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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 8:4–12. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The prophet here is instructed to set before this people the folly of their impenitence, which was it that brought this ruin upon them. They are here represented as the most stupid senseless people in the world, that would not be made wise by all the methods that Infinite Wisdom took to bring them to themselves and their right mind, and so to prevent the ruin that was coming upon them.
I.They would not attend to the dictates of reason.
They would not act in the affairs of their souls with the same common prudence with which they acted in other things. Sinners would become saints if they would but show themselves men, and religion would soon rule them if right reason might. Observe it here. Come, and let us reason together, saith the Lord (Jer 8:4, Jer 8:5): Shall men fall and not arise? If men happen to fall to the ground, to fall into the dirt, will they not get up again as fast as they can? They are not such fools as to lie still when they are down. Shall a man turn aside out of the right way? Yes, the most careful traveller may miss his way; but then, as soon as he is aware of it, will he not return? Yes, certainly he will, with all speed, and will thank him that showed him his mistake. Thus men do in other things. Why then has this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? Why do not they, when they have fallen into sin, hasten to get up again by repentance? Why do not they, when they see they have missed their way, correct their error and reform? No man in his wits will go on in a way that he knows will never bring him to his journey's end; why then has this people slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? See the nature of sin - it is a backsliding it is going back from the right way, not only into a by-path, but into a contrary path, back from the way that leads to life to that which leads to utter destruction. And this backsliding, if almighty grace do not interpose to prevent it, will be a perpetual backsliding. The sinner not only wanders endlessly, but proceeds end-ways towards ruin. The same subtlety of the tempter that brings men to sin holds them fast in it, and they contribute to their own captivity: They hold fast deceit. Sin is a great cheat, and they hold it fast; they love it dearly, and resolve to stick to it, and baffle all the methods God takes to separate between them and their sins. The excuses they make for their sins are deceits, and so are all their hopes of impunity; yet they hold fast these, and will not be undeceived, and therefore they refuse to return. Note, There is some deceit or other which those hold fast that go on wilfully in sinful ways, some lie in their right hand, by which they keep hold of their sins.
II.They would not attend to the dictates of conscience, which is our reason reflecting upon ourselves and our own actions, Jer 8:6. Observe,
1.What expectations there were from them, that they would bethink themselves: I hearkened and heard. The prophet listened to see what effect his preaching had upon them; God himself listened, as one that desires not the death of sinners, that would have been glad to hear any thing that promised repentance, that would certainly have heard it if there had been any thing said of that tendency, and would soon have answered it with comfort, as he did David when he said, I will confess, Psa 32:5. God looks upon men when they have done amiss (Job 33:27), to see what they will do next; he hearkens and hears.
2.How these expectations were disappointed: They spoke not aright, as I thought they would have done. They did not only not do right, but not so much as speak right; God could not get a good word from them, nothing on which to ground any favour to them or hopes concerning them. There was none of them that spoke aright, none that repented him of his wickedness. those that have sinned then, and then only, speak aright when they speak of repenting; and it is sad when those that have made so much work for repentance do not say a word of repenting. Not only did God not find any repenting of the national wickedness, which might have helped to empty the measure of public guilt, but none repented of that particular wickedness which he knew himself guilty of.
(1.)They did not so much as take the first step towards repentance; they did not so much as say, What have I done? There was no motion towards it, not the least sign or token of it. Note, True repentance beings in a serious and impartial inquiry into ourselves, what have we done, arising from a conviction that we have done amiss.
(2.)They were so far from repenting of their sins that they went on resolutely in their sins: Every one turned to his course, his wicked course, that course of sin which he had chosen and accustomed himself to, as the horse rushes into the battle, eager upon action, and scorning to be curbed. How the horse rushes into the battle is elegantly described, Job 39:21, etc. He mocks at fear and is not affrighted. Thus the daring sinner laughs at the threatenings of the word as bugbears, and runs violently upon the instruments of death and slaughter, and nothing will be restrained from him.
III.They would not attend to the dictates of providence, nor understand the voice of God in them, Jer 8:7.
