The Meaning of Jeremiah 32:33 Explained

Jeremiah 32:33

KJV: And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

YLT: And they turn unto Me the neck, and not the face, and teaching them, rising early and teaching, and they are not hearkening to accept instruction.

Darby: And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face; and though I taught them, rising early and teaching, they hearkened not to receive instruction.

ASV: And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: and though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they have turned  unto me the back,  and not the face:  though I taught  them, rising up early  and teaching  [them], yet they have not hearkened  to receive  instruction. 

What does Jeremiah 32:33 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The people had turned away from the Lord rather than seeking Him.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 32:1-44 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 32

1  Jeremiah, being imprisoned by Zedekiah for his prophecy,
6  buys Hanameel's field
13  Baruch must preserve the evidences, as tokens of the people's return
16  Jeremiah in his prayer complains to God
26  God confirms the captivity for their sins;
36  and promises a gracious return

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 32:33 mean?

And they have turned to Me the back and not the face and though I taught them rising up early and teaching [them] and yet not they have listened to receive instruction
וַיִּפְנ֥וּ אֵלַ֛י עֹ֖רֶף וְלֹ֣א פָנִ֑ים וְלַמֵּ֤ד אֹתָם֙ הַשְׁכֵּ֣ם וְלַמֵּ֔ד וְאֵינָ֥ם שֹׁמְעִ֖ים לָקַ֥חַת מוּסָֽר

וַיִּפְנ֥וּ  And  they  have  turned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
אֵלַ֛י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עֹ֖רֶף  the  back 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹרֶף  
Sense: neck, back of the neck, back.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
פָנִ֑ים  the  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְלַמֵּ֤ד  and  though  I  taught 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Infinitive absolute
Root: לָמַד  
Sense: to learn. teach, exercise in.
הַשְׁכֵּ֣ם  rising  up  early 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁכַם  
Sense: to rise or start early.
וְלַמֵּ֔ד  and  teaching  [them] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Infinitive absolute
Root: לָמַד  
Sense: to learn. teach, exercise in.
וְאֵינָ֥ם  and  yet  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, third person masculine plural
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
שֹׁמְעִ֖ים  they  have  listened 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
לָקַ֥חַת  to  receive 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
מוּסָֽר  instruction 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מוּסָר  
Sense: discipline, chastening, correction.