They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The imagery of "well-fed, lusty stallions" isn't just about intense sexual desire; it highlights how their prosperity and ease have fueled their unchecked, beastly lust, making them aggressively pursue their neighbors' wives with an unbridled eagerness. This comparison vividly portrays their moral decay as being directly linked to their material comfort, turning God's blessings into fuel for sin.
They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jeremiah is exposing the deep corruption of Jerusalem, where even the powerful and well-fed elite are consumed by lust and infidelity. After seeing that no righteous person can be found among them, the prophet uses the image of "fed horses" to depict their unrestrained, almost animalistic pursuit of illicit desires, specifically their eagerness to commit adultery with their neighbors' wives. This passage highlights their moral decay, a stark contrast to the justice and truth they should embody.
Jeremiah paints a picture of a people driven by lust, but is it just about breaking marriage vows? This verse holds a deeper meaning.
The imagery of "lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor's wife" in Jeremiah 5:8 is incredibly potent. While it certainly points to rampant adultery and a disregard for marital faithfulness, the prophets often used such powerful metaphors to describe Israel's spiritual infidelity.
When does this rampant lust begin? The timing mentioned in the verse offers a stark clue about their eager pursuit of sin.
The phrase "in the morning" (or similar renderings like "early") attached to these "lusty stallions" isn't just descriptive; it's accusatory. It tells us when their sin was at its peak or when they actively pursued it.
Ask a follow-up
Jeremiah's imagery of 'lusty stallions' speaks to the moral decay and unchecked desires that characterized Judah even before its final judgment, highlighting how spiritual unfaithfulness often manifests in profound social and personal corruption.
c. 7th Century BC
Late Kingdom of Judah
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous period in the Kingdom of Judah, following reforms by King Josiah but preceding the kingdom's final destruction.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deported many Judean nobles and skilled workers, including the prophet Daniel, marking the beginning of Babylonian dominance.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
After a rebellion, King Nebuchadnezzar deported King Jehoiachin and more of Judah's elite, including the prophet Ezekiel, further weakening the kingdom.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple, ending the Kingdom of Judah and exiling most of the remaining population.
This passage also uses the imagery of lustful animals to describe the spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry of the people, drawing a parallel between their immoral desires and their turning away from God.
Hosea 7:4-5Here, the people are compared to a baked loaf, only one-sided, and to adulterers who are like a heated oven ready to consume the baker, highlighting their pervasive corruption and unfaithfulness, mirroring the uncontrolled lust described in Jeremiah.
Deuteronomy 32:15This text describes Israel growing fat and pushing aside God, illustrating how prosperity and ease can lead to a spiritual unruliness and lust for forbidden things, much like the 'fed horses' in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 13:27In this related passage from Jeremiah, the prophet directly accuses the people of committing adultery and other wicked deeds, stating they roam about like horses eager to satisfy their lust, reinforcing the imagery and sin described in chapter 5.
barnesJeremiah 5:8: "They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife."
In the morning - Render, they rove about. Some prefer, "(horses) from Mesech."
pooleJeremiah 5:8: "They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife."
Fed horses, to note the greatness and unruliness of their lust, pampered horses being most wanton, like that Deu 32:15 . In the morning: it is questioned whether morning relates to horses or to men; if to horses, then they are compared to stallions, that having been fed to the full over-night, and lain at ease, in the morning they are most lusty; but rather it seems to relate to men, showing th…
The imagery of "well-fed, lusty stallions" isn't just about intense sexual desire; it highlights how their prosperity and ease have fueled their unchecked, beastly lust, making them aggressively pursue their neighbors' wives with an unbridled eagerness. This comparison vividly portrays their moral decay as being directly linked to their material comfort, turning God's blessings into fuel for sin.
Jeremiah is exposing the deep corruption of Jerusalem, where even the powerful and well-fed elite are consumed by lust and infidelity. After seeing that no righteous person can be found among them, the prophet uses the image of "fed horses" to depict their unrestrained, almost animalistic pursuit of illicit desires, specifically their eagerness to commit adultery with their neighbors' wives. This passage highlights their moral decay, a stark contrast to the justice and truth they should embody.
Jeremiah is exposing the deep corruption of Jerusalem, where even the powerful and well-fed elite are consumed by lust and infidelity. After seeing that no righteous person can be found among them, the prophet uses the image of "fed horses" to depict their unrestrained, almost animalistic pursuit of illicit desires, specifically their eagerness to commit adultery with their neighbors' wives. This passage highlights their moral decay, a stark contrast to the justice and truth they should embody.
"They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife." — The imagery of "well-fed, lusty stallions" isn't just about intense sexual desire; it highlights how their prosperity and ease have fueled their unchecked, beastly lust, making them aggressively purs…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026