Jeremiah 8:9
The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?
Original Language Analysis
הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ
H954
הֹבִ֣ישׁוּ
Strong's:
H954
Word #:
1 of 11
properly, to pale, i.e., by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or delayed
חַ֖תּוּ
they are dismayed
H2865
חַ֖תּוּ
they are dismayed
Strong's:
H2865
Word #:
3 of 11
properly, to prostrate; hence, to break down, either (literally) by violence, or (figuratively) by confusion and fear
וַיִּלָּכֵ֑דוּ
and taken
H3920
וַיִּלָּכֵ֑דוּ
and taken
Strong's:
H3920
Word #:
4 of 11
to catch (in a net, trap or pit); generally, to capture or occupy; also to choose (by lot); figuratively, to cohere
בִדְבַר
the word
H1697
בִדְבַר
the word
Strong's:
H1697
Word #:
6 of 11
a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
יְהוָה֙
of the LORD
H3068
יְהוָה֙
of the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
7 of 11
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
מָאָ֔סוּ
lo they have rejected
H3988
מָאָ֔סוּ
lo they have rejected
Strong's:
H3988
Word #:
8 of 11
to spurn; also (intransitively) to disappear
Cross References
Job 5:12He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.Jeremiah 6:15Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.Isaiah 19:11Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings?Psalms 19:7The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.Jeremiah 6:19Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.Deuteronomy 4:6Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Historical Context
This indictment targeted Judah's intellectual and religious elite—scribes, priests, prophets, and counselors who should have guided the nation in covenant faithfulness. Instead, they rejected Jeremiah's warnings and embraced false