TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 5:1–9. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. A challenge to produce any one right honest man, or at least any considerable number of such, in Jerusalem, Jer 5:1. Jerusalem had become like the old world, in which all flesh had corrupted their way. There were some perhaps who flattered themselves with hopes that there were yet many good men in Jerusalem, who would stand in the gap to turn away the wrath of God; and there might be others who boasted of its being the holy city and thought that this would save it. But God bids them search the town, and intimates that they should scarcely find a man in it who executed judgment and made conscience of what he said and did: "Look in the streets, where they make their appearance and converse together, and in the broad places, where they keep their markets; see if you can find a man, a magistrate (so some), that executes judgment, and administers justice impartially, that will put the laws in execution against vice and profaneness." When the faithful thus cease and fail it is time to cry Woe is me! (Mic 7:1, Mic 7:2), high time to cry, Help Lord, Psa 12:1. "If there be here and there a man that is truly conscientious, and does at least speak the truth, yet you shall not find him in the streets and broad places; he dares not appear publicly, lest he should be abused and run down. Truth has fallen in the street (Isa 59:14), and is forced to seek for corners." So pleasing would it be to God to find any such that for their sake he would pardon the city; if there were but ten righteous men in Sodom, if but one of a thousand, of ten thousand, in Jerusalem, it should be spared. See how ready God is to forgive, how swift to show mercy. But it might be said, "What do you make of those in Jerusalem that continue to make profession of religion and relation to God? Are not they men for whose sakes Jerusalem may be spared?" No, for they are not sincere in their profession (Jer 5:2): They say, The Lord liveth, and will swear by his name only, but they swear falsely, that is, 1. They are not sincere in the profession they make of respect to God, but are false to him; they honour him with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. 2. Though they appeal to God only, they make no conscience of calling him to witness to a lie. Though they do not swear by idols, they forswear themselves, which is no less an affront to God, as the God of truth, than the other is as the only true God.
II.A complaint which the prophet makes to God of the obstinacy and wilfulness of these people.
God had appealed to their eyes (Jer 5:1); but here the prophet appeals to his eyes (Jer 5:3): "Are not thy eyes upon the truth? Dost thou not see every man's true character? And is not this the truth of their character, that they have made their faces harder than a rock?" Or, "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward part; but where is it to be found among the men of this generation? For though they say, The Lord liveth, yet they never regard him; thou hast stricken them with one affliction after another, but they have not grieved for the affliction, they have been as stocks and stones under it, much less have they grieved for the sin by which they have brought it upon themselves. Thou hast gone further yet, hast consumed them, hast corrected them yet more severely; but they have refused to receive correction, to accommodate themselves to thy design in correcting them and to answer to it. They would not receive instruction by the correction. The have set themselves to outface the divine sentence and to outbrave the execution of it, for they have made their faces harder than a rock; they cannot change countenance, neither blush for shame nor look pale for fear, cannot be beaten back from the pursuit of their lusts, whatever check is given them; for, though often called to it, they have refused to return, and would go forward, right or wrong, as the horse into the battle."
III.The trial made both of rich and poor, and the bad character given of both.
1.The poor were ignorant, and therefore they were wicked. He found many that refused to return, for whom he was willing to make the best excuse their case would bear, and it was this (Jer 5:4): "Surely, these are poor, they are foolish. They never had the advantage of a good education, nor have they wherewithal to help themselves now with the means of instruction. They are forced to work hard for their living, and have no time nor capacity for reading or hearing, so that they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgments of their God; they understand neither the way in which God by his precepts will have them to walk towards him nor the way in which he by his providence is walking towards them." Note,
(1.)Prevailing ignorance is the lamentable cause of abounding impiety and iniquity. What can one expect but works of darkness from brutish sottish people that know nothing of God and religion, but choose to sit in darkness?
(2.)This is commonly a reigning sin among poor people. There are the devil's poor as well as God's, who, notwithstanding their poverty, might know the way of the Lord, so as to walk in it and do their duty, without being book-learned; but they are willingly ignorant, and therefore their ignorance will not be their excuse.
2.The rich were insolent and haughty, and therefore they were wicked (Jer 5:5): "I will get me to the great men, and see if I can find them more pliable to the word and providence of God. I will speak to them, preach at court, in hopes to make some impression upon men of polite literature. But all in vain; for, though they know the way of the Lord and the judgment of their God, yet they are too stiff to stoop to his government: These have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds. They know their Master's will, but are resolved to have their own will, to walk in the way of their heart and in the sight of their eyes. They think themselves too goodly to be controlled, too big to be corrected, even by the sovereign Lord of all himself. They are for breaking even his bands asunder, Psa 2:3. The poor are weak, the rich are wilful, and so neither do their duty."