It is an instance of their sottishness that, though they are God's people, and therefore should readily understand his mind upon every intimation of it, yet they know not the judgment of the Lord; they apprehend not the meaning either of a mercy or an affliction, not how to accommodate themselves to either, nor to answer God's intention in either. They know not how to improve the seasons of grave that God affords them when he sends them his prophets, nor how to make use of the rebukes they are under when his voice cries in the city. They discern not the signs of the times (Mat 16:3), nor are aware how God is dealing with them. They know not that way of duty which God had prescribed them, though it be written both in their hearts and in their books. 2. It is an aggravation of their sottishness that there is so much sagacity in the inferior creatures. The stork in the heaven knows her appointed times of coming and continuing; so do other season-birds, the turtle, the crane, and the swallow. These by a natural instinct change their quarters, as the temper of the air alters; they come when the spring comes, and go, we know not whither, when the winter approaches, probably into warmer climates, as some birds come with winter and go when that is over.
IV.They would not attend to the dictates of the written word.
They say, We are wise; but how can they say so? Jer 8:8. With what face can they pretend to any thing of wisdom, when they do not understand themselves so well as the brute-creatures? Why, truly, they think they are wise because the law of the Lord is with them, the book of the law and the interpreters of it; and their neighbours, for the same reason, conclude they are wise, Deu 4:6. But their pretensions are groundless for all this: Lo, certainly in vain made he it; surely never any people had Bibles to so little purpose as they have. They might as well have been without the law, unless they had made a better use of it. God has indeed made it able to make men wise to salvation, but as to them it is made so in vain, for they are never the wiser for it: The pen of the scribes, of those that first wrote the law and of those that now write expositions of it, is in vain. Both the favour of their God and the labour of their scribes are lost upon them; they receive the grace of God therein in vain. Note, There are many that enjoy abundance of the means of grace, that have great plenty of Bibles and ministers, but they have them in vain; they do not answer the end of their having them. But it might be said, They have some wise men among them, to whom the law and the pen of the scribes are not in vain. To this it is answered (Jer 8:9): The wise men are ashamed, that is, they have reasons to be so, that they have not made a better use of their wisdom, and lived more up to it. They are confounded and taken; all their wisdom has not served to keep them from those courses that tend to their ruin. They are taken in the same snares that others of their neighbours, who have not pretended to so much wisdom, are taken in, and filled with the same confusion. Those that have more knowledge than others, and yet do no better than others for their own souls, have reason to be ashamed. They talk of their wisdom, but, Lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; they would not be governed by it, would not follow its direction, would not do what they knew; and then what wisdom is in them? None to any purpose; none that will be found to their praise at the great day, how much soever it is found to their pride now. The pretenders to wisdom, who said, "We are wise and the law of the Lord is with us," were the priests and the false prophets; with them the prophet here deals plainly.
1.He threatens the judgments of God against them. Their families and estates shall be ruined (Jer 8:10): Their wives shall be given to others, when they are taken captives, and their fields. shall be taken from them by their victorious enemy and shall be given to those that shall inherit them, not only strip them for once, but take possession of them as their own and acquire a property in them as their own and acquire a property in them, which they shall transmit to their posterity. And (Jer 8:12), notwithstanding all their pretensions to wisdom and sanctity, they shall fall among those that fall; for, if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall together into the ditch. In the time of their visitation, when the wickedness of the land comes to be enquired into, it will be found that they have contributed to it more than any, and therefore they shall be sure to be cast down and cast out.
2.He gives a reason for these judgments (Jer 8:10-12), even the same account of their badness which we meet with before (Jer 6:13-15), where it was opened at large.
(1.)They were greedy of the wealth of this world, which is bad enough in any, but worst in prophets and priests, who should be best acquainted with another world and therefore should be most dead to this. But these, from the least to the greatest, were given to covetousness. The priests teach for hire and the prophets divine for money, Mic 3:11.
(2.)They made no conscience of speaking truth, no, not when they spoke as priests and prophets: Every one deals falsely, looks one way and rows another. There is no such thing as sincerity among them.
(3.)They flattered people in their sins, and so flattered them into destruction. They pretended to be the physicians of the state, but knew not how to apply proper remedies to its growing maladies; they healed them slightly, killed the patient with palliative cures, silencing their fears and complaints with, "Peace, peace, all is well, and there is no danger," when the God of heaven was proceeding in his controversy with them, so that there could be no peace to them.
