Jeremiah 8 · Verse 4

Jeremiah 8:4

Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?
Jeremiah 8:4, King James Version

Jeremiah 8:4 in other translations

BSBSo you are to tell them this is what the LORD says: “Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not return?
WEB“Moreover you shall tell them, ‘The LORD says: “‘Do men fall, and not rise up again? Does one turn away, and not return?
ASVMoreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah: Shall men fall, and not rise up again? Shall one turn away, and not return?
YLTAnd thou hast said unto them: Thus said Jehovah, Do they fall, and not rise? Doth he turn back, and not return?
DARBYAnd thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith Jehovah: Do men fall, and not rise up? Doth one turn away, and not return?
BBEFurther, you are to say to them, This is what the Lord has said: Will those who are falling not be lifted up again? will he who has gone away not come back?
WebsterMoreover, thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?

What does Jeremiah 8:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
4. "Is it not a natural instinct, that if one falls, he rises again; if one turns away (that is, wanders from the way), he will return to the point from which he wandered? Why then does not Jerusalem do so?" He plays on the double sense of return; literal and metaphorical (Jr 3:12; 4:1).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Moreover thou shalt say - Dr. Blayney very properly observes, "In that part of the prophecy which follows next, the difference of speakers requires to be attended to; the transition being quick and sudden, but full of life and energy. The prophet at first, in the name of God, reproves the people's incorrigibility; he charges their wise ones with folly, and threatens them with grievous calamities, Jer 8:4-13. In the three next verses he seems to apostrophize his countrymen in his own person, and as one of the people that dwelt in the open towns, advising those that were in the like situation to retire with him into some of the fortified cities, and there wait the event with patience, since there was nothing but terror abroad, and the noise of the enemy, who had already begun to ravage the country, Jer 8:14-16. God speaks, Jer 8:17, and threatens to bring foes against them that should be irresistible. The prophet appears again in his own person, commiserating the daughter of his people, who is heard bewailing her forlorn case in a distant land; while the voice of God, like that of conscience, breaks in upon her complaints, and shows her that all this ruin is brought upon her by her own infidelities, Jer 8:18-20. The prophet once more resumes his discourse; he regrets that no remedy can be found to close up the wounds of his country, and pathetically weeps over the number of her slain, Jer 8:21, Jer 9:1." Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? - That is, It is as possible for sinners to return from their sin to God, for his grace is ever at hand to assist, as it is for God, who is pouring out his judgments, to return to them on their return to him. But these held fast deceit, and refused to return; they would not be undeceived.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 8:4-13
What brought this ruin? 1. The people would not attend to reason; they would not act in the affairs of their souls with common prudence. Sin is backsliding; it is going back from the way that leads to life, to that which leads to destruction. 2. They would not attend to the warning of conscience. They did not take the first step towards repentance: true repentance begins in serious inquiry as to what we have done, from conviction that we have done amiss. 3. They would not attend to the ways of providence, nor understand the voice of God in them, Jr 8:7. They know not how to improve the seasons of grace, which God affords. Many boast of their religious knowledge, yet, unless taught by the Spirit of God, the instinct of brutes is a more sure guide than their supposed wisdom. 4. They would not attend to the written word. Many enjoy abundance of the means of grace, have Bibles and ministers, but they have them in vain. They will soon be ashamed of their devices. The pretenders to wisdom were the priests and the false prophets. They flattered people in sin, and so flattered them into destruction, silencing their fears and complaints with, All is well. Selfish teachers may promise peace when there is no peace; and thus men encourage each other in committing evil; but in the day of visitation they will have no refuge to flee unto.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Jeremiah 8:4 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.

וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ve.'a.mar.Taand you will sayH559
אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם'a.lei.Hemto themH413
כֹּ֚הkohthusH3541
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saysH559
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
הֲיִפְּל֖וּha.yi.pe.Lu¿ do people fallH5307
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
יָק֑וּמוּya.Ku.mudo they stand up?H6965
אִם\־'im-or?H518
יָשׁ֖וּבya.Shuvdoes anyone turn awayH7725
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
יָשֽׁוּב\׃ya.Shuvdoes he return?H7725

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 8:4

  • Proverbs 24:16

    For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

  • Micah 7:8

    Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

  • Isaiah 55:7

    Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

  • Jeremiah 3:1

    They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.

  • Hosea 6:1

    Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

  • Hosea 7:10

    And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this.

  • Hosea 14:1

    O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

  • Ezekiel 18:23

    Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

  • Amos 5:2

    The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.

  • Isaiah 44:22

    I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

  • Jeremiah 23:14

    I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

  • 1 Kings 8:38

    What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Moreover.Blayney justly observes, that the change of speakers here requires to be carefully attended to. The prophet first, in the name of God, reproves the people, and threatens them with grievous calamities, ver. 4-13. Then, apostrophising his countrymen, he advises them to retire with him to some fortified city, ver. 14-16. God then threatens to bring foes against them, that are irresistible, ver. 17. The prophet next commiserates the daughter of his people, who is heard bewailing her forlorn case; whilst the voice of God breaks in upon her complaints, and shows that all this ruin is brought upon her by her infidelities, ver. 18-20. The prophet regrets that her wounds had not been healed, and laments over her slain, ver. 21; ch. 9:1.
Shall they.
Pr 24:16; Ho 14:1; Am 5:2; Mic 7:8
turn.
3:1,22; 4:1; 23:14; 36:3; 1Ki 8:38; Isa 44:22; 55:7; Eze 18:23
Ho 6:1; 7:10

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

Context

  • Jeremiah 8:3

    And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the Lord of hosts.

  • Jeremiah 8:4

    Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?

  • Jeremiah 8:5

    Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

Read all of Jeremiah 8

Jeremiah 8:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Les dirás asimismo: Así ha dicho Jehová: ¿El que cae, no se levanta? ¿el que se desvía, no torna á camino?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tu leur diras: Ainsi dit l’ Éternel: Est-ce qu’on tombe, et qu’on ne se relève pas? Est-ce qu’on se détourne, et qu’on ne revient pas?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sprich zu ihnen: So spricht Jehova: Fällt man denn und steht nicht wieder auf? Oder wendet man sich ab und kehrt nicht wieder zurück?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et dices ad eos: Hæc dicit Dominus: Numquid qui cadit non resurget? et qui aversus est non revertetur?