship that God had established with their forefathers, particularly Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The themes of Jeremiah 9:14 include idolatry, the folly of human waywardness, and the importance of fidelity to God's covenant. Jeremiah's message is a call to repentance, urging the people to turn back to God before it is too late. The verse reflects the broader motifs found throughout the book of Jeremiah, which often highlight the consequences of disobedience and the need for spiritual renewal and wholehearted devotion to Yahweh. Jeremiah's prophetic ministry is characterized by this struggle against the prevailing religious and moral corruption of his time, as he seeks to guide the people back to a right relationship with God.

*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: H3212
   There are 938 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָלַךְ
   Transliteration: yâlak
   Pronunciation: yaw-lak'
   Description: a primitive root (compare הָלַךְ); to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses); [idiom] again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, [phrase] follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, [phrase] pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, [idiom] be weak.
   
2. Strong's Number: H310
   There are 766 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אַחַר
   Transliteration: ʼachar
   Pronunciation: akh-ar'
   Description: from אָחַר; properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses); after (that, -ward), again, at, away from, back (from, -side), behind, beside, by, follow (after, -ing), forasmuch, from, hereafter, hinder end, [phrase] out (over) live, [phrase] persecute, posterity, pursuing, remnant, seeing, since, thence(-forth), when, with.
   
3. Strong's Number: H8307
   There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שְׁרִירוּת
   Transliteration: shᵉrîyrûwth
   Pronunciation: sher-ee-rooth'
   Description: from שָׁרַר in the sense of twisted, i.e. firm; obstinacy; imagination, lust.
   
4. Strong's Number: H3820
   There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: לֵב
   Transliteration: lêb
   Pronunciation: labe
   Description: a form of לֵבָב; the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything; [phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom] themselves, [idiom] unawares, understanding, [idiom] well, willingly, wisdom.
   
5. Strong's Number: H1168
   There are 68 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בַּעַל
   Transliteration: Baʻal
   Pronunciation: bah'-al
   Description: the same as בַּעַל; Baal, a Phoenician deity; Baal, (plural) Baalim.
   
6. Strong's Number: H1
   There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָב
   Transliteration: ʼâb
   Pronunciation: awb
   Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
   
7. Strong's Number: H3925
   There are 80 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: לָמַד
   Transliteration: lâmad
   Pronunciation: law-mad'
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to goad, i.e. (by implication) to teach (the rod being an Oriental incentive); (un-) accustomed, [idiom] diligently, expert, instruct, learn, skilful, teach(-er, -ing).