Jeremiah 8:8
“How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jeremiah isn't just saying people misunderstood the Law; he's revealing that the scribes actively corrupted it, twisting God's words through their "lying pen" to justify their own corrupt practices and false sense of wisdom. This highlights that true knowledge of God's Law isn't just about possessing it, but about the integrity of how it's transmitted and applied.
Jeremiah confronts the people of Judah, who wrongly believe their wisdom and possession of God's Law makes them superior. Despite their claims, their lives reveal a deep disconnect from the Law's true meaning. The prophet charges that the scribes, who were supposed to interpret and preserve the Law, have instead twisted it with their "lying pen," rendering God's sacred words useless and leading the people astray.
It's easy to claim wisdom, especially when you have religious texts. But what does true wisdom look like?
Jeremiah confronts a dangerous spiritual pride. The people of Judah are saying they are wise and that God's law is with them. This isn't just about possessing the scrolls; it's a claim to understand and live by God's truth. Yet, their actions scream otherwise. Their boast is hollow because it's disconnected from reality. True wisdom isn't found in simply having the law, but in obeying it. Their self-proclaimed wisdom is a facade, a dangerous illusion.
When religious leaders twist God's Word, it doesn't just misinform—it actively creates a false reality.
The verse pinpoints the source of this delusion: "the lying pen of the scribes." This isn't necessarily about outright forgery, but a more insidious corruption. The scribes, meant to be keepers and interpreters of God's law, have instead twisted its meaning. They've used their skill with the pen to produce what is essentially a lie, making the very Law of God into a tool of deception.
Understand the original words
torah · Hebrew Noun
Generally referring to the Torah, the instruction or divine guidance given by God to His people to govern their lives and relationship with Him.
sopher · Hebrew Noun
A person tasked with copying, interpreting, or teaching the law of God; in a negative sense, it refers to those who pervert the divine text through corruption or false interpretation.
The scribes, who claimed to possess and interpret God's law, had twisted its message through their own traditions and sophistry. Jeremiah calls out their false wisdom, highlighting how their writings and teachings had effectively made God's law a lie, leading the people astray even as they boasted of their knowledge.
c. 7th century BC
Rise of the Scribes
The role of scribes, who studied and interpreted the law, began to gain prominence. This class would later become highly influential, particularly during and after the Babylonian exile.
622 BC
Discovery of the Book of the Law
During renovations in the Jerusalem temple, a scroll identified as the Book of the Law (likely Deuteronomy) was found. King Josiah used this discovery to implement religious reforms.
c. 609 BC
Death of King Josiah
Josiah's death in battle marked a turning point, leading to a period of political instability and the undoing of many of his reforms.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem and carried off Jehoiakim, along with members of the royal family, nobility, and skilled craftsmen, to Babylon.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's critique by highlighting the hypocrisy of those who possess the law but do not live by it, boasting in their knowledge while failing to uphold its principles.
Matthew 23:2-3Jesus confronts the religious leaders of His day, pointing out their claims to wisdom and authority derived from the law, while their actions and teachings pervert its true meaning, much like the scribes Jeremiah condemned.
Isaiah 5:20This verse serves as a foundational example of God's people twisting truth, calling evil good and good evil, which directly relates to Jeremiah's accusation that the scribes' 'lying pen' turned God's law into a lie.
Deuteronomy 31:24-26This passage shows the Law being written down and entrusted to the Levites, setting the stage for the later role of scribes; Jeremiah's complaint implies a corruption of this sacred trust by those responsible for its preservation and interpretation.
clarkeJeremiah 8:8: "How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain."
The pen of the scribes is in vain - The deceitful pen of the scribes. They have written falsely, though they had the truth before them. It is too bold an assertion to say that "the Jews have never falsified the sacred oracles;" they have done it again and again. They have written falsities when they knew they were such.
calvinJeremiah 8:8: "How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain."
- Quomodo dicetis (pro dicitis; significat continuum actum) sapientes nos (hoc est, nos sumus sapientes,) et lex Jehovae nobiscum est (vel, penes nos, melius:) certe ecce frustra aptavit stylum (vel, calamum) scriptor; frustra sunt seribae.
Interpreters think that the Prophet here directs his words to the priests, and the false prophets, and the…
Jeremiah isn't just saying people misunderstood the Law; he's revealing that the scribes actively corrupted it, twisting God's words through their "lying pen" to justify their own corrupt practices and false sense of wisdom. This highlights that true knowledge of God's Law isn't just about possessing it, but about the integrity of how it's transmitted and applied.
Jeremiah confronts the people of Judah, who wrongly believe their wisdom and possession of God's Law makes them superior. Despite their claims, their lives reveal a deep disconnect from the Law's true meaning. The prophet charges that the scribes, who were supposed to interpret and preserve the Law, have instead twisted it with their "lying pen," rendering God's sacred words useless and leading the people astray.
Jeremiah confronts the people of Judah, who wrongly believe their wisdom and possession of God's Law makes them superior. Despite their claims, their lives reveal a deep disconnect from the Law's true meaning. The prophet charges that the scribes, who were supposed to interpret and preserve the Law, have instead twisted it with their "lying pen," rendering God's sacred words useless and leading the people astray.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Jeremiah 8:8 is available in the Sola app.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
More captives, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, were taken to Babylon. This further weakened the kingdom of Judah.
c. 587-586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple, ending the kingdom of Judah and leading to a final, larger deportation of its people.
Early 6th century BC— this verse
Jeremiah's Ministry in Exile
Jeremiah continued to prophesy, addressing the exiles in Babylon and denouncing the false teachings and misinterpretations of the Law that had taken root.
"“How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie." — Jeremiah isn't just saying people misunderstood the Law; he's revealing that the scribes actively corrupted it, twisting God's words through their "lying pen" to justify their own corrupt practic…
