Jeremiah 4:22

For my people [is] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

For my people {H5971} is foolish {H191}, they have not known {H3045} me; they are sottish {H5530} children {H1121}, and they have none understanding {H995}: they are wise {H2450} to do evil {H7489}, but to do good {H3190} they have no knowledge {H3045}.

"It is because my people are foolish - they do not know me; they are stupid children, without understanding, wise when doing evil; but they don't know how to do good."

“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”

For my people are foolish, they know me not; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Jeremiah 4:22 captures a profound lament from God concerning the spiritual state of His people, Judah. Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord expresses His deep sorrow and frustration over their spiritual ignorance and moral perversion, highlighting a tragic inversion of wisdom.

Context

This verse is set during the tumultuous period of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry, roughly from 627 to 586 BC, preceding the Babylonian exile. The Kingdom of Judah was in a state of spiritual and moral decline, despite numerous warnings from God's prophets. God had entered into a covenant relationship with Israel, expecting faithfulness and obedience. However, the people had repeatedly turned to idolatry and practiced social injustice, effectively forsaking their covenant with the Lord. Jeremiah 4 outlines the impending judgment and destruction that would come upon Judah due to their unfaithfulness, and verse 22 serves as God's heartbroken diagnosis of their condition.

Key Themes

  • Profound Spiritual Ignorance: The core issue is that God's people "have not known me." This isn't just a lack of information but a failure to have a deep, personal, and obedient relationship with the God who had redeemed them. This spiritual blindness is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, often leading to destruction, as seen in Hosea 4:6.
  • Moral Inversion and Perverted Wisdom: The most striking contrast in the verse is their ability to be "wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge." Their ingenuity and intelligence were tragically misdirected. They were clever in devising schemes for sin and idolatry, yet utterly incapable or unwilling to understand and practice righteousness. This highlights a corrupted moral compass where what should be simple (doing good) becomes impossible, and what should be abhorrent (doing evil) becomes their expertise.
  • Divine Lament and Frustration: The language "For my people [is] foolish... they [are] sottish children" conveys God's deep sorrow and exasperation. He views His people as immature, simple-minded, and lacking discernment, despite being His chosen nation. It's a father's lament over wayward, disobedient children.

Linguistic Insights

  • "Known me": The Hebrew word for "known" (yada') implies more than intellectual acquaintance; it signifies a deep, intimate, experiential, and relational knowledge, often involving covenant faithfulness and obedience. The people of Judah had abandoned this intimate knowledge of God.
  • "Sottish children": The word "sottish" (Hebrew: sakhal) means foolish, stupid, or dull-witted. Coupled with "children" (banim), it paints a picture of immaturity and lack of understanding, particularly in spiritual matters. They behaved like simpletons regarding God's ways.
  • "Wise to do evil": The Hebrew word for "wise" (chakham) usually carries a positive connotation, referring to skill, discernment, or wisdom. Here, it is ironically applied to their proficiency in wickedness, underscoring the perversion of their natural human capabilities.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 4:22 serves as a timeless warning and a call to introspection for believers today:

  • Seek True Knowledge of God: It is not enough to know *about* God; we are called to know Him relationally and experientially. This involves obedience, prayer, and diligent study of His Word.
  • Examine Our Priorities: Are we, like ancient Judah, more adept and invested in worldly pursuits or even sinful endeavors than in understanding and practicing righteousness? Our "wisdom" should be directed towards God's will, not away from it.
  • Beware of Spiritual Apathy: The verse highlights the danger of spiritual dullness and apathy that can lead to a complete reversal of moral values. We must actively cultivate discernment and a desire for good.
  • The Consequences of Disobedience: The lament in this verse foreshadows the judgment that came upon Judah. It reminds us that spiritual ignorance and deliberate evil have consequences, and our sins can indeed withhold good things from us.

Ultimately, this verse is a sobering reminder that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord and a commitment to doing good, not evil.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 1 Corinthians 14:20

    Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

  • Romans 16:19

    For your obedience is come abroad unto all [men]. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

  • Jeremiah 5:21

    Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:

  • Romans 3:11

    There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

  • Hosea 4:6

    ¶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

  • Romans 1:22

    Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

  • Hosea 5:4

    They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms [is] in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD.

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