(4.)When it was made to appear how basely they prevaricated they were not at all ashamed of it, but rather gloried in it, (Jer 8:12): They could not blush, so perfectly lost were they to all sense of virtue and honour. When they were convicted of the grossest forgeries they would justify what they had done, and laugh at those whom they had imposed upon. Such as these were ripe for ruin.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
(Verse 8.) How do you say, 'We are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us'? Truly, the deceitful pen has worked deceit, scribes who boast knowledge of the Law, and the writers write iniquity. And he says:
The blessed prophet Jeremiah loudly condemned both the ignorance and pride of the [unfaithful] Jews. He rebukes them in these words, "How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. The wise people shall be put to shame. They shall be dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the Word of the Lord, so what wisdom is in them?" For being neither wise nor acquainted with the sacred Scriptures, though the scribes and Pharisees falsely assumed to themselves the reputation of being learned in the law, they rejected the Word of God. For when the Only-begotten had become man, they did not receive him or yield their neck obediently to the summons that he addressed to them by the gospel. Because, therefore, by their wicked conduct they rejected the Word of God, they were themselves rejected, being condemned by God's just decree. He said, by the voice of Jeremiah, "Call them rejected silver because the Lord has rejected them." And again, "Shave your head, and cast it away, and take lamentation on your lips because the Lord has rejected and thrust away the generation that has done these things." And what these things are the God of all has declared to us, saying, "Hear, O earth: behold! I am bringing on this people evils, the fruit of their turning away, because they regarded not my word and have rejected my law."
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Summary
Jeremiah 8:8 delivers a searing prophetic indictment against the people of Judah, particularly their religious and intellectual elite, who arrogantly claimed wisdom and possession of God's divine law while living in profound spiritual rebellion. The verse exposes a dangerous hypocrisy, asserting that their boasts of enlightenment are hollow, and that both the sacred Law they profess to uphold and the diligent work of those who transmit it have been rendered "in vain" by their persistent disobedience. It powerfully highlights the critical chasm between intellectual knowledge or outward religious form and true, heartfelt obedience to God's revealed truth.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 8:8 is strategically placed within a larger prophetic lament (Jeremiah 8-9) where the prophet Jeremiah expresses profound grief and pronounces impending divine judgment upon Judah. This specific verse follows a passage (Jeremiah 8:4-7) that condemns the people's stubborn refusal to repent, their persistent backsliding, and their spiritual blindness, likening them to migratory birds that instinctively know their seasons but Israel does not know the ordinances of the Lord. Their false sense of security, rooted in superficial religious observance and a misguided belief in their own wisdom, sets the stage for Jeremiah's direct challenge. The verses immediately preceding (Jeremiah 8:5-7) lament their persistent apostasy and refusal to return to God, making the claim of wisdom in verse 8 even more egregious. The subsequent verses (Jeremiah 8:9-12) continue to detail the nation's incurable wound, the shame of their false prophets, and the inevitability of judgment, reinforcing the deep spiritual brokenness that Jeremiah 8:8 so sharply critiques.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah's prophetic ministry unfolded during a tumultuous period in Judah's history (late 7th to early 6th century BCE), leading up to the devastating Babylonian exile. Despite witnessing the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel due to similar sins, Judah persisted in idolatry, social injustice, and a superficial adherence to the Mosaic Law. A pervasive cultural belief, often fueled by false prophets, was that Jerusalem and its Temple were inviolable, fostering a dangerous complacency and a false sense of security (Jeremiah 7:4). The "scribes" (Hebrew: sopherim) were a highly respected class of learned individuals responsible for copying, preserving, and interpreting the Torah. Their meticulous work was crucial for maintaining the integrity of God's word. Jeremiah's accusation implies that even these custodians of the Law had either corrupted its true message, failed to impress its genuine demands upon the people's hearts, or were themselves complicit in the nation's spiritual decline by prioritizing external form over internal transformation, thereby rendering their diligent work ultimately ineffective in fostering true righteousness.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 8:8 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prominent in the book of Jeremiah and broader biblical theology. It starkly contrasts false wisdom versus true wisdom, exposing the people's arrogant self-perception as wise against the reality of their profound foolishness in God's eyes. This verse highlights the futility of mere religious formalism without genuine heart transformation, a concept echoed throughout prophetic literature, such as when Isaiah condemns those who honor God with their lips but whose hearts are far from Him. It also touches upon the corruption of religious authority, suggesting that even those entrusted with the divine revelation (the scribes) had, perhaps inadvertently or complicitly, contributed to the nation's spiritual blindness by failing to convey the Law's true demands. Ultimately, the verse emphasizes that God's Law is not merely a possession but a covenant requiring heartfelt obedience, and its divine purpose is nullified when it is not lived out, leading to inevitable divine judgment, a recurring motif throughout Jeremiah's prophecies.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word denotes intelligence, skill, or artfulness. In this context, it refers to the self-proclaimed wisdom of the people, suggesting a cunning or cleverness that they believed set them apart. However, Jeremiah uses it with biting irony, implying their wisdom is worldly, superficial, and antithetical to true divine wisdom, which involves fearing the Lord and departing from evil, as articulated in Job 28:28.
