The Meaning of Jeremiah 8:9 Explained

Jeremiah 8:9

KJV: The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?

YLT: Ashamed have been the wise, They have been affrighted, and are captured, Lo, against a word of Jehovah they kicked, And the wisdom of what -- have they?

Darby: The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: behold, they have rejected Jehovah's word; and what wisdom is in them?

ASV: The wise men are put to shame, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of Jehovah; and what manner of wisdom is in them?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The wise  [men] are ashamed,  they are dismayed  and taken:  lo, they have rejected  the word  of the LORD;  and what wisdom  [is] in them? 

What does Jeremiah 8:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord"s Word through Jeremiah had exposed these "wise men." They had rejected the Lord"s Word, and that was not "wise."

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 8:9 mean?

Are ashamed the wise men they are dismayed and taken behold the word of Yahweh they have rejected so wisdom what do they have -
הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ חֲכָמִ֔ים חַ֖תּוּ וַיִּלָּכֵ֑דוּ הִנֵּ֤ה בִדְבַר־ יְהוָה֙ מָאָ֔סוּ וְחָכְמַֽת־ מֶ֖ה לָהֶֽם ס

הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ  Are  ashamed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בֹּושׁ 
Sense: to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed.
חֲכָמִ֔ים  the  wise  men 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חָכָם  
Sense: wise, wise (man).
חַ֖תּוּ  they  are  dismayed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָתַת  
Sense: to be shattered, be dismayed, be broken, be abolished, be afraid.
וַיִּלָּכֵ֑דוּ  and  taken 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: לָכַד  
Sense: to capture, take, seize.
הִנֵּ֤ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
בִדְבַר־  the  word 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מָאָ֔סוּ  they  have  rejected 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָאַס 
Sense: to reject, despise, refuse.
וְחָכְמַֽת־  so  wisdom 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.
לָהֶֽם  do  they  have 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation