Jeremiah 9:5

5 And everyone deceives his neighbor, and they do not speak [the] truth, they have taught their tongues to speak lies, they are tired [from] going astray.

Jeremiah 9:5 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 9:5

And they will deceive everyone his neighbour
In conversation, with lying words; and in trade and commerce, by art and tricking: and will not speak the truth;
with respect to facts they report, or goods they sell: they have taught their tongue to speak lies;
and become so accustomed to lying that they cannot do otherwise; it is as it were natural to them: and weary themselves to commit iniquity;
spared no pains to come at it, nor any in it, and go on even to weariness; are more laborious and indefatigable in committing sin than good men are in doing good; which shows great folly and stupidity. The Targum is,

``they are become foolish, they have erred.''

Jeremiah 9:5 In-Context

3 And they bend their tongue [like] their bow, [for] falsehood and not truth is superior in the land, for they go forth from evil to evil, and they do not know me," {declares} Yahweh.

4 "Let everyone be on your guard against his neighbor, and you must not trust in any brother, for everyone surely betrays, and every neighbor goes about [with] slander.

5 And everyone deceives his neighbor, and they do not speak [the] truth, they have taught their tongues to speak lies, they are tired [from] going astray.

6 Your dwelling [is] in the midst of deceit, upon deceit they refuse to know me," {declares} Yahweh.

7 Therefore, thus says Yahweh of hosts: "Look, I [am] about to refine them, and I will test them, for what else can I do, because of the {presence} of the daughter of my people?

Footnotes

• [a] Hebrew "tongue"
• [b] Hebrew "lie"