IV.Some particular sins specified, which they were notoriously guilty of, and which cried most loudly to heaven for vengeance.
Their transgressions indeed were many, of many kinds and often repeated, and their backslidings were increased; they added to the number of them and grew more and more impudent in them, Jer 5:6. But two sins especially were justly to be looked upon as unpardonable crimes: - 1. Their spiritual whoredom, giving that honour to idols which is due to God only. "Thy children have forsaken me, to whom they were born and dedicated and under whom they have been brought up, and they have sworn by those that are no gods, have made their appeal to them as if they had been omniscient and their proper judges." This is here put for all acts of religious worship due to God only, but with which they had honoured their idols. They have sworn to them (so it may be read), have joined themselves to them and covenanted with them. Those that forsake God make a bad change for those that are no gods. 2. Their corporal whoredom. Because they had forsaken God and served idols, he gave them up to vile affections; and those that dishonoured him were left to dishonour themselves and their own families. They committed adultery most scandalously, without sense of shame or fear of punishment, for they assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses and did not blush to be seen by one another in the most scandalous places. So impudent and violent was their lust, so impatient of check, and so eager to be gratified, that they became perfect beasts (Jer 5:8); like high-fed horses, they neighed every one after his neighbour's wife, Jer 5:8. Unbridled lusts make men like natural brute beasts, such monstrous odious things are they. And that which aggravated their sin was that it was the abuse of God's favours to them: When they were fed to the full, then their lusts grew thus furious. Fulness of bread was fuel to the fire of Sodom's lusts. Sine Cerere et Bacchio friget Venu - Luxurious living feeds the flames of lust. Fasting would help to tame the unruly evil that is so full of deadly poison, and bring the body into subjection.
V.A threatening of God's wrath against them for their wickedness and the universal debauchery of their land.
1.The particular judgment that is threatened, Jer 5:6. A foreign enemy shall break in upon them, get dominion over them, and shall lay waste: their country shall be as if it were overrun and perfectly mastered by wild beasts. This enemy shall be,
(1.)Like a lion of the forest; so strong, so furious, so irresistible; and he shall slay them.
(2.)Like a wolf of the evening, which comes out at night, when he is hungry, to seek his prey, and is very fierce and ravenous; and the noise both of the lions' roaring and of the wolves' howling is very hideous.
(3.)Like a leopard, which is very swift and very cruel, and withal careful not to miss his prey. The army of the enemy shall watch over their cities so strictly as to put the inhabitants to this sad dilemma - if they stay in, they are starved; if they stir out, they are stabbed; Every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces, which intimates that in many places the enemy gave no quarter. And all this bloody work is owing to the multitude of their transgressions. It is sin that makes the great slaughter.
2.An appeal to themselves concerning the equity of it (Jer 5:9); "Shall I not visit for these things? Can you yourselves think that the God whose name is Jealous will let such idolatries go unpunished, or that a God of infinite purity will connive at such abominable uncleanness?" These are things that must be reckoned for, else the honour of God's government cannot be maintained, nor his laws saved from contempt; but sinners will be tempted to think him altogether such a one as themselves, contrary to that conviction of their own consciences concerning the judgment of God which is necessary to be supported, That those who do such things are worthy of death, Rom 1:32. Observe, when God punishes sin, he is said to visit for it, or enquire into it; for he weighs the cause before he passes sentence. Sinners have reason to expect punishment upon the account of God's holiness, to which sin is highly offensive, as well as upon the account of his justice, to which it renders us obnoxious; this is intimated in that, Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? It is not only the word of God, but his soul, that takes vengeance. And he has national judgments wherewith to take vengeance for national sins. Such nations as this was cannot long go unpunished. How shall I pardon thee for this? Jer 5:7. Not but that those who have been guilty of these sins have found mercy with God, as to their eternal state (Manasseh himself did, though so much accessory to the iniquity of these times); but nations, as such, being rewardable and punishable only in this life, it would not be for the glory of God to let a nation so very wicked as this pass without some manifest tokens of his displeasure.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 6) And behold, these men have broken the yoke together: they have broken the bonds, therefore the lion from the forest has struck them, the wolf has laid waste to them in the evening, the vigilant leopard is over their cities; everyone who goes out from them will be captured. Because their transgressions have multiplied, their apostasies have become strengthened. Those whom I thought were teachers, have been found to be worse than the disciples, and the greater authority there is in the rich, the greater the insolence of sins. For they have broken the yoke of the Law, as the Apostle says: 'Now therefore, why do you tempt God by imposing a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But by the grace of the Lord Jesus, we believe to be saved, even as they:' (Acts 15:10-11). And they broke the bonds of God's precepts, and not of the Pharisees, of whom it is said in the second Psalm: 'Let us break their bonds asunder, and let us cast away their yoke from us' (Psalm 2:3). Therefore, because they did these things, a lion from the forest struck them, namely the kingdom of Babylon; a wolf ravaged them at evening, signifying the Medes and Persians. For this reason, in the vision of Daniel, a bear is placed, with three rows of teeth in its mouth (Daniel 7): a watchful leopard