The Meaning of Jeremiah 7:9 Explained

Jeremiah 7:9

KJV: Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

YLT: Stealing, murdering, and committing adultery, And swearing to falsehood, and giving perfume to Baal, And going after other gods whom ye knew not.

Darby: What? steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not ...

ASV: Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods that ye have not known,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Will ye steal,  murder,  and commit adultery,  and swear  falsely,  and burn incense  unto Baal,  and walk  after  other  gods  whom ye know  not; 

What does Jeremiah 7:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The people were committing robbery, murder, adultery, perjury, offering sacrifices to Baal, and following other foreign idols. These were all violations of Israel"s law ( Exodus 20:3-5; Exodus 20:13-16).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 7

1  Jeremiah is sent to call to true repentance, to prevent the Jews' captivity
8  He rejects their vain confidence,
12  by the example of Shiloh
17  He threatens them for their idolatry
21  He rejects the sacrifices of the disobedient
29  He exhorts to mourn for their abominations in Tophet;
32  and the judgments for the same

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 7:9 mean?

Will you steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsely and burn incense to Baal and walk after gods other whom not you do know
הֲגָנֹ֤ב ׀ רָצֹ֙חַ֙ וְֽנָאֹ֔ף וְהִשָּׁבֵ֥עַ לַשֶּׁ֖קֶר וְקַטֵּ֣ר לַבָּ֑עַל וְהָלֹ֗ךְ אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־ יְדַעְתֶּֽם

הֲגָנֹ֤ב ׀  Will  you  steal 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: גָּנַב  
Sense: to steal, steal away, carry away.
רָצֹ֙חַ֙  murder 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: רָצַח  
Sense: to murder, slay, kill.
וְֽנָאֹ֔ף  and  commit  adultery 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: נָאַף  
Sense: to commit adultery.
וְהִשָּׁבֵ֥עַ  and  swear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
לַשֶּׁ֖קֶר  falsely 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁקֶר  
Sense: lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood.
וְקַטֵּ֣ר  and  burn  incense 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Infinitive absolute
Root: מֻקְטָר 
Sense: .
לַבָּ֑עַל  to  Baal 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
וְהָלֹ֗ךְ  and  walk 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַחֲרֵ֛י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
אֱלֹהִ֥ים  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲחֵרִ֖ים  other 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יְדַעְתֶּֽם  you  do  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.