Jeremiah 5:4-5
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Jeremiah isn't excusing the poor here; he's making an observation and then offering a plea. He says "Therefore I said," indicating this is his immediate, perhaps even surprised, conclusion about why they're acting this way. The problem isn't just their poverty, but their ignorance of God's "way" and "justice," which implies a lack of understanding of His character and how He wants His people to live.
Then I said, “These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God. I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they all alike had broken the yoke; they had burst the bonds.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah has been commanded to search Jerusalem for even one person who acts with justice and seeks truth, but he finds none. He then suggests that perhaps only the ignorant poor are to blame for their folly, because they don't know God's ways or laws. However, this is just a momentary thought; Jeremiah is about to show that the sin and corruption are widespread, affecting all levels of society, not just the poor.
Jeremiah looks at the people's sin and offers a reason – poverty and lack of understanding. But is this an excuse?
The prophet, in his initial assessment, singles out the poor as foolish and ignorant.
A Plea of Ignorance
He observes their actions and attributes their foolishness to a lack of knowledge. They "do not know the way of the LORD, nor the justice of their God." This isn't just about not knowing facts; it's about not understanding God's principles and how He operates.
Not an Excuse, But a Cause
While the prophet initially presents their poverty and ignorance as an explanation for their sin, the broader context of Jeremiah reveals this isn't a free pass. God's people are expected to seek wisdom and His ways, even amidst hardship. Their ignorance becomes a symptom of a deeper disconnect from God.
What does it truly mean to 'know the way of the Lord' and His 'justice'?
This verse points to two crucial elements of knowing God: His path and His principles.
The Way of the Lord
This refers to God's path for His people – how they are to live, walk, and interact according to His will. It's about understanding and following the direction God sets out for life.
The Justice of God
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This speaks to God's righteousness, His established laws, and the way He governs His creation. It includes His judgment, but also His fairness and His commitment to what is right. For the people of Israel, this meant understanding the covenant laws and God's expectations.
The Consequence of Not Knowing
Jeremiah argues that this lack of knowledge leads directly to foolishness and sin. When people are ignorant of God's prescribed way and His standard of justice, they are prone to wander off course and act in ways that displease Him.
Understand the original words
ol · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor often representing a burden, a controlling authority, or the obligations of covenantal submission to God. Breaking it signifies rebellion against God's rule.
moserah · Hebrew Noun
Fastenings or ties; symbolically representing the restraints of divine law or the bonds of covenantal relationship which the rebellious seek to throw off.
Jeremiah's lament in this verse arises from a context where religious education was severely lacking, especially after the fall of the northern kingdom and amidst the growing threat of Babylon. He observes that the common people, due to their ignorance, stumble in their ways, a blindness that, while pitied, does not excuse their sin before God.
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 significantly weakens the divided Hebrew kingdoms and serves as a dire warning to Judah.
c. 626 BC
Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy to Judah during a time of growing religious and political instability, just before major geopolitical shifts.
c. 609 BC
Josiah's Reforms and Death
King Josiah implements religious reforms based on a rediscovered scroll of the Law, but is killed in battle, plunging Judah back into turmoil and unfaithfulness.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah and begins deporting citizens, including members of the royal family and elite, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Judah's exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Another wave of exiles, including the prophet Ezekiel, is sent to Babylon following a Judean rebellion. Jerusalem's temple is also desecrated.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and its holy Temple, ending the Kingdom of Judah and exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This is a catastrophic fulfillment of prophetic warnings.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Prophecies of Judgment on Judah
Jeremiah laments Judah's deep-seated sin and predicts its imminent destruction and exile, highlighting the widespread ignorance of God's ways among all classes.
This passage directly echoes Jeremiah's lament, stating 'my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge' and also links ignorance of God's ways with destruction, emphasizing the dire consequences of spiritual illiteracy.
Matthew 9:36Jesus’ compassion for the crowds, seeing them as 'harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd,' mirrors Jeremiah's observation of a people lost and untaught, lacking guidance in God's ways.
John 7:49The Pharisees’ disdain for the crowds, saying 'But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed,' shows a similar social divide where lack of knowledge is seen as a mark of spiritual deficiency, though in this case with condemnation rather than a prophet's plea.
Romans 1:21-23This passage describes how people, despite having the knowledge of God, 'did not honor him as God or give thanks,' instead becoming futile in their thinking; it provides a contrast to Jeremiah, showing that even with knowledge, willful ignorance or rejection of God's ways leads to ruin.
Proverbs 30:8-9Agur’s prayer to be kept from falsehood and a poor life 'lest I be poor and steal,' highlights how poverty can indeed lead to spiritual compromise and a departure from God’s ways, echoing Jeremiah's concern that the poor lack understanding and thus stray.
pooleJeremiah 5:4: "Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God."
Therefore I said; or, perhaps, I said with myself; not, possibly, that he thought so, but that he might thus express himself, as men use to speak. Surely these are poor; poor, low-spirited, or of the meanest rank among the vulgar, understand but little; either men of greater ignorance, John 7:49 , and therefore said not to know the way of the Lord; see…
pulpitJeremiah 5:4: "Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God."
Verse 4. - Therefore I said; rather, and as for me, I said. They are foolish; rather, they act foolishly (as Numbers 12:11). For; rather, because. Their want of religious instruction is the cause of their faulty conduct. In fact, it was only after the return from Babylon that any popular schools were founded in Judaea, and not till shortly before the d…
Jeremiah isn't excusing the poor here; he's making an observation and then offering a plea. He says "Therefore I said," indicating this is his immediate, perhaps even surprised, conclusion about why they're acting this way. The problem isn't just their poverty, but their ignorance of God's "way" and "justice," which implies a lack of understanding of His character and how He wants His people to live.
Jeremiah has been commanded to search Jerusalem for even one person who acts with justice and seeks truth, but he finds none. He then suggests that perhaps only the ignorant poor are to blame for their folly, because they don't know God's ways or laws. However, this is just a momentary thought; Jeremiah is about to show that the sin and corruption are widespread, affecting all levels of society, not just the poor.
Jeremiah has been commanded to search Jerusalem for even one person who acts with justice and seeks truth, but he finds none. He then suggests that perhaps only the ignorant poor are to blame for their folly, because they don't know God's ways or laws. However, this is just a momentary thought; Jeremiah is about to show that the sin and corruption are widespread, affecting all levels of society, not just the poor.
"Then I said, “These are only the poor; they have no sense; for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God. I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the LORD…" — Jeremiah isn't excusing the poor here; he's making an observation and then offering a plea. He says "Therefore I said," indicating this is his immediate, perhaps even surprised, conclusion about why…
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Last reviewed October 2026
