Jeremiah 5:23-24
But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that this isn't just a simple choice to stray, but a deep-seated condition of the "heart" itself. The Hebrew word translated "revolting" literally means to "turn back" or "draw back," suggesting a will that recoils from God, and "rebellious" describes the active defiance that follows. This shows their departure isn't accidental; it's a willing, active turning away from everything God stands for.
Just before this, Jeremiah has been declaring God's judgment on Judah for their deep-seated sin, comparing them to untamed wild donkeys. This verse reveals the heart of the problem: their refusal to turn back from their wrong ways, showing a will that first draws back from God and then actively fights against Him. They haven't just strayed a little; they've turned aside completely, pushing further and further away from truth and righteousness.
Jeremiah doesn't just say people are bad; he describes a specific kind of internal rebellion. What does it mean for a heart to be both 'revolting' and 'rebellious'?
The verse paints a vivid picture of a heart gone wrong.
Turning Away
The word translated 'revolting' speaks of a turning back, a departure. Imagine something leaning away from a light source, its shadow growing.
Active Defiance
'Rebellious' adds a layer of active opposition. It's not just passively drifting, but actively fighting against what is right. This describes a will that not only strays but also resists God's call to return.
Together, these words show a profound inner state: a will that has both moved away from God and now actively pushes back against Him.
It's one thing to falter, but Jeremiah uses a powerful phrase to describe the finality of their actions. What does 'gone away' truly signify?
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The phrase 'turned aside and gone away' isn't just about making a mistake; it points to a state of serious departure.
Abandonment
'Gone away' implies a deliberate and often progressive distance. It suggests they haven't just stumbled but have actively moved further and further from God's presence and ways.
Persistence in Error
Commentaries highlight that this isn't a temporary lapse. They are 'gone' and persist in their courses, becoming 'irclaimable.' This speaks to a hardened state where the rebellion has taken root, moving them far from the path of righteousness.
Understand the original words
sarar · Hebrew Adjective/Verb
A persistent, obstinate, or refractory spirit that resists God’s authority and refuses to submit to His will.
marah · Hebrew Adjective
Deliberate defiance or opposition against God’s established authority and commands; a refusal to comply with His revealed word.
lebab · Hebrew Noun
The internal seat of human personality, will, intellect, and moral decision-making; it is the center of human response to God.
Jeremiah's words cut to the core issue: the deep-seated rebellion of the heart, a spiritual sickness that made the people deaf to God's warnings and blind to the devastation they were bringing upon themselves.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The northern kingdom of Israel is conquered by Assyria, its people exiled, and their land resettled by foreigners. This event serves as a stark warning of God's judgment on disobedience.
626 BC
Jeremiah Begins His Ministry
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy to Judah. He will spend decades warning the people and the kings about their impending judgment due to their sin.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and takes a first group of exiles, including young Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's subjugation.
c. 600 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Prophecies Against Judah
Jeremiah's message continues, describing the people of Judah as having 'stubborn and rebellious hearts' who have 'turned aside and gone away' from God, leading them toward destruction.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Babylon deports King Jehoiachin and many more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. The situation grows increasingly desperate.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylon finally destroys Jerusalem and its holy Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population. This is the catastrophic consequence of Judah's persistent rebellion.
This Psalm directly laments a similar hardened and rebellious heart in Israel, describing them as a generation 'not steadfast in his covenant, nor faithful in his covenant with him. This echoes Jeremiah's description of their 'stubborn and rebellious heart' that has 'turned aside and gone away'.
Hebrews 3:12This New Testament passage warns believers against 'an evil heart of unbelief in falling away from the living God,' drawing a parallel to the people who continually turn away from God's calling.
Deuteronomy 31:27Moses prophesied about Israel's future rebellion, saying, 'For I know your rebellion and your stubborn neck. Behold, when I am with you today, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death will you be rebellious?' This foreshadows Jeremiah's condemnation of their persistent rebellion.
Romans 1:28Paul describes people who 'did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that are contrary to the proper behavior,' which resonates with the idea of a heart so stubborn and rebellious that it turns away from God and His ways.
clarkeJeremiah 5:23: "But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone."
They are revolted and gone - They have abandoned me, and are gone farther and farther into transgression. They are gone entirely away from truth and righteousness.
pooleJeremiah 5:23: "But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone."
They are not only revolted from me, and gone back, but they continue obstinate, and will not return, Psalm 78:8 , as the next clause intimates, where God shows their obstinacy by the effect of it. Gone, viz. from me, they persist in their courses, no reclaiming of them; for they are not only revolted, but they are gone quite away, and are irreclaimable.
The verse highlights that this isn't just a simple choice to stray, but a deep-seated condition of the "heart" itself. The Hebrew word translated "revolting" literally means to "turn back" or "draw back," suggesting a will that recoils from God, and "rebellious" describes the active defiance that follows. This shows their departure isn't accidental; it's a willing, active turning away from everything God stands for.
Just before this, Jeremiah has been declaring God's judgment on Judah for their deep-seated sin, comparing them to untamed wild donkeys. This verse reveals the heart of the problem: their refusal to turn back from their wrong ways, showing a will that first draws back from God and then actively fights against Him. They haven't just strayed a little; they've turned aside completely, pushing further and further away from truth and righteousness.
Just before this, Jeremiah has been declaring God's judgment on Judah for their deep-seated sin, comparing them to untamed wild donkeys. This verse reveals the heart of the problem: their refusal to turn back from their wrong ways, showing a will that first draws back from God and then actively fights against Him. They haven't just strayed a little; they've turned aside completely, pushing further and further away from truth and righteousness.
"But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and th…" — The verse highlights that this isn't just a simple choice to stray, but a deep-seated condition of the "heart" itself. The Hebrew word translated "revolting" literally means to "turn back" or "draw b…
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