Jeremiah 5:12

12 They have lied about the LORD and said, "He'll do nothing! Disaster won't come upon us; we won't see war or famine."

Jeremiah 5:12 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 5:12

They have belied the Lord, and said, it is not he
Or, "denied the Lord" ^F24, as some render the words, saying that there was no God; which, though they might not deliver in express words, yet inasmuch as they denied his providence, and disbelieved his word by his prophets, it was tacitly denying that there was a God, or that the Lord was God. The meaning of the phrase "not he" may be, he takes no notice of what is done by us; he does not concern himself with our affairs; nor has he given any such orders to our enemies, as above; nor said these things by the prophets which are pretended: neither shall evil come upon us;
they speak of: neither shall we see sword nor famine;
war and sieges, and famine, the consequence of them.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F24 (hwhyb wvxkw) "egaverunt Dominum", V. L. Pagninus; "abnegant", Piscator; "abnegarunt Jehovam", Cocceius, Schmidt.

Jeremiah 5:12 In-Context

10 Climb through her vineyards and ravage them, although not completely. Prune back her branches, because they aren't the LORD's.

11 The people of Israel and Judah have been utterly faithless to me, declares the LORD.

12 They have lied about the LORD and said, "He'll do nothing! Disaster won't come upon us; we won't see war or famine."

13 The prophets are so much wind; the word isn't in them. Thus and so may it be done to them.

14 Therefore, the LORD God of heavenly forces proclaims: Because you have spoken this way, I will put my words in your mouth as a fire; it will consume the people, who are but kindling.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or not he