Jeremiah 8:6

6 I have given heed and listened, but they have not spoken aright; no man repents of his wickedness, saying, 'What have I done?' Every one turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle.

Jeremiah 8:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 8:6

I hearkened and heard
These are either, the words of the prophet, as Kimchi and Abarbinel think; who listened and attended to, and made his observations upon, the words and actions, conduct and behaviour, of this people, of which he gives an account: or of the Lord himself, as the Targum; who hearkened to the language of their hearts and actions, and heard the words of their mouth; all that they spoke against him, against his prophets, and those that feared his name; all their lying words, their false swearing; all their oaths and curses, and every idle expression that dropped from them; all which he takes notice of, and men are accountable to him for them: but they spake not aright:
what is so in the sight of God and good men; what is agreeable to right reason, and the word of God; they spoke what was contrary to all this. Wicked men neither think aright, nor act aright, nor speak aright. No man repented him of his wickedness:
of his heart, of his lips, and of his life; no man can repent of himself; no man truly does, without the grace of God: saying, what have I done?
which question an impenitent man does not put; but when it is made, the true answer to be returned to it is, that which is contrary to the nature of God; which is a breach of his law; which a man has reason to be ashamed of; at which he may be astonished, it being so exceeding sinful; that which cast the angels out of heaven, Adam out of paradise, and wicked men down to hell; which is deserving of the wrath of God, and eternal death; for which a man can never make atonement himself; and by which he is undone, to all intents and purposes, without an interest in Christ, and salvation by him. Every one turneth to his course:
which is not a good, but a bad one; sin is a way, a road, a path, in which men walk; a course, a series of sinning, a progress and persisting in it; such as the course of this world, and this course is evil, ( Ephesians 2:2 ) : as the horse rusheth into the battle,
which denotes their swiftness to commit sin, the pleasure they take in it, and their inattention to danger, and death by it; see ( Job 39:21-25 ) , or overflows ^F3; the impetuosity of the horse is expressed by the overflowing of a river.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (Pjwv owok) "quasi equus ferox", Heb. "inundans", Piscator; "sisut equus effundens se", Schmidt. So Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it.

Jeremiah 8:6 In-Context

4 "You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?

5 Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return.

6 I have given heed and listened, but they have not spoken aright; no man repents of his wickedness, saying, 'What have I done?' Every one turns to his own course, like a horse plunging headlong into battle.

7 Even the stork in the heavens knows her times; and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming; but my people know not the ordinance of the LORD.

8 "How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us'? But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.