Jeremiah 8:20
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Original Language Analysis
עָבַ֥ר
is past
H5674
עָבַ֥ר
is past
Strong's:
H5674
Word #:
1 of 7
to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in
כָּ֣לָה
is ended
H3615
כָּ֣לָה
is ended
Strong's:
H3615
Word #:
3 of 7
to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitive (to complete, prepare, consume)
קָ֑יִץ
the summer
H7019
קָ֑יִץ
the summer
Strong's:
H7019
Word #:
4 of 7
harvest (as the crop), whether the product (grain or fruit) or the (dry) season
Cross References
Proverbs 10:5He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.Luke 13:25When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Historical Context
Palestine's agricultural calendar featured grain harvest in spring (April-June) and fruit harvest in late summer (August-September). If these seasons failed, the following year brought starvation. The metaphor applied spiritually: opportunities for repentance had passed like seasons, and judgment was now inevitable. This verse is often quoted to express missed opportunities for salvation, though the original context addresses national judgment rather than individual conversion.
Questions for Reflection
- How do God's counter-questions redirect the people's theological complaints back to their own responsibility?
- What spiritual 'harvest seasons' have we experienced, and have we responded appropriately?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
God responds to the people's questions with His own: 'Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?' The Hebrew hikh'isuni (הִכְעִיסוּנִי) indicates deliberate provocation, not accidental offense. 'Graven images' (pesilim, פְּסִילִים) are carved idols; 'strange vanities' (havlei nekhar, הַבְלֵי נֵכָר) are foreign empty things—pagan deities from neighboring nations. The people ask why God abandoned Zion; God asks why they abandoned Him for worthless substitutes. The harvest imagery follows: 'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.' qatsir (קָצִיר, harvest) and qayits (קַיִץ, summer) represent the agricultural seasons. When harvest and summer fruit-gathering end without producing adequate food, famine is certain. The window for salvation has closed.