Jeremiah 9:5

Translations

Modern

Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they wear themselves out committing iniquity.

Traditional

And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Literal

And each man will deceive his neighbor, and they will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak deception, and they weary themselves to commit iniquity.

Latin

Et vir fratrem suum deridebit, et veritatem non loquentur: docuerunt enim linguam suam loqui mendacium; ut inique agerent laboraverunt.

Original

Hebrew

English

Each one betrays his friend; no one tells the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they wear themselves out committing iniquity.

Notes

Jeremiah 9:4–6

Idolatry was the foundation of a culture built on lies.
The word brother, used as a synonym for neighbor, shows that even close relationships were tainted by deceit.

Jeremiah 9:3–16

The heavenly court was still in session (see study note on Jeremiah 2:9). The divine Judge explained the charges against the people and justified the harsh verdict. Jeremiah interrupted the Lord’s speech twice to respond to the Lord’s messages (Jeremiah 9:10, 12).

Jeremiah 8:18–9:26

The priests in the Temple memorized and repeated prayers as part of their rituals. They believed using the exact words was crucial; otherwise, the prayers lost their magical power. The character of the priests saying the prayers was not very important. This was also true for lamentations. In contrast, Jeremiah's prayers and lamentations were spontaneous and deeply personal.

Theme notes and profiles

The New Covenant

Events

Prophecies of Jeremiahc. 628 BC

Related verses

Isaiah 57:10
You are wearied by your many journeys, but you did not say, “There is no hope!” You found renewal of your strength; therefore you did not grow weak.
Habakkuk 2:13
Is it not indeed from the LORD of Hosts that the labor of the people only feeds the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain?
Micah 6:12
For the wealthy of the city are full of violence, and its residents speak lies; their tongues are deceitful in their mouths.
Isaiah 59:13–15
…rebelling and denying the LORD, turning away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lies from the heart.
Job 15:5
For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty.
Psalm 7:14
Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood.
Isaiah 5:18
Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of deceit and pull sin along with cart ropes,
Proverbs 4:16
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
Psalm 50:19
You unleash your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.
1 Timothy 4:2
…influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
Job 11:3
Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke?

Glossary

Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (Old Testament) Book of Jeremiah Jeremiah (Person) Neighbor

Topics

Deceit: The Wicked: Use, to Each Other Deceit: Use, to Each Other Dishonesty: General Scriptures Concerning Falsehood: General Scriptures Concerning Lying: The Wicked: Prepare Their Tongues For Prophets: Felt Deeply on Account of the Calamities Which They Predicted Truth: The Evil People: Punished for Want of Truth: The Evil People: Speak Not Truth: The Wicked: Punished for Want of Truth: The Wicked: Speak Not Wicked (People): Described

Jeremiah 9:5

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