Jeremiah 8 · Verse 7

Jeremiah 8:7

Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.

Jeremiah 8:7, King James Version

Jeremiah 8:7 in other translations

BSB	Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.
WEB	Yes, the stork in the sky knows her appointed times. The turtledove, the swallow, and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people don’t know the LORD’s law.
ASV	Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the law of Jehovah.
YLT	Even a stork in the heavens hath known her seasons, And turtle, and swallow, and crane, Have watched the time of their coming, And--My people have not known the judgment of Jehovah.
DARBY	Even a stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of Jehovah.
BBE	Truly, the stork in the heavens is conscious of her fixed times; the dove and the swallow and the crane keep to the times of their coming; but my people have no knowledge of the law of the Lord.
Webster	Yes, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.

What does Jeremiah 8:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

7. The instinct of the migratory birds leads them with unfailing regularity to return every spring from their winter abodes in summer climes (So 2:12); but God's people will not return to Him even when the winter of His wrath is past, and He invites them back to the spring of His favor. in the heaven--emphatical. The birds whose very element is the air, in which they are never at rest, yet show a steady sagacity, which God's people do not. times--namely, of migrating, and of returning. my people--This honorable title aggravates the unnatural perversity of the Jews towards their God. know not, &c.--(Jr 5:4, 5; Is 1:3).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 7 The stork in the heaven - The birds of passage know the times of their going and return, and punctually observe them; they obey the dictates of nature, but my people do not obey my law.

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…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 8:4-13 →

Jeremiah 8:7 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.

גַּם\־gam-alsoH1571

חֲסִידָ֣הcha.si.Daha storkH2624

בַשָּׁמַ֗יִםva.sha.Ma.yimin the heavensH8064

יָֽדְעָה֙ya.de.'Ahit knowsH3045

מֽוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָmo.'a.Dei.haappointed times itsH4150

וְתֹ֤רve.Torand a turtle-doveH8449

וְסִיס֙ve.susand a swiftH5483

וְעָג֔וּרve.'a.Gurand a craneH5693

שָׁמְר֖וּsha.me.Ruthey keepH8104

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

עֵ֣ת'et[the] time ofH6256

בֹּאָ֑נָהbo.'A.nahcoming theyH935

וְעַמִּ֕יve.'a.Miand people myH5971

לֹ֣אlo'notH3808

יָֽדְע֔וּya.de.'Uthey knowH3045

אֵ֖ת'et<obj.>H853

מִשְׁפַּ֥טmish.Pat[the] ordinance ofH4941

יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 8:7

Isaiah 1:3
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
Jeremiah 5:4-5
Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
Isaiah 5:12
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands.
Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
Song of Solomon 2:12
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

stork.
Pr 6:6-8; Isa 1:3
turtle.
So 2:12
people.
5:4; Isa 1:3; 5:12
know.
5:4,5

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

Context

Jeremiah 8:6
I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.
Jeremiah 8:7
Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.
Jeremiah 8:8
How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.

Read all of Jeremiah 8

Jeremiah 8:7 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Aun la cigüeña en el cielo conoce su tiempo, y la tórtola y la grulla y la golondrina guardan el tiempo de su venida; mas mi pueblo no conoce el juicio de Jehová.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Même la cigogne dans les cieux connaît sa saison; et la tourterelle, et l’hirondelle, et la grue, prennent garde au temps où elles doivent venir, mais mon peuple ne connaît pas le jugement de l’ Éternel.
German Elberfelder 1871	Selbst der Storch am Himmel kennt seine bestimmten Zeiten, und Turteltaube und Schwalbe und Kranich halten die Zeit ihres Kommens ein; aber mein Volk kennt das Recht Jehovas nicht.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Milvus in cælo cognovit tempus suum: turtur, et hirundo, et ciconia custodierunt tempus adventus sui: populus autem meus non cognovit judicium Domini.