Study notes

Jeremiah 8

Introducing JeremiahWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

2:1–12:17 Section

Jeremiah’s judgement messages explained how and why God’s people would be judged. These messages were like the judgement messages that Isaiah shared.

The work of being a prophet was very hard for Jeremiah. He wept and suffered with deep sadness and pain. Inside his own body he felt God’s anger like a burning fire. The people and leaders of the southern kingdom hadn’t been faithful to the Mount Sinai covenant. They didn’t obey the Ten Commandments. They didn’t treat others the way God taught them to in the Law of Moses. They treated needy people badly. They worshipped false gods instead of worshipping only God. They felt no shame about this. They expected God to continue blessing them. This showed that they not only spoke lies but also lived out lies. It showed that they had no sense or wisdom.

They hadn’t learnt from the example of the northern kingdom. They hadn’t learnt from times in the past when God brought judgement against them. Storks and other birds had more wisdom than God’s people did. God’s people didn’t serve him with all their heart. God described this as not being circumcised in their hearts. Their bodies were circumcised. So on the outside of their bodies they had the sign of God’s covenant. But the choices they made showed that they didn’t respect and honour God. This was true for both the people and the leaders of the southern kingdom. The kings, priests and prophets didn’t follow God’s example for rulers. They didn’t know God’s laws and didn’t lead the people in obeying God. They lied by saying that everything was going well and that the nation had peace. As a result of this, God would no longer stop the covenant curses from coming.

God longed to forgive his people. He wanted them to turn away from their sin, repent and follow him. But they refused. So God told Jeremiah to stop praying that God would have mercy on them. God would use the Babylonian army as his tool to judge the southern kingdom. The temple would be destroyed. The people would be thrown out of the land God had given them. God had warned Solomon about this judgement (1 Kings 9:6–9). Yet God promised that he wouldn’t destroy his people completely. He would always allow a few to remain alive. In this way God would remain faithful to his covenant with David.

God also gave Jeremiah messages of hope to share about a time in the future. God would live with his people and rule the world from Jerusalem as King. The northern and southern kingdoms would live together in their land as one kingdom again. God would return all nations to their own lands. Jews would teach other nations that God is the Lord who rules over all. Every nation would be invited to follow the practices God taught his people. Every people group that honoured God would become part of God’s people.

7:30–8:3

This message announced death for the people of Judah. It came true with the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

8:1–2

Scattering the bones of the dead showed the greatest disrespect to a defeated nation. Jerusalem's favorite pagan gods—the sun, moon, and stars—could not stop it.

8:4–17

These three short poems were likely shared during the reign of Jehoiakim.

8:6

The Lord, who can hear everything (compare Luke 12:3), heard the people even when they spoke in private. Their words did not match reality, and no one felt sorry for doing wrong. Like a horse charging into battle without thinking of death or danger, they did not consider the consequences of their sins.

8:7

stork...turtledove...swift...thrush: The Creator gave these birds the ability to navigate the sky from summer nesting places to winter feeding grounds, and they always follow those instincts precisely. In contrast, the people of Israel ignored God's revelations and the covenant laws he had established.

8:8

The teachers, highly valued by the government and the Temple, included priests and non-priestly Levites. They were experts in explaining the Sinai covenant and were honored for their knowledge of covenant doctrine and legal details. Now, they were promoting the pagan views of King Jehoiakim and his officials as if they were new words from the Lord (compare study note on Jeremiah 2:23). The Lord called these new teachings lies.

8:8–13

The people protested God's judgment because they had the word of the Lord. God condemned them because they did not follow his word (see Matthew 7:26; James 1:22–25).

8:9–10

The phrase the wise is sarcastic. The Lord called their teachings foolish and revealed their greed (see Job 28:28). This sin controlled the prophets and priests, making them all frauds.

8:13

  • After presenting the evidence (see study note on Jeremiah 8:4–7), the Lord decreed the punishment for the elite sinners. They would be destroyed, along with the land’s produce.

  • declares the LORD: The Lord emphasized his authority behind his decree.

8:14–15

The people heard Jeremiah announce the Lord's decree. They realized they deserved punishment for sinning against the Lord. Even though their fate was decided, they did not ask for forgiveness.

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.

8:20

Instead of admitting their wrongdoing, the people gave in to hopelessness. The time for their salvation had passed, and they were not saved.

8:21–22

Jeremiah felt the pain of his people. The close relationship between the Lord and his prophet means that sometimes "I" or "me" can refer to the Lord too. The Lord also feels the pain of his people (compare Matthew 23:37).

8:22

  • The balm in Gilead was a sticky sap from cuts in small evergreen trees in the highlands east of the Jordan River. Merchants sold this resin, claiming it had healing powers.

  • Jeremiah noticed the people's need for God to heal their deep spiritual sickness. The people only saw the physical signs of God's judgment and refused to admit their spiritual rebellion caused their problems. The African-American spiritual “There Is a Balm in Gilead” identifies Jesus as the ultimate balm for our souls.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources