Jeremiah 5:26-28
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; they have grown fat and sleek. They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights that wickedness wasn't lurking in some distant, foreign land, but was "found" right within God's chosen people, like traps set by fowlers ready to ensnare unsuspecting birds. This wasn't just occasional sin; it suggests a pervasive culture of deception and destruction actively preying on others.
Jeremiah has been describing how widespread corruption has made the nation deaf to God's warnings, leading them to believe they are safe. This verse reveals the deceptive tactics of these wicked people within Israel itself, who aren't outsiders but part of God's chosen people. They lurk like hunters, setting traps to ensnare the innocent, a stark contrast to the faithfulness expected of God's people.
When God's people turn away, the enemy isn't always outside the camp. Sometimes, the danger is far closer, disguised among those who claim to follow God.
Jeremiah's message hits hard: wickedness isn't just a problem for outsiders; it's found 'among my people.' This isn't a small, isolated issue, but a widespread corruption that has infiltrated the very community set apart by God. This challenges us to consider that outward religious affiliation doesn't guarantee inner purity. The Lord is deeply grieved when those He has chosen and called His own participate in sin, as it betrays the sacred covenant and the very identity they're meant to embody.
The verse paints a vivid picture of people lying in wait like fowlers. What does this insidious hunting of souls look like in practical terms?
The imagery of fowlers and traps is powerful. These aren't overt attacks but subtle, hidden dangers designed to ensnare the unwary. 'Wicked men' are compared to those who conceal themselves, patiently waiting for the right moment to spring their traps. This speaks to the manipulative and deceitful ways sin operates – through tempting suggestions, distorted truths, or exploiting vulnerabilities. The goal is not just to catch, but to bring others into destruction. This requires a keen spiritual awareness to discern these hidden snares and resist their pull.
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.
mirmah · Hebrew Noun
Moral dishonesty, treachery, or craftiness; the act of misleading others for personal gain, which is condemned by God as an abomination.
din · Hebrew Noun/Verb
Biblical justice refers to the administration of fairness and righteousness, particularly upholding the cause of the vulnerable, as commanded by God. Injustice involves perverting this standard for self-interest.
Jeremiah's vivid imagery of fowlers and traps highlights the pervasive corruption within Judah, a people who, despite being chosen by God, had become so morally compromised that they preyed upon each other, turning sacred community into a hunting ground.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of many Israelites and the scattering of the population.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon begins deporting Judeans, including members of the royal family and elite, to Babylon. This marks the start of the Babylonian Captivity.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Another wave of deportations to Babylon occurs following a revolt by King Jehoiachin. The prophet Ezekiel is among those taken.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces conquer Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and carry away a large portion of the remaining population into exile. This is a devastating national catastrophe.
This Psalm describes the wicked as lurking and setting traps, echoing Jeremiah's imagery of fowlers to show the pervasive nature of evil plots against the innocent.
Proverbs 1:11-19This passage warns against the allure of wicked schemes that lie in wait to ensnare the unsuspecting, directly paralleling Jeremiah's description of wicked men as fowlers with traps.
1 Kings 21:9-13The story of Naboth's vineyard illustrates how wicked individuals, like Jezebel and the elders of Jezreel, devised and executed a trap to unjustly seize property, mirroring the verse's depiction of catching men through deceit.
Acts 23:12-15This account of a conspiracy against Paul shows a group of people deliberately plotting to ambush and kill him, demonstrating a real-life example of the 'trap' and 'catching men' described by Jeremiah.
Micah 7:2Micah laments that 'all lay wait for blood,' describing a society where everyone is plotting evil, which resonates with Jeremiah's charge that wicked men are found among God's people and are actively setting traps.
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 that wickedness wasn't lurking in some distant, foreign land, but was "found" right within God's chosen people, like traps set by fowlers ready to ensnare unsuspecting birds. This wasn't just occasional sin; it suggests a pervasive culture of deception and destruction actively preying on others.
Jeremiah has been describing how widespread corruption has made the nation deaf to God's warnings, leading them to believe they are safe. This verse reveals the deceptive tactics of these wicked people within Israel itself, who aren't outsiders but part of God's chosen people. They lurk like hunters, setting traps to ensnare the innocent, a stark contrast to the faithfulness expected of God's people.
Jeremiah has been describing how widespread corruption has made the nation deaf to God's warnings, leading them to believe they are safe. This verse reveals the deceptive tactics of these wicked people within Israel itself, who aren't outsiders but part of God's chosen people. They lurk like hunters, setting traps to ensnare the innocent, a stark contrast to the faithfulness expected of God's people.
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yathom · Hebrew Noun
A specific category of the vulnerable mentioned frequently in Scripture; God mandates the protection and care of children who have lost their fathers, reflecting His own role as Father to the fatherless.
ebyon · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
Those lacking physical, economic, or social power; God commands His people to advocate for the poor and oppressed, declaring that injustice against them is a direct offense against Him.
c. 586 BC - 538 BC
Babylonian Exile
The majority of the Judean population lives in exile in Babylon, experiencing loss of land, sovereignty, and their central religious institution. Jeremiah's prophecies are delivered during this period of national crisis and judgment.
"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 that wickedness wasn't lurking in some distant, foreign land, but was "found" right within God's chosen people, like traps set by fowlers ready to ensnare unsuspecting birds. Th…
