Jeremiah 8:4
Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?
Original Language Analysis
כֹּ֚ה
H3541
כֹּ֚ה
Strong's:
H3541
Word #:
3 of 12
properly, like this, i.e., by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
יְהוָ֔ה
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֔ה
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
5 of 12
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
הֲיִפְּל֖וּ
Shall they fall
H5307
הֲיִפְּל֖וּ
Shall they fall
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
6 of 12
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
וְלֹ֣א
H3808
וְלֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
7 of 12
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יָק֑וּמוּ
and not arise
H6965
יָק֑וּמוּ
and not arise
Strong's:
H6965
Word #:
8 of 12
to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
אִם
H518
אִם
Strong's:
H518
Word #:
9 of 12
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
יָשֽׁוּב׃
and not return
H7725
יָשֽׁוּב׃
and not return
Strong's:
H7725
Word #:
10 of 12
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
Cross References
Proverbs 24:16For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.Hosea 6:1Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.Micah 7:8Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.Isaiah 55:7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.Isaiah 44:22I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.Jeremiah 3:1They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.Amos 5:2The virgin of Israel is fallen; she shall no more rise: she is forsaken upon her land; there is none to raise her up.Ezekiel 18:23Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?1 Kings 8:38What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:Hosea 14:1O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
Historical Context
This oracle likely dates to the reign of Jehoiakim (609-598 BC) when Judah had opportunity to repent following Josiah's death but instead reverted to idolatry and injustice. Jeremiah consistently called for repentance (shuv) using the same root appearing here. The rhetorical questions reflect ancient wisdom tradition—appealing to common experience and natural order to expose folly.
Questions for Reflection
- What makes persistent sin so irrational when viewed from the perspective of natural human behavior?
- How does the imagery of falling and not rising convict us of our own tendencies to remain in spiritual failure rather than seeking restoration?
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Analysis & Commentary
This verse transitions to a new oracle with 'Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD.' The rhetorical questions that follow expose the absurdity of Judah's spiritual trajectory. 'Shall they fall, and not arise?' uses qum (קוּם), the Hebrew word for rising/resurrection. Normal behavior after falling is to get up. 'Shall he turn away, and not return?' uses shuv (שׁוּב), the key word for repentance throughout the prophets. When someone wanders off the path, natural response is to return. Yet Judah defied both common sense and natural instinct by remaining in their fallen state and refusing to return to God. The questions function as indictment: Judah's persistence in sin is unnatural, contrary to basic human wisdom.