Jeremiah 5:9

9 Shall I not visit for these things? said the LORD; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

Jeremiah 5:9 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 5:9

Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord
For such adulteries and lasciviousness, and that in a way of punishment. The Targum adds,

``to bring evil upon them;''

the evil of punishment for the evil of sin: and shall not my soul be avenged upon such a nation as this?
which cannot delight in sin, but hates it; and therefore must punish for it; vindictive and punitive justice is essential to God; as sin is contrary to his nature, it is agreeable to it to punish for it; he cannot but do it; and he does avenge all sin, either on the sinner himself, or on his surety.

Jeremiah 5:9 In-Context

7 How shall I pardon thee for this? Thy sons have forsaken me and sworn by them that are not gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.

8 They were as fed horses in the morning; each one neighed after his neighbour’s wife.

9 Shall I not visit for these things? said the LORD; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

10 Go ye up upon her walls and destroy; but make not a full end; take away her battlements for they are not the LORD’s.

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have made a firm decision to rebel against me, saith the LORD.