This term refers to a precept or statute, specifically the Decalogue or Pentateuch. It represents God's divine instruction given to Israel, intended to guide their lives in righteousness and covenant faithfulness. The people's boast of having the "law of the LORD" with them indicates their pride in possessing God's revealed will, yet they failed to internalize or obey its precepts, treating it as a mere external badge of privilege.
This word signifies an untruth, a sham, or something worthless and deceitful. It is a powerful term, often used to describe false gods or empty promises. Here, it is applied to God's act of giving the law and the scribes' work, not because the law itself is flawed, but because the people's rejection of its demands rendered its purpose and the scribes' efforts utterly futile and deceitful in their lives.
This primitive root means to score with a mark, to inscribe, or to enumerate; intensively, to recount or celebrate. It refers to those who wrote, copied, and interpreted the Law. Jeremiah's indictment suggests that even the meticulous work of these learned individuals, though ostensibly preserving God's word, became "in vain" because their efforts did not lead to genuine spiritual transformation or obedience among the people.
Verse Breakdown
"How do ye say, We are wise"
This opening rhetorical question immediately challenges the people's arrogant self-perception and claim to wisdom. Jeremiah exposes their profound hypocrisy, highlighting a stark disconnect between their outward assertion of wisdom and their actual behavior, which is characterized by spiritual foolishness and rebellion against God's covenant.
"and the law of the LORD is with us?"
This clause reveals the perceived basis of their false confidence: the mere possession of God's divine instruction, the Torah. They believed that simply having the Law, perhaps even knowing it intellectually or having it ritually present, was sufficient for their security and righteousness, irrespective of their obedience or lack thereof. This points to a dangerous reliance on external religious privilege rather than internal transformation and covenant faithfulness.
"Lo, certainly in vain made he it;"
This is a direct, emphatic declaration from God through Jeremiah. The Hebrew word "certainly" (H403, ʼâkên') underscores the absolute truth and gravity of the statement. "Made he it" refers to God's gracious act of giving the Law to Israel. The phrase "in vain" (H8267, sheqer') does not imply that God's Law is inherently flawed or useless, but rather that its intended, life-giving purpose—to bring righteousness, blessing, and covenant faithfulness—was tragically nullified by the people's persistent disobedience. Their actions rendered God's perfect and gracious gift ineffective in their lives.
"the pen of the scribes is in vain."
This final clause extends the indictment to the scribes, the professional copyists and interpreters of the Law. Their meticulous work of preserving and transmitting the divine word, symbolized by their "pen," is also declared "in vain." This signifies that their efforts, however diligent in transcription, failed to produce genuine obedience and spiritual transformation in the nation. It suggests that their teaching or interpretation may have been superficial, corrupted, or simply ineffective in reaching the hearts of the people, contributing to the widespread spiritual blindness and the ultimate failure of the Law to bring about its intended effect in that generation.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 8:8 employs several potent literary devices to convey its sharp rebuke and lament. The verse opens with a Rhetorical Question ("How do ye say, We are wise...?") which is not meant to elicit an answer but to expose the glaring absurdity and hypocrisy of the people's claims. This immediately draws the audience into a confrontation with their self-deception and spiritual pride. Irony is pervasive throughout the verse, as the very people who boast of wisdom and possession of God's law are simultaneously condemned for their profound foolishness and disobedience. Their claim to wisdom is precisely what demonstrates their utter lack of it. Furthermore, the declaration that God "made it [the law] in vain" and "the pen of the scribes is in vain" utilizes powerful Hyperbole to emphasize the extreme futility of their religious practices and the profound failure of their spiritual leadership. While the Law itself is perfect and eternal, its effect on a disobedient people is rendered useless, creating a stark and memorable image of spiritual barrenness and wasted divine effort.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 8:8 stands as a profound theological statement on the nature of true religion versus mere religious formalism. It teaches that the mere possession of divine revelation, or even intellectual understanding and meticulous preservation of it, is insufficient for genuine wisdom or righteousness. God's Law is not a magical charm or a source of automatic protection; it is a covenantal guide intended to shape lives in obedience and love. The verse underscores that God desires a transformed heart that actively lives out His commands, not just outward adherence or a boastful claim of knowledge. When the heart is far from God, even the most sacred texts and diligent religious practices become empty, futile, and fail to achieve their divine purpose. This passage serves as a timeless warning against spiritual complacency and the inherent danger of substituting genuine faith and obedience with intellectual pride or an external religious identity.