over their cities, foreshadowing the attack of Alexander, and a swift attack from the West to India. It is called a leopard due to its variety and because it fought against the Medes and Persians with many subject nations. And four, he said, were the heads on the beast, and power was given to it. And because he does not prophesy of the future, but of the past, as if weaving a story about things that are about to happen soon, he is silent about the Roman empire, about which perhaps it is said: Everyone who goes out from them will be captured. And he gives reasons why they have suffered these things: Because their transgressions have multiplied, and they have persisted in their disobedience. Hence it is said: And their aversions have been strengthened. That which we have set forth at the beginning, the Hebrew word Soced, which means 'vigilance', is now revealed in its proper place: for where we have said 'pardus vigilans', it is written in Hebrew Nemer Soced. According to typology, those who are considered great in the Church, because they break the yoke and break the chains, are therefore delivered to the shame of sufferings, so that they do what does not befit them.
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Summary
Jeremiah 5:6 presents a chilling prophetic declaration of inescapable divine judgment against Judah, vividly illustrating the severe consequences of their profound and escalating spiritual rebellion. Through the potent imagery of a lion, a wolf, and a leopard, the prophet announces that foreign invaders, acting as instruments of God's righteous wrath, will relentlessly devastate the nation. This verse powerfully underscores the direct, inevitable, and brutal repercussions of widespread transgression and persistent backsliding, emphasizing that God's justice will ultimately prevail against a people who have repeatedly turned away from Him.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 5:6 is strategically placed within a broader, scathing indictment against Jerusalem and Judah, a theme that dominates chapters 4-6. Following God's earnest call for repentance and a return to Him in Jeremiah 4:1-4, the narrative quickly shifts to expose the nation's pervasive sinfulness, which permeates every level of society—from the common people to the very prophets and priests, all of whom have "dealt falsely" (Jeremiah 5:12). The preceding verses in chapter 5 lament God's desperate search for even one righteous person in Jerusalem, highlighting the utter moral decay (Jeremiah 5:1). The terrifying imagery of wild beasts in verse 6 serves as the climactic and direct consequence of the spiritual blindness and stubborn refusal to repent described earlier, particularly their rejection of God's law and their persistent pursuit of idolatry, as seen in Jeremiah 5:4-5. This verse marks a significant transition from lament and desperate appeals to a stark, unambiguous declaration of impending, violent, and unavoidable judgment.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous and pivotal period in Judah's history, spanning the late 7th to early 6th century BCE under the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. This era was characterized by profound political instability, marked by the decline of the once-dominant Assyrian Empire and the meteoric rise of Babylon. Judah, caught precariously between these shifting geopolitical powers, frequently sought alliances with foreign nations rather than placing their trust in the Lord, thereby exacerbating their spiritual unfaithfulness. The imagery of predatory animals was profoundly resonant in the ancient Near East, where such beasts—lions, wolves, and leopards—represented a constant, terrifying threat to livestock and human life, symbolizing chaos, destruction, and often, divine punishment. The "forest" (Hebrew, yaʻar, H3293) would be a common and natural habitat for lions, while "evenings" (Hebrew, ʻărâbâh, H6160), referring to the desert or desolate plain, was where wolves would typically hunt. Leopards (Hebrew, nâmêr, H5246) were notorious for their stealth, swiftness, and sudden, lethal attacks. The prophet's deliberate use of these specific, fearsome animals would have immediately evoked a visceral sense of dread and a clear understanding of the brutal, inescapable, and comprehensive nature of the coming judgment, which would be executed by foreign armies, primarily the Babylonians, acting as God's instruments of wrath.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 5:6 powerfully contributes to several overarching and critical themes within the book of Jeremiah. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Divine Judgment as a righteous and inevitable response to persistent, unrepentant sin. God, though infinitely patient and merciful, will not indefinitely tolerate rebellion against His holy covenant. Secondly, it highlights the severe Consequences of Unfaithfulness, demonstrating with stark clarity that spiritual apostasy, idolatry, and moral decay inevitably lead to national devastation, exile, and ruin, a theme consistently woven throughout the prophetic books (e.g., the blessings and curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28). Thirdly, the verse vividly portrays the Irreversibility of Judgment once a certain threshold of sin and rebellion is crossed, emphasizing that the people's "transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased." This cumulative and escalating nature of sin reaches a critical point where divine intervention for correction becomes severe and unavoidable. Finally, it masterfully employs Symbolic Imagery to depict the instruments of God's wrath, portraying foreign invaders as fierce, relentless, and predatory beasts, a common and terrifying motif in prophetic literature when describing invading armies (e.g., the description of the Chaldeans in Habakkuk 1:8).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term (H6588) signifies a deliberate rebellion, a revolt, or a breaking of trust. It implies a conscious and intentional act of violating a covenant or moral law, moving beyond mere error or mistake to active defiance and treachery. In this context, it points to Judah's intentional, repeated, and persistent breach of their covenant relationship with Yahweh, characterized by their pervasive idolatry, social injustice, and rejection of divine authority.
