Jeremías 9:3

3 «Tensan su lengua como un arco;en el país prevalece la mentira, no la verdad,porque van de mal en peor,y a mí no me conocen—afirma el SEÑOR—.

Jeremías 9:3 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 9:3

And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies
Their tongues were like bows, and their lying words like arrows, which they directed against persons to their injury; see ( Psalms 11:2 ) ( 64:3 ) , or, "like their deceitful bow" ^F16; to which the Targum agrees,

``they teach their tongues words of falsehood, they are like to a deceitful bow.''

Most agreeably to the accents the words may be rendered, "they bend their tongues, their bow is a lie" ^F17; either deceitful, or carries a lie in it, and shoots one out of it: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth;
which a man should do everything for, and nothing against; and which he should earnestly contend for, and not part with or give up at any rate; not only for the truth of doctrine, for faith, as the Targum; for the doctrine of faith, the truth of the Gospel, and as it is in Christ; but for truth between man and man, for veracity, rightness, and integrity: for they proceed from evil to evil; from one sin to another, growing worse and worse, as wicked men and deceivers usually do. Kimchi observes, it may be interpreted, as of evil works, so of the evil of punishment, from one evil of the enemy to another; or this year they are smitten with blasting, another with mildew, or with the locust, and yet they turn not from their evil ways: and they know not me, saith the Lord;
the God of truth, and without iniquity, and who will severely punish for it; they did not serve and worship him as the only Lord God. The Targum is,

``the knowledge of my fear they learned not.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (rqv Mtvq) "veluti acum falsum", Munster; "quasi arcum mendacii", V. L.
F17 "Et tetenderunt linguam suam, arcus ipsorum mendacium est", De Dieu; "qui tendunt linguam suam, arcus eorum est mendacium", Schmidt. Approved by Reinbeck. De Accent. Heb. p. 437.

Jeremías 9:3 In-Context

1 ¡Ojalá mi cabeza fuera un manantial,y mis ojos una fuente de lágrimas,para llorar de día y de nochepor los muertos de mi pueblo!

2 ¡Ojalá tuviera yo en el desiertouna posada junto al camino!Abandonaría a mi pueblo,y me alejaría de ellos.Porque todos ellos son adúlteros,son una banda de traidores.

3 «Tensan su lengua como un arco;en el país prevalece la mentira, no la verdad,porque van de mal en peor,y a mí no me conocen—afirma el SEÑOR—.

4 Cuídese cada uno de su amigo,no confíe ni siquiera en el hermano,porque todo hermano engaña,y todo amigo difama.

5 Se engañan unos a otros;no se hablan con la verdad.Han enseñado sus lenguas a mentir,y pecan hasta el cansancio.