Jeremiah 5:8

8 They were full of desire, like horses after a meal of grain: everyone went after his neighbour's wife.

Jeremiah 5:8 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 5:8

They were as fed horses in the morning
Adulterers are compared to horses, because they are very salacious and lustful creatures; wherefore the Septuagint renders the word: "horses are become mad after the females"; or, "as horses mad after the females are they become"; and especially to such as are well kept and are fat, and who, having much food given them in the night, and being full in the morning, go forth neighing, as Kimchi observes; and are the more salacious in the morning, by being so well fed all night, as those persons were, as is expressed in the preceding verse; though some render the word (Mykvm) , translated "in the morning", (for which sense of it see ( Hosea 6:4 ) ) "drawing out" F21; that is, the genital member, as lascivious horses do. The word is difficult of interpretation. The Targum calls them field or wood horses; horses that run in fields and woods, and are very vicious and wanton:, everyone neighed after his neighbour's wife;
coveted and lusted after her, signified his lustful desires, and sought an opportunity to defile her. Neighing is a sign of lust, and keeps up the metaphor of the horse.


FOOTNOTES:

F21 (elkontev) , "trahentes", Aquila, Symmachus & Theodotion in Bootius, l. 3. c. 5. sect. 3. Aben Ezra and Abendana interpret it of horses that come from Meshec; see Psal. cxx. 5. which were the strongest and most lascivious.

Jeremiah 5:8 In-Context

6 And so a lion from the woods will put them to death, a wolf of the waste land will make them waste, a leopard will keep watch on their towns, and everyone who goes out from them will be food for the beasts; because of the great number of their sins and the increase of their wrongdoing.
7 How is it possible for you to have my forgiveness for this? your children have given me up, taking their oaths by those who are no gods: when I had given them food in full measure, they were false to their wives, taking their pleasure in the houses of loose women.
8 They were full of desire, like horses after a meal of grain: everyone went after his neighbour's wife.
9 Am I not to give punishment for these things? says the Lord: will not my soul take payment from such a nation as this?
10 Go up against her vines and make waste; let the destruction be complete: take away her branches, for they are not the Lord's.
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