To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear [is] uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
To whom shall I speak {H1696}, and give warning {H5749}, that they may hear {H8085}? behold, their ear {H241} is uncircumcised {H6189}, and they cannot {H3201} hearken {H7181}: behold, the word {H1697} of the LORD {H3068} is unto them a reproach {H2781}; they have no delight {H2654} in it.
To whom should I speak? Whom should I warn? Who will listen to me? Their ears are dull, they can't pay attention. For them the word of ADONAI has become unattractive, an object of scorn.
To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
To whom shall I speak and testify, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of Jehovah is become unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
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Acts 7:51
¶ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye. -
Jeremiah 7:26
Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. -
John 7:7
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. -
Exodus 6:12
And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who [am] of uncircumcised lips? -
Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. -
Isaiah 53:1
¶ Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? -
Psalms 1:2
But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Jeremiah 6:10 captures the profound frustration of the prophet Jeremiah and the deep spiritual malaise of the people of Judah. In this verse, Jeremiah laments the spiritual deafness and hardened hearts of the very people he was sent to warn, highlighting their utter unwillingness to heed God's message.
Historical and Cultural Context
Jeremiah served as a prophet in Judah during a turbulent and critical period, primarily under the reigns of kings Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, just prior to the Babylonian exile. His ministry spanned approximately 40 years, a time marked by widespread idolatry, social injustice, and a superficial adherence to religious practices. The people of Judah had largely abandoned the covenant God made with their ancestors, turning instead to pagan gods and neglecting the divine laws. Jeremiah's message was consistently one of repentance and warning of impending judgment if they did not turn back to the Lord. This verse reflects the culmination of their persistent rebellion and the prophet's profound sorrow over their obstinacy in the face of divine truth.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
The phrase "their ear is uncircumcised" is a powerful metaphorical expression rooted in Old Testament covenant theology. Physical circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham's descendants, symbolizing purity and dedication to God. Spiritually, an "uncircumcised ear" (Hebrew: arelah ozen) signifies an ear that is closed, unresponsive, or unwilling to receive divine instruction, much like an "uncircumcised heart" (Leviticus 26:41, Deuteronomy 10:16) implies spiritual dullness and rebellion. It suggests that their capacity to hear and obey God's voice was impaired, not by a physical defect, but by a spiritual one—a deep-seated resistance to truth.
The word "reproach" (Hebrew: cherpah) carries the connotation of shame, disgrace, or contempt. For the people of Judah, God's word, which should have been their guide and delight, had become an object of scorn and ridicule. They despised its warnings and commands.
Practical Application
Jeremiah 6:10 serves as a timeless warning and a call to self-examination for all who claim to follow God. It prompts us to consider:
Ultimately, this verse underscores the necessity of a transformed heart and a willingness to hear and obey God's voice, pointing forward to the new covenant where God's law would be written on the heart, creating an inner desire to delight in His ways.