The Meaning of Jeremiah 8:5 Explained

Jeremiah 8:5

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

YLT: Wherefore hath this people of Jerusalem Turned back -- a perpetual backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, They have refused to turn back.

Darby: Why hath this people of Jerusalem slidden back with a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Jeremiah 8:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

But the people of Jerusalem had behaved unnaturally in continuing in their apostate condition. They insisted on being deceitful, and they refused to return to the Lord, even though they had stumbled and lost their way. This was irrational behavior. There are many occurrences of the Hebrew root shub, "repent," in Jeremiah 8:4-5.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 8:4-22 - False Promises Of Peace
This chapter is filled with denunciation of the unreasonable and infatuated obstinacy of Israel. As the horse rushes madly to the fight, so were the people set on evil. The very birds that were sensitive to the laws of migration, and obeyed the call of the sunnier clime, were more impressible than the Chosen People. God often calls us out of the stormy winter blasts to lands of sunny fellowship, but we will not heed. From Jeremiah 5:10 onward we have a description of the desolation about to visit the land. Notwithstanding the promises of false prophets, the invader overran the country and the exiled people might readily begin to question why such a fate had befallen them. To this there was but one answer. Their sin had cut them off from God's protecting care. Is not this the reason why harvests pass and summers end, and the years roll on, and still you are not saved? There is balm for your wounds, and a physician for your healing, but you do not avail yourselves of them; and God's love is powerless, however greatly He desires to help you, until you return. The father would do anything for the prodigal, but He has no chance so long as the prodigal remains in the far-land. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 8

1  The calamity of the Jews, both dead and alive
4  He upbraids their foolish and shameless impenitency
13  He shows their grievous judgment;
18  and bewails their desperate estate

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 8:5 mean?

why has slidden back people this Jerusalem in a backsliding perpetual they hold fast to deceit they refuse to return
מַדּ֨וּעַ שׁוֹבְבָ֜ה הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֛ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם ؟ מְשֻׁבָ֣ה נִצַּ֑חַת הֶחֱזִ֙יקוּ֙ בַּתַּרְמִ֔ית מֵאֲנ֖וּ לָשֽׁוּב

מַדּ֨וּעַ  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
שׁוֹבְבָ֜ה  has  slidden  back 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
הָעָ֥ם  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הַזֶּ֛ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
؟ מְשֻׁבָ֣ה  in  a  backsliding 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְשׁוּבָה  
Sense: turning away, turning back, apostasy, backsliding.
נִצַּ֑חַת  perpetual 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: נֵצַח  
Sense: eminence, perpetuity, strength, victory, enduring, everlastingness.
הֶחֱזִ֙יקוּ֙  they  hold  fast 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
בַּתַּרְמִ֔ית  to  deceit 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תָּרְמָה 
Sense: treachery, fraud, deceit, deceitfulness.
מֵאֲנ֖וּ  they  refuse 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָאַן  
Sense: (Piel) to refuse.
לָשֽׁוּב  to  return 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.