Jeremiah 8 · Verse 14

Jeremiah 8:14

Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.
Jeremiah 8:14, King James Version

Jeremiah 8:14 in other translations

BSBWhy are we just sitting here? Gather together, let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there, for the LORD our God has doomed us. He has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.
WEB“Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves! Let’s enter into the fortified cities, and let’s be silent there; for the LORD our God has put us to silence, and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.
ASVWhy do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; for Jehovah our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against Jehovah.
YLTWherefore are we sitting still? Be gathered, and we go in to the fenced cities, And we are silent there, For Jehovah our God hath made us silent, Yea, He causeth us to drink water of gall, For we have sinned against Jehovah.
DARBYWhy do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fenced cities, and let us be silent there: for Jehovah our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against Jehovah.
BBEWhy are we seated doing nothing? come together, and let us go to the walled towns, and let destruction overtake us there, for the Lord our God has sent destruction on us, and given us bitter water for our drink, because we have done evil against the Lord.
WebsterWhy do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

What does Jeremiah 8:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
14. assemble--for defense. let us be silent--not assault the enemy, but merely defend ourselves in quiet, until the storm blow over. put us to silence--brought us to that state that we can no longer resist the foe; implying silent despair. water of gall--literally, "water of the poisonous plant," perhaps the poppy (Jr 9:15; 23:15).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 8:14-22
At length they begin to see the hand of God lifted up. And when God appears against us, every thing that is against us appears formidable. As salvation only can be found in the Lord, so the present moment should be seized. Is there no medicine proper for a sick and dying kingdom? Is there no skilful, faithful hand to apply the medicine? Yes, God is able to help and to heal them. If sinners die of their wounds, their blood is upon their own heads. The blood of Christ is balm in Gilead, his Spirit is the Physician there, all-sufficient; so that the people may be healed, but will not. Thus men die unpardoned and unchanged, for they will not come to Christ to be saved.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Jeremiah 8:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

עַל\־'al-concerningH5921
מָה֙mahwhat?H4100
אֲנַ֣חְנוּ'a.Nach.nu[are] weH587
יֹֽשְׁבִ֔יםyo.she.VimsittingH3427
הֵֽאָסְפ֗וּhe.'a.se.Fugather yourselvesH622
וְנָב֛וֹאve.na.Vo'so we may goH935
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
עָרֵ֥י'a.Rei[the] cities ofH5892
הַמִּבְצָ֖רha.miv.Tzar<the> fortificationH4013
וְנִדְּמָה\־ve.ni.de.mah-so we may perishH1826
שָּׁ֑םShamthereH8033
כִּי֩kiforH3588
יְהוָ֨הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵ֤ינוּ'e.lo.Hei.nuGod ourH430
הֲדִמָּ֙נוּ֙ha.di.Ma.nuhe has silenced usH1826
וַיַּשְׁקֵ֣נוּvai.yash.Ke.nuand he has given to drink usH8248
מֵי\־mei-water ofH4325
רֹ֔אשׁRoshpoisonH7219
כִּ֥יkiforH3588
חָטָ֖אנוּcha.Ta.nuwe have sinnedH2398
לַיהוָֽה\׃la.Yah.wehto YahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 8:14

  • Jeremiah 23:15

    Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.

  • Jeremiah 9:15

    Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.

  • Psalms 69:21

    They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

  • Jeremiah 35:11

    But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem.

  • Lamentations 3:19

    Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

  • Deuteronomy 32:32

    For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:

  • 2 Samuel 20:6

    And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

  • Matthew 27:34

    They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

  • Deuteronomy 29:18

    Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

  • Jeremiah 4:5-6

    Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

  • Zechariah 2:13

    Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

  • Lamentations 3:27-28

    It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
do.
2Ki 7:3,4
enter.
4:5,6; 35:11; 2Sa 20:6
be silent.
Le 10:3; Ps 39:2; La 3:27,28; Am 6:10; Hab 2:20; Zec 2:13
water.
9:15; 23:15; Nu 5:18-24; De 32:32; Ps 69:21; La 3:19; Mt 27:34
gall. or, poison.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 8:13

    I will surely consume them, saith the Lord: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.

  • Jeremiah 8:14

    Why do we sit still? assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 8:15

    We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!

Read all of Jeremiah 8

Jeremiah 8:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
¿Sobre qué nos aseguramos? Juntaos, y entrémonos en las ciudades fuertes, y allí reposaremos: porque Jehová nuestro Dios nos ha hecho callar, y dádonos á beber bebida de hiel, porque pecamos contra Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Pourquoi sommes-nous là assis? Assemblez-vous, et entrons dans les villes fortes, et là nous garderons le silence; car l’ Éternel, notre Dieu, nous a réduits au silence et nous a fait boire de l’eau de fiel, car nous avons péché contre l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Wozu bleiben wir sitzen? Versammelt euch, und laßt uns in die festen Städte ziehen und dort umkommen! denn Jehova, unser Gott, hat uns zum Untergang bestimmt, und uns mit bitterem Wasser getränkt, weil wir gegen Jehova gesündigt haben.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quare sedemus? convenite, et ingrediamur civitatem munitam, et sileamus ibi: quia Dominus Deus noster silere nos fecit, et potum dedit nobis aquam fellis: peccavimus enim Domino.