The Meaning of Jeremiah 6:15 Explained

Jeremiah 6:15

KJV: Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

YLT: They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, Yea, blushing they have not known, Therefore they do fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble, said Jehovah.

Darby: Are they ashamed that they have committed abomination? Nay, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they what it is to blush. Therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall stumble, saith Jehovah.

ASV: Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Were they ashamed  when they had committed  abomination?  nay,  they were not at all  ashamed,  neither  could  they blush:  therefore they shall fall  among them that fall:  at the time  [that] I visit  them they shall be cast down,  saith  the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 6:15 Mean?

Verse Meaning

These leaders did not even feel ashamed or embarrassed by their actions; they were completely insensitive to their sins (cf. 1 Samuel 15:22-23). Consequently they would fall along with the rest of the population when the Lord brought judgment.
"When evil is pursued and practiced regularly and devotedly, it produces eventually a moral blindness in the perpetrator." [1]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 6

1  The enemies sent against Judah,
4  encourage themselves
6  God sets them on work because of their sins
9  The prophet laments the judgments of God because of their sins
18  He proclaims God's wrath
26  He calls the people to mourn for the judgment on their sins

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 6:15 mean?

Were they ashamed when abomination they had committed No at all not they were ashamed even how to blush Nor did they know therefore they shall fall among those who fall at the time I punish them they shall be cast down says Yahweh -
הֹבִ֕ישׁוּ כִּ֥י ؟ תוֹעֵבָ֖ה עָשׂ֑וּ גַּם־ בּ֣וֹשׁ לֹֽא־ יֵב֗וֹשׁוּ גַּם־ הַכְלִים֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ לָכֵ֞ן יִפְּל֧וּ בַנֹּפְלִ֛ים בְּעֵת־ פְּקַדְתִּ֥ים יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ אָמַ֥ר יְהוָֽה ס

הֹבִ֕ישׁוּ  Were  they  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: יָבֵשׁ  
Sense: to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered.
؟ תוֹעֵבָ֖ה  abomination 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
עָשׂ֑וּ  they  had  committed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
גַּם־  No 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
בּ֣וֹשׁ  at  all 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
יֵב֗וֹשׁוּ  they  were  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
גַּם־  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
הַכְלִים֙  how  to  blush 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּלַם  
Sense: to insult, shame, humiliate, blush, be ashamed, be put to shame, be reproached, be put to confusion, be humiliated.
לֹ֣א  Nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָדָ֔עוּ  did  they  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
יִפְּל֧וּ  they  shall  fall 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
בַנֹּפְלִ֛ים  among  those  who  fall 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
בְּעֵת־  at  the  time 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
פְּקַדְתִּ֥ים  I  punish  them 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ  they  shall  be  cast  down 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּשַׁל  
Sense: to stumble, stagger, totter.
אָמַ֥ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation