Jeremías 5:8-18

8 Eran caballos cebados y fogosos, cada cual relinchando tras la mujer de su prójimo.

9 ¿No he de castigar a este pueblo?declara el SEÑOR. De una nación como ésta, ¿no he de vengarme?

10 Subid por entre sus hileras de vides y destruid, mas no hagáis destrucción total; arrancad sus sarmientos, pues no son del SEÑOR;

11 porque la casa de Israel y la casa de Judá han obrado pérfidamente conmigodeclara el SEÑOR.

12 Han mentido acerca del SEÑOR; dijeron: El no existe; ninguna calamidad vendrá sobre nosotros, y no veremos ni espada ni hambre.

13 Los profetas son como el viento, y la palabra no está en ellos. Que así se les haga a ellos.

14 Por tanto, así dice el SEÑOR, Dios de los ejércitos: Por cuanto han hablado esta palabra, he aquí, pongo mis palabras en tu boca por fuego y a este pueblo por leña, y los consumirá.

15 He aquí, voy a traer de lejos una nación contra vosotros, oh casa de Israeldeclara el SEÑOR. Es una nación fuerte, es una nación antigua, una nación cuya lengua no conoces, y no podrás entender lo que hable.

16 Su aljaba es como sepulcro abierto, todos ellos son valientes.

17 Devorará tu mies y tu pan, devorará a tus hijos y a tus hijas, devorará tus ovejas y tus vacas, devorará tus viñas y tus higueras; a espada destruirá tus ciudades fortificadas en que confías.

18 Sin embargo, aun en aquellos díasdeclara el SEÑORno llevaré a cabo una destrucción total de vosotros.

Jeremías 5:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 5

This chapter contains a further account of the destruction of the Jews by the Chaldeans, and the causes of it, the sins of the people, as want of justice and truth; being so corrupt, that a just and faithful man was not to be found among them; could there, the city would have been pardoned for his sake, Jer 5:1, their swearing falsely by the name of the Lord, Jer 5:2, their incorrigibleness by chastisements, which was the case not only of the lower, but higher rank of people, Jer 5:3-5, wherefore the enemy, who for his cruelty is compared to a lion, a wolf, and a leopard, is threatened to be let in among them, Jer 5:6, then other sins are mentioned as the cause of it, as idolatry and adultery, Jer 5:7-9 hence the enemy has a commission to scale their walls, take away their battlements, though not to make a full end, the Lord disowning them for his, Jer 5:10, because of their perfidy against him, their belying of him, contradicting what he had said, and despising the word sent by his prophets, Jer 5:11-13, wherefore it is threatened, that his word like fire should devour them; and that a distant, mighty, and ancient nation, of a foreign speech, should invade them; who, like an open sepulchre, would devour them, and eat up the increase of their fields, vineyards, flocks, and herds, and impoverish their cities, yet not make a full end of them, Jer 5:14-18, and in just retaliation should they serve strangers in a foreign country, who had served strange gods in their own, Jer 5:19 then a declaration is published, and an expostulation is made with them, who are represented as foolish, ignorant, and blind, that they would fear the Lord; which is pressed by arguments taken from the power of God, in restraining the sea, which had no effect upon them; and from the goodness of God, in giving the former and latter rain, and the appointed weeks of the harvest, which their sins turned away and withheld from them, Jer 5:20-25, and then other sins are mentioned as the cause of God's visiting them in a way of vengeance, as the defrauding of men in trade, and the oppression of the fatherless and the poor in judgment; and false prophesying, to the advantage of the priests, and the king of the people, Jer 5:26-31.