“For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
God calls His people "foolish," but the most shocking part is that they are "wise—in doing evil." This isn't just a lack of knowledge; it’s a deliberate, skillful perversion of their God-given abilities towards wickedness. They have actively honed their skills for sin while neglecting any understanding of how to live rightly.
“For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is responding to Jeremiah's lament over the impending destruction, revealing that the disaster is a consequence of His people's own foolishness and ignorance of Him. They are described as unintelligent children, utterly incapable of grasping divine truth, yet strangely adept at scheming and perpetrating evil. This deep-seated spiritual blindness and perversion of wisdom is the root cause of the calamity that is about to befall them.
God calls His own people 'foolish' and 'stupid children.' How can those set apart by God lack understanding? This isn't just a casual observation; it's the root of their impending disaster.
Jeremiah 4:22 reveals a heartbreaking paradox: God's chosen people are profoundly ignorant of Him.
The Core Problem: 'They Have Not Known Me'
This 'knowing' isn't intellectual agreement, but a deep, relational understanding. It's the kind of knowledge that shapes behavior and brings them into alignment with God's will. Because they lack this intimate knowledge of God:
This ignorance isn't accidental. It's a deliberate turning away from the God who has revealed Himself to them.
The verse makes a shocking claim: they are 'wise'—but only at doing evil. What does this kind of 'wisdom' look like, and why are they so incapable of doing good?
Jeremiah 4:22 presents a stark contrast: the people excel in wickedness but are clueless about righteousness.
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The Inversion of True Wisdom
This inversion shows how far they've strayed. True wisdom, in the biblical sense, is aligned with God's character and commands. Their 'wisdom' is therefore a perversion, a counterfeit that leads only to destruction.
Understand the original words
ĕwīl · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
A state of moral and spiritual dullness; lacking divine wisdom and discernment, often implying a rejection of God's revealed truth.
bīnāh · Hebrew Noun
A total lack of perception or insight regarding spiritual matters, resulting from a heart that refuses to acknowledge or obey the Creator.
rā‘āh · Hebrew Noun
Deliberate actions that deviate from God’s character and commands, causing ruin to oneself and others; moral wickedness.
Jeremiah's prophecy comes during the intensifying crisis of Judah's impending and eventual destruction by Babylon. The people's spiritual blindness and foolishness, their 'wisdom' in evil and ignorance of good, are the direct cause for the devastating judgment they face.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling many and scattering the population. This event serves as a stark warning to the southern kingdom of Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and takes a first group of exiles, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian threat and increasing pressure on Judah.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans to Babylon. This further weakens Judah and intensifies the sense of impending doom.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This is the catastrophic fulfillment of God's judgment for Judah's persistent unfaithfulness.
c. 586-539 BC
Babylonian Exile
The period of Jewish exile in Babylon, during which Jeremiah's prophecies about judgment and eventual restoration are vividly relevant. Many grapple with their spiritual state and the meaning of God's actions.
This passage describes a similar spiritual blindness where even domesticated animals know their owner, but Israel, God's people, do not understand their relationship with Him.
Romans 16:19This verse presents the ideal for believers, to be 'wise about what is good, and innocent about evil,' directly contrasting with Jeremiah 4:22's description of those who are 'wise to do evil' but 'know not how to do good.'
Matthew 7:16-17Jesus speaks of knowing people by their fruits, implying that true understanding and wisdom are demonstrated through good actions, a concept absent in the 'foolish' people described in Jeremiah.
Proverbs 9:10This verse states that 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,' highlighting that the fundamental lack of knowing God, as seen in Jeremiah 4:22, is the root of all their foolishness and lack of understanding.
pulpitJeremiah 4:22: "For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."
Verse 22. - For my people is foolish. The Lord gives no direct answer to the complaining question in ver. 21. He simply states the moral ground for Judah's calamity, and implies that this will last so long as the people continue to be "foolish," i.e. virtual deniers of the true God.
calvinJeremiah 4:22: "For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."
- Quoniam stultus populus meus, me non cognovit; filii insipientes ipsi, et non intelligentes ipsi (sunt; chmh demonstrativum pronomen ponitur vice verbi:) astuti ipsi (vel, sapientes) ad malum; sed ad benefaciendum non intelligunt.
The Prophet again teaches us, that the cause of these evils arose from…
God calls His people "foolish," but the most shocking part is that they are "wise—in doing evil." This isn't just a lack of knowledge; it’s a deliberate, skillful perversion of their God-given abilities towards wickedness. They have actively honed their skills for sin while neglecting any understanding of how to live rightly.
God is responding to Jeremiah's lament over the impending destruction, revealing that the disaster is a consequence of His people's own foolishness and ignorance of Him. They are described as unintelligent children, utterly incapable of grasping divine truth, yet strangely adept at scheming and perpetrating evil. This deep-seated spiritual blindness and perversion of wisdom is the root cause of the calamity that is about to befall them.
God is responding to Jeremiah's lament over the impending destruction, revealing that the disaster is a consequence of His people's own foolishness and ignorance of Him. They are described as unintelligent children, utterly incapable of grasping divine truth, yet strangely adept at scheming and perpetrating evil. This deep-seated spiritual blindness and perversion of wisdom is the root cause of the calamity that is about to befall them.
"“For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”" — God calls His people "foolish," but the most shocking part is that they are "wise—in doing evil." This isn't just a lack of knowledge; it’s a deliberate, skillful perversion of their God-given abilit…
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Last reviewed October 2026