Jeremiah 5:26-27
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse highlights something deeply unsettling: the "wicked men" aren't lurking in the shadows of foreign lands, but are found within God's own people. Jeremiah emphasizes that their wrongdoing is so pervasive, so obvious, that they are simply "found" like criminals caught in the act, no excuse possible.
For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men. Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich;
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has been detailing the pervasive corruption within Judah, showing how their unfaithfulness to God has led them to lose His favor and invite destruction. In this passage, the prophet intensifies his accusation by highlighting that the wicked aren't outsiders but are deeply embedded within God's own people, actively plotting to ensnare others like hunters. This paints a grim picture of a nation so corrupted that its own members prey upon each other, making them ripe for the judgment God is about to unleash.
It's easy to point fingers at those outside the faith when we see sin and injustice. But what happens when the 'wicked' are found right in the church?
Jeremiah’s message here is a gut punch. He’s not just talking about the pagans around Israel; he’s saying the problem is inside. The people called by God’s name, the ones who should be living holy lives, are filled with those who practice evil. This isn't a fringe issue; it's a widespread reality that has corrupted the community from within. It’s a stark reminder that our identity as God’s people isn’t a guarantee against sin, but a call to a higher standard that, when ignored, brings even greater condemnation.
Fowlers don't just randomly catch birds; they are skilled strategists. How does this metaphor reveal the calculated nature of sin among God's people?
Jeremiah uses the vivid image of fowlers to describe the wicked. These aren't just impulsive sinners; they are cunning strategists. They 'lie in wait,' they 'spy,' and they 'set a trap.' This means sin within the community isn't always blatant; it often operates in stealth, disguised by clever schemes and deceitful practices. They create environments, systems, and justifications ('traps') designed to ensnare others, leading them into destruction. It speaks to the deliberate, predatory nature of those who exploit and harm others, even within the fellowship.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
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.
mirmah · Hebrew Noun
Moral dishonesty, treachery, or craftiness; the act of misleading others for personal gain, which is condemned by God as an abomination.
Jeremiah prophesied during a time of impending national disaster, leading up to and during the Babylonian exile. This verse highlights that the 'wicked men' entrapping people were not outsiders, but those within Judah's own leadership and society, making their betrayal all the more profound.
Late 8th Century BC
Assyrian Domination and Reforms
The Kingdom of Judah experienced significant political and religious upheaval under Assyrian influence, including periods of forced reforms and increased oppression.
626 BC
Josiah's Religious Reforms
King Josiah initiated a sweeping religious reform, purging idolatry and centralizing worship in Jerusalem. This aimed to purify Judah but may have also created societal disruption and opposition.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, prince of Babylon, defeated the Egyptians and began deporting Judean leaders and skilled people to Babylon, marking the start of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deported King Jehoiachin and more of Judah's elite to Babylon. This further weakened the kingdom and heightened the sense of impending doom.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Destruction of Temple
Nebuchadnezzar besieged and destroyed Jerusalem, razing the Temple and exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This was the catastrophic climax of God's judgment on Judah.
Post-Exilic Period
Return and Rebuilding
After the Babylonian exile, some Judeans returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and the city. However, challenges with corruption and syncretism persisted.
This verse also speaks of God delivering His people from traps, highlighting the pervasive danger of hidden snares, just as Jeremiah describes wicked men setting them.
Proverbs 1:11Similar to Jeremiah's fowlers, Proverbs warns against those who plot evil and set snares, showing this was a recognized metaphor for wickedness and deceit.
1 Kings 21:9-10This passage provides a vivid example of the kind of trap described by Jeremiah, where wicked men (Jezebel and the elders) used deceit and false accusation to ensnare and destroy an innocent man (Naboth).
Acts 23:13-15This New Testament account shows a group of men conspiring together, setting a trap for Paul with the intent to kill him, demonstrating the continuation of this malicious strategy.
Micah 7:2Micah laments that 'all lay wait for blood,' describing a society where people are as dangerous and deceptive as hunters, mirroring Jeremiah's accusation of widespread wickedness.
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…
This verse highlights something deeply unsettling: the "wicked men" aren't lurking in the shadows of foreign lands, but are found within God's own people. Jeremiah emphasizes that their wrongdoing is so pervasive, so obvious, that they are simply "found" like criminals caught in the act, no excuse possible.
Jeremiah has been detailing the pervasive corruption within Judah, showing how their unfaithfulness to God has led them to lose His favor and invite destruction. In this passage, the prophet intensifies his accusation by highlighting that the wicked aren't outsiders but are deeply embedded within God's own people, actively plotting to ensnare others like hunters. This paints a grim picture of a nation so corrupted that its own members prey upon each other, making them ripe for the judgment God is about to unleash.
Jeremiah has been detailing the pervasive corruption within Judah, showing how their unfaithfulness to God has led them to lose His favor and invite destruction. In this passage, the prophet intensifies his accusation by highlighting that the wicked aren't outsiders but are deeply embedded within God's own people, actively plotting to ensnare others like hunters. This paints a grim picture of a nation so corrupted that its own members prey upon each other, making them ripe for the judgment God is about to unleash.
"For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men. Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great a…" — This verse highlights something deeply unsettling: the "wicked men" aren't lurking in the shadows of foreign lands, but are found within God's own people. Jeremiah emphasizes that their wrongdoing…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