This word (H4878) denotes apostasy or a turning away from God. It suggests a repeated pattern of spiritual drifting, a waywardness that involves abandoning God's established ways, returning to sinful habits, or embracing false worship. The plural form in the Hebrew ("backslidings") powerfully emphasizes the cumulative, persistent, and multi-faceted nature of Judah's unfaithfulness, signifying a gradual but determined and comprehensive departure from the Lord.
This verb (H2963) means to pluck off, pull apart, or rend in pieces, often used specifically in the context of a predator tearing its prey. It vividly conveys the brutal, violent, and complete destruction that awaits those who attempt to escape the impending judgment. This imagery underscores the ferocity and totality of the coming devastation, leaving no possibility of escape or survival for those caught in its path.
Verse Breakdown
"Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them,"
This clause introduces the first and most formidable instrument of divine judgment. The lion, a symbol of raw power and ferocity, emerges from its wild habitat, signifying a powerful and terrifying enemy (likely the Babylonian army) poised to bring death and destruction upon Judah.
"and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them,"
The second predatory animal, a wolf, is introduced, known for its cunning, stealth, and pack hunting, particularly active at dusk or night. The verb "spoil" (Hebrew, shâdad, H7703) indicates plundering, ravaging, and laying waste, signifying the comprehensive economic, social, and physical destruction that will accompany the invasion.
"a leopard shall watch over their cities:"
The leopard, swift, stealthy, and persistent, represents an inescapable and vigilant threat. The phrase "watch over their cities" (Hebrew, shâqad, H8245) implies a relentless, watchful siege or occupation, suggesting that no place of refuge, even within the fortified walls of their cities, will be safe from the impending doom.
"every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces:"
This stark and terrifying declaration emphasizes the universality and brutality of the judgment. Anyone attempting to escape the besieged cities or the general devastation will meet a violent and gruesome end, ripped apart by the metaphorical beasts, highlighting the complete absence of safety, refuge, or escape from God's decree.
"because their transgressions are many, [and] their backslidings are increased."
This final, crucial clause provides the explicit divine rationale and justification for the severe judgment. The accumulated and escalating nature of Judah's sins—their deliberate rebellion against God's law and their persistent spiritual apostasy—is presented as the direct and righteous cause of the coming destruction. It underscores God's justice in responding to unrepentant, multiplied sin.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 5:6 is exceptionally rich in Symbolism and Metaphor, primarily employing a series of fearsome predatory animals—a lion, a wolf, and a leopard—to represent the foreign armies that God will sovereignly use as instruments of His judgment. These animals are not literal but serve as powerful Metaphors for the ferocity, cunning, swiftness, and inescapable nature of the impending Babylonian invasion. The phrase "torn in pieces" is a vivid and visceral Hyperbole, emphasizing the complete, brutal, and utterly devastating destruction awaiting the inhabitants. The structure of the verse, listing three distinct and increasingly threatening predators, creates a powerful sense of escalating doom and comprehensive devastation, serving as an effective example of Climax or Gradation, where the threats build upon each other to paint a picture of total ruin. The concluding clause, which explicitly states the reason for the judgment, functions as a clear Causal Explanation, directly linking the severe consequences to the nation's profound and persistent spiritual rebellion.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 5:6 stands as a profound and sobering testament to God's unwavering justice and the severe, inevitable consequences of unrepentant sin. It reveals that while God is characterized by boundless patience and mercy, there comes a critical point when persistent rebellion and spiritual apostasy necessitate divine intervention in judgment. This passage powerfully affirms God's absolute sovereignty over all nations, demonstrating His ability to use even pagan empires as instruments of His righteous wrath to bring about His holy purposes. The terrifying imagery of relentless predators underscores the terrifying reality of facing a holy God's judgment when His repeated warnings are continually ignored and His sacred covenant is repeatedly broken. It serves as a somber and timeless reminder that sin, left unchecked and unconfessed, inevitably leads to devastation, both on an individual and a corporate level, highlighting the profound seriousness with which God views faithfulness and obedience.