Jeremiah 6:7
As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds.
Original Language Analysis
הֵקֵ֣רָה
casteth out
H6979
הֵקֵ֣רָה
casteth out
Strong's:
H6979
Word #:
1 of 15
to trench; by implication, to throw forth; to wall up, whether literal (to build a wall) or figurative (to estop)
בַּ֙וִר֙
As a fountain
H953
בַּ֙וִר֙
As a fountain
Strong's:
H953
Word #:
2 of 15
a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or a prison)
מֵימֶ֔יהָ
her waters
H4325
מֵימֶ֔יהָ
her waters
Strong's:
H4325
Word #:
3 of 15
water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen
כֵּ֖ן
H3651
כֵּ֖ן
Strong's:
H3651
Word #:
4 of 15
properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner
הֵקֵ֣רָה
casteth out
H6979
הֵקֵ֣רָה
casteth out
Strong's:
H6979
Word #:
5 of 15
to trench; by implication, to throw forth; to wall up, whether literal (to build a wall) or figurative (to estop)
חָמָ֣ס
violence
H2555
חָמָ֣ס
violence
Strong's:
H2555
Word #:
7 of 15
violence; by implication, wrong; by metonymy unjust gain
יִשָּׁ֨מַע
is heard
H8085
יִשָּׁ֨מַע
is heard
Strong's:
H8085
Word #:
9 of 15
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
עַל
H5921
עַל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
11 of 15
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
פָּנַ֛י
in her before me
H6440
פָּנַ֛י
in her before me
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
12 of 15
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
Cross References
Jeremiah 20:8For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.Ezekiel 7:11Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of their's: neither shall there be wailing for them.Ezekiel 7:23Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.Isaiah 57:20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
Historical Context
Pre-exilic Jerusalem saw increasing social stratification, with the wealthy oppressing the poor through predatory lending, land seizure, and corrupt courts—all condemned by prophets like Jeremiah, Amos, and Micah.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the 'fresh water' metaphor teach about sin's self-perpetuating nature apart from divine intervention?
- How can societies become so desensitized to violence and injustice that they become 'the sound' of the culture?
- What role does God's omniscient awareness ('before me continually') play in understanding accountability?
Analysis & Commentary
Using the metaphor of a well continually producing fresh water, God describes Jerusalem as constantly generating wickedness. The parallel phrases 'violence and spoil' with 'grief and wounds' reveal both the actions (violence/spoil) and their consequences (grief/wounds). The phrase 'is heard in her' suggests that violence has become so commonplace it's the defining sound of the city. This illustrates total depravity's tendency toward systemic, self-perpetuating sin. Just as a well's water reflects its source, Jerusalem's actions reveal the corruption of her heart. The 'before me continually' emphasizes God's omniscient observation of all injustice.