Jeremiah 8

King James Version

Full text for Jeremiah Chapter 8

1¶ At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:

2And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

3And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.

4¶ Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?

5Why [then] is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

6I hearkened and heard, [but] they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

7Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.

8How do ye say, We [are] wise, and the law of the LORD [is] with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he [it]; the pen of the scribes [is] in vain.

9The wise [men] are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom [is] in them?

10Therefore will I give their wives unto others, [and] their fields to them that shall inherit [them]: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

11For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace.

12Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

13¶ I will surely consume them, saith the LORD: [there shall be] no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and [the things that] I have given them shall pass away from them.

14Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

15We looked for peace, but no good [came; and] for a time of health, and behold trouble!

16The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein.

17For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which [will] not [be] charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.

18[When] I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart [is] faint in me.

19Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: [Is] not the LORD in Zion? [is] not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, [and] with strange vanities?

20The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

21For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.

22[Is there] no balm in Gilead; [is there] no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jeremiah 8 foretells a severe judgment upon Judah, where the bones of the dead will be desecrated, and the living will prefer death. The LORD condemns their persistent backsliding, false wisdom, and unashamed sin, contrasting their ignorance with the instinct of migratory birds. Consequently, an invasion is prophesied, leading to widespread destruction and a deep lamentation over the unhealed state of the people.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with a prophecy of desecration, where the bones of Judah's kings, priests, prophets, and people will be exhumed and exposed, symbolizing utter disgrace for their idolatry. The LORD questions their perpetual backsliding, noting their refusal to repent and their ignorance of divine judgment, unlike the natural wisdom of migratory birds. He rebukes their false claim to wisdom and the law, revealing the vanity of their scribes and the shame of their so-called wise men who rejected His word. Because of widespread covetousness and deceit, from prophet to priest, God declares that their wives and fields will be given to others. The people are depicted as offering superficial peace while committing abominations without shame, leading to their inevitable downfall. The prophet then describes the impending invasion from the north, bringing devastation to the land, and laments the unhealed condition of "the daughter of my people," questioning the absence of a "balm in Gilead" for their spiritual wounds.

Long Summary

Jeremiah 8 opens with a stark prophecy of judgment, declaring that the bones of Judah's kings, princes, priests, prophets, and all inhabitants of Jerusalem will be brought out of their graves. These remains will be spread before the sun, moon, and stars—deities they worshipped—and left unburied, serving as dung upon the earth, symbolizing ultimate disgrace. So severe will be the calamity that the surviving remnant of this "evil family" will choose death over life. The LORD then challenges their persistent backsliding, asking why they refuse to return to Him, instead holding fast to deceit. He observes that no one repents or questions their wickedness, but rather rushes into sin like a horse into battle. A poignant contrast is drawn with migratory birds like the stork, turtle, crane, and swallow, which instinctively know their appointed times, while God's people remain ignorant of His judgment. The people's claim to wisdom and possession of the law is exposed as vain, as their scribes' efforts are futile, and their wise men are shamed for rejecting the word of the LORD. This pervasive corruption, characterized by covetousness and false dealings from the least to the greatest, and from prophet to priest, leads to divine retribution: their wives and fields will be given to others. The spiritual leaders are condemned for offering superficial comfort, crying "Peace, peace," when there was no true peace, and for their utter lack of shame in committing abominations. Consequently, they are destined to fall in the time of their visitation. The LORD declares He will utterly consume them, likening it to a vine without grapes or a fig tree without figs. The people themselves lament their predicament, acknowledging their sin and the "water of gall" they are forced to drink, recognizing that their hope for peace and health has turned to trouble. The sound of enemy horses from Dan signals a devastating invasion that will devour the land and its inhabitants, with God sending uncharmable serpents to bite them. Amidst this impending doom, the prophet expresses deep personal sorrow and hears the cry of his people, who question God's presence in Zion while simultaneously provoking Him with idols. The chapter concludes with the mournful realization that salvation has not come ("The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved") and a profound lament over the unhealed state of the people, questioning the absence of a "balm in Gilead" or a physician for their spiritual malady.

Core Concepts

  • Desecration of the DeadThe prophecy that the bones of Judah's leaders and people will be exhumed and exposed to the elements, left unburied, as a sign of utter disgrace and judgment for their idolatry.
  • Persistent BackslidingJudah's continuous turning away from God, characterized by their refusal to repent, their holding fast to deceit, and their ignorance of divine judgment, despite God's repeated calls to return.
  • False WisdomThe people's misguided belief that they possess wisdom and the law of the LORD, which is rendered vain because they have rejected God's true word and are led by corrupt scribes and leaders.
  • Superficial PeaceThe false comfort offered by prophets and priests who proclaimed "Peace, peace" when there was no genuine peace, failing to address the deep spiritual wounds and abominations of the people.
  • Impending InvasionThe prophecy of a devastating military invasion from the north, symbolized by the snorting of horses from Dan, which will consume the land and its inhabitants as a direct consequence of their sin.
  • Unhealed HurtThe deep spiritual and physical suffering of "the daughter of my people," expressed through lamentation and the poignant question of why there is no "balm in Gilead" or physician to bring about their recovery.
  • Idolatry and its ConsequencesThe underlying cause of God's wrath, where the people provoked Him with "graven images" and "strange vanities," leading to severe judgment, including desecration, invasion, and a preference for death over life.