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 5:6 serves as a profound and sobering mirror, inviting us to critically examine the state of our own hearts, our communities, and even our nations. It powerfully reminds us that God's multifaceted character encompasses both profound mercy and unwavering, uncompromising justice. For individuals, this verse issues a deep call to introspection: are there areas of "transgression" or "backsliding" subtly or overtly present in our lives? Are we consciously or unconsciously drifting away from God's revealed truth, or actively rebelling against His known will? The emphasis on the "increase" of backsliding warns against spiritual complacency and highlights the insidious danger of small, seemingly insignificant compromises that can gradually accumulate and lead to profound spiritual decline and eventual separation from God. For communities and nations, it underscores the corporate responsibility before God and the societal consequences that inevitably arise from widespread moral decay, spiritual apathy, and the collective rejection of divine principles. While we, as believers, live under the New Covenant of grace, the underlying principle remains eternally true: unconfessed and unrepented sin creates a chasm between humanity and God, invariably inviting consequences. This passage implicitly calls us to active, ongoing repentance, vigilant self-examination, and a renewed, unwavering commitment to walking in faithfulness and obedience, lest we, too, experience the tearing effects of spiritual separation and the painful discipline of a holy God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What do the lion, wolf, and leopard symbolize in this verse?
In Jeremiah 5:6, the lion, wolf, and leopard are powerful symbols representing the foreign invaders, primarily the formidable Babylonian army, that God would sovereignly use as instruments of His righteous judgment against unfaithful Judah. These specific animals were chosen for their distinct predatory characteristics: the lion for its raw power, overwhelming ferocity, and destructive capability; the wolf for its cunning, stealth, and ability to spoil or plunder; and the leopard for its swiftness, suddenness of attack, and relentless pursuit. Together, they paint a vivid and terrifying picture of the comprehensive, brutal, and utterly inescapable nature of the impending invasion and destruction that would befall Judah due to their profound and persistent unfaithfulness. This powerful animal imagery is a common and effective motif in prophetic literature used to describe invading armies, as seen elsewhere in Jeremiah, such as the "destroyer from the north" depicted in Jeremiah 4:7.
Why was God's judgment so severe against Judah?
God's judgment against Judah, as depicted in Jeremiah 5:6, was severe "because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased." This explicit divine explanation indicates that the judgment was not arbitrary or capricious but a direct, just, and proportional consequence of the nation's persistent, widespread, and escalating rebellion against God. Judah had repeatedly and deliberately broken their sacred covenant with Yahweh through rampant idolatry, pervasive social injustice, and a hardened, stubborn refusal to heed the numerous warnings of prophets like Jeremiah. Despite God's extraordinary patience, His repeated calls to repentance (e.g., Jeremiah 3:12-14), and His gracious invitations to return, Judah continued in their spiritual apostasy, reaching a tipping point where divine justice necessitated severe, corrective action to uphold God's holiness, His covenant faithfulness, and the integrity of His moral law.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Jeremiah 5:6 vividly portrays the terrifying consequences of unrepentant sin and the severity of divine judgment under the Old Covenant, its ultimate fulfillment and profound resolution are found exclusively in Jesus Christ. The judgment described here—the tearing apart by predatory forces due to multiplied transgressions and increased backslidings—underscores humanity's desperate and universal need for a deliverer from the wages of sin and the curse of the law. Jesus Christ, the ultimate Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, perfectly fulfilled the righteous demands of God's justice by taking upon Himself the very tearing judgment that humanity deserved. He became the one "torn in pieces" on the cross, enduring the full, unmitigated wrath of God against sin, so that all who believe in Him might be spared from such devastation. Through His perfect and atoning sacrifice, the "many transgressions" that separate us from a holy God are completely forgiven, and our "backslidings" are covered and healed by His boundless grace (Romans 3:23-26). Instead of facing the destructive "lion, wolf, and leopard" of divine judgment, believers in Christ find ultimate refuge, redemption, and reconciliation in Him, who disarmed the powers of darkness and triumphed over them on the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). Thus, Jeremiah 5:6, while serving as a stark warning about the gravity of sin, ultimately points forward to the profound mercy, substitutionary work, and victorious deliverance offered by Christ, who redeems us from the curse of the law and brings us into a new, eternal covenant of grace (Galatians 3:13).