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 8:8 challenges believers across all generations to critically examine the depth and authenticity of their faith walk. It serves as a potent reminder that true wisdom is not found in the mere intellectual accumulation of biblical knowledge or in outward religious affiliation, but in a life transformed by the Spirit, characterized by humble, heartfelt obedience to God's Word. We must vigilantly guard against the temptation to equate knowing about God with truly knowing Him and walking in His ways. This verse calls us to move beyond superficial religiosity and to allow the Scriptures to penetrate our hearts, shaping our character, motives, and actions. It prompts us to ask whether our engagement with God's Word is leading to genuine spiritual fruit and a deeper relationship with Him, or merely fostering a false sense of security based on external markers. For those in spiritual leadership, whether in the pulpit, classroom, or small group, it is a sober warning that their efforts, no matter how sincere or diligent in transmitting truth, are "in vain" if they fail to lead people to true repentance and heartfelt obedience that flows from a transformed life.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "the pen of the scribes is in vain" mean?
This phrase signifies that the diligent work of the scribes—who were responsible for copying, preserving, and interpreting the Mosaic Law—had become ineffective or even counterproductive in fostering true obedience and righteousness among the people. It is not an indictment of the Law itself or the sacred act of copying it, but rather a commentary on the outcome of their work in a society steeped in disobedience. The scribes' efforts were "in vain" because the people, and perhaps the scribes themselves, were not living according to the Law's precepts. Their meticulous work, intended to bring people closer to God through His word, ultimately failed to achieve its divine purpose because the hearts of the people were hardened and unreceptive. This highlights that the power of God's word to transform lives depends not just on its accurate transmission, but crucially on its humble reception and faithful application, as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that Scripture is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.
Is God's law truly "in vain" as the verse suggests?
No, God's law itself is not truly "in vain." The phrase "in vain made he it" (referring to God making the law) is a powerful, almost hyperbolic, expression of divine frustration and lament. It means that the purpose for which God graciously gave His perfect and holy Law was nullified by the people's rebellion and disobedience. God's Law is inherently good, righteous, and perfect, as affirmed in Psalm 19:7-9. Its divine intent was to guide Israel into life, blessing, and a covenant relationship with God, leading to holiness and flourishing. However, when the people refused to obey it, treating it as a mere possession, an external formality, or a source of national pride rather than a living guide for heart and life, they rendered its intended effect upon their lives "in vain." It is a profound statement about the people's failure to utilize the Law as God intended, not a flaw in the Law itself.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah 8:8, with its scathing condemnation of false wisdom and futile religious practice, finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The people of Jeremiah's day boasted of possessing the Law, yet their hearts were far from God, rendering their claims of wisdom empty and their religious efforts fruitless. Jesus, however, is revealed as the very embodiment of true wisdom, the wisdom of God personified. He did not merely possess the Law; He perfectly fulfilled it, declaring that He came not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. Where the scribes' pen proved "in vain" in bringing about genuine obedience and heart transformation, Christ, through His sinless life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection, provides the sole means for true spiritual renewal. He exposed the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His day, much like Jeremiah, pronouncing woes upon the scribes and Pharisees for their outward show of piety that lacked inward righteousness and genuine love for God and neighbor. Under the New Covenant, established through Christ's blood, the Law is no longer merely an external code to be boasted about, but it is written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit, enabling genuine obedience and a wisdom that comes from God, not from human boasting or mere intellectual assent. Thus, the futility of the old covenant's external adherence is overcome by the transformative power of Christ's indwelling Spirit, who empowers believers to live out the righteous demands of God's law from a truly transformed heart.