Jeremiah 5:26
For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The prophet doesn't just say there are wicked people; he emphasizes they are "found among my people," meaning the sin wasn't hidden in the fringes but right in the heart of God's chosen community. This imagery of fowlers lying in wait to trap birds highlights how these individuals actively and cunningly preyed on the unsuspecting, turning their own community into a dangerous hunting ground.
The prophet Jeremiah is exposing the deep-seated corruption within God's own people, the Israelites. He’s just argued that they are so wicked they are depriving themselves of God’s favor and are no better than foreign nations, and here he elaborates by describing how these wicked individuals operate. They are not just openly sinful, but they actively lie in wait, setting traps and schemes to ensnare and destroy others, just like fowlers setting snares for birds.
It's one thing to see evil in the world, but what happens when it's found right within the community of faith? Jeremiah pulls no punches.
Jeremiah 5:26 declares, "For wicked men are found among my people." This isn't just a statement about external enemies; it's a stark reality check for the Israelites themselves. Calvin highlights that this isn't about a few bad apples, but a general condemnation that iniquity had become rampant within the chosen people. The prophet is essentially saying that the rot wasn't confined to the 'heathen' outside, but had deeply infected the community God had set apart. This underscores the profound disappointment and grief God feels when those who bear His name abandon His ways.
Jeremiah compares the wicked to fowlers. What does this deadly metaphor reveal about how sin operates to trap us?
The verse vividly describes these wicked individuals as "l[ying] in wait" like fowlers and setting "a trap" to "catch men." This imagery is powerful. Poole explains that this refers to those who contemplate mischievous designs and hide themselves with deceit, much like a hunter waits unseen for prey. They aren't acting openly but are actively scheming and setting hidden dangers. The 'trap' itself, described by Barnes as potentially a 'destroyer,' is an instrument designed for capture and ruin. This speaks to the subtle, deceptive, and destructive nature of sin when it operates within a community – it doesn't always announce itself but lies in wait, ready to ensnare the unsuspecting.
Understand the original words
rasha' · Hebrew Adjective
General term for those who disregard God's law, characterized by moral depravity, rebellion against divine authority, and the practice of evil.
moqesh · Hebrew Noun
The act of capturing or ensnaring, often used metaphorically in Scripture to describe deceitful schemes, hidden dangers, or the entrapment of the unwary by the wicked.
This verse paints a stark picture of internal corruption within Judah, leading up to its catastrophic destruction. The people of God, rather than being a light to the nations, had become like cunning fowlers, trapping and destroying one another, a spiritual rot that directly preceded their exile.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Empire's Height of Power
The powerful Assyrian Empire dominated the region, influencing the political and social landscape of Judah and Israel. This era saw significant deportations and political pressure on the kingdoms.
626 BC - 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's Rise to Power
Nebuchadnezzar II became crown prince and then king of Babylon, setting the stage for his empire's expansion into the Levant. His military campaigns would directly impact Judah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah and deports a group of prominent citizens, including young men like Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's exile and a period of intense spiritual testing.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a rebellion, Jerusalem is captured again, and King Jehoiachin along with thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon. This deepened the crisis for Judah.
This Psalm speaks of God delivering the righteous from the fowler's snare, drawing a direct parallel to the hidden dangers and traps set by the wicked described in Jeremiah.
Proverbs 1:11This verse describes the wicked who plot to 'devour' the innocent and 'lie in wait for blood,' mirroring the predatory and trapping nature of the wicked in Jeremiah.
1 Kings 21:9The story of Jezebel and Naboth’s vineyard is a powerful Old Testament example of wicked men using traps and false accusations to seize what belongs to another, directly illustrating Jeremiah's point.
Acts 23:13This New Testament passage details a conspiracy of over forty men who vowed to kill Paul, showing how this dangerous plotting and trapping behavior persisted even among God's people throughout history.
Hosea 13:7Similar to Jeremiah's imagery, this verse depicts God as a lion lying in wait to destroy, but it also highlights how the wicked among His people act like predators, ambushing and devouring the vulnerable.
calvinJeremiah 5:26: "For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men."
- Quia inventi sunt (aut, inveniuntur) in populo meo scelerati; aspicient (hoc est, astute observabunt) secundum ponere laqueos (hoc est, ac si decipulas tenderent;) perditionem locant, in qua homines capiant.
What the previous verse contains is here confirmed, -- that the Jews, through their own fault, had deprived themselves of God's favor. It was necessary…
pooleJeremiah 5:26: "For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men."
Among my people are found wicked men; I need not search for such among the heathen nations, for they are found even among them that are called by my name, whereas all my people ought to have been holy. They lay wait, or contemplate mischievous designs, under deceits, as fowlers do hide themselves, when they watch the birds coming to the snare or net, Proverbs 1:1…
The prophet doesn't just say there are wicked people; he emphasizes they are "found among my people," meaning the sin wasn't hidden in the fringes but right in the heart of God's chosen community. This imagery of fowlers lying in wait to trap birds highlights how these individuals actively and cunningly preyed on the unsuspecting, turning their own community into a dangerous hunting ground.
The prophet Jeremiah is exposing the deep-seated corruption within God's own people, the Israelites. He’s just argued that they are so wicked they are depriving themselves of God’s favor and are no better than foreign nations, and here he elaborates by describing how these wicked individuals operate. They are not just openly sinful, but they actively lie in wait, setting traps and schemes to ensnare and destroy others, just like fowlers setting snares for birds.
The prophet Jeremiah is exposing the deep-seated corruption within God's own people, the Israelites. He’s just argued that they are so wicked they are depriving themselves of God’s favor and are no better than foreign nations, and here he elaborates by describing how these wicked individuals operate. They are not just openly sinful, but they actively lie in wait, setting traps and schemes to ensnare and destroy others, just like fowlers setting snares for birds.
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586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
After a prolonged siege and further rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar utterly destroys Jerusalem and its sacred Temple, leading to a massive final deportation. This event shatters the Davidic monarchy and the heart of Judean identity.
c. 580 BC - 570 BC
Jeremiah's Ministry Amidst Exile
Jeremiah continues to prophesy to those remaining in Judah and to the exiles in Babylon, calling for repentance and offering messages of hope for future restoration. His words address the deep spiritual corruption that led to the nation's downfall.
"For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men." — The prophet doesn't just say there are wicked people; he emphasizes they are "found among my people," meaning the sin wasn't hidden in the fringes but right in the heart of God's chosen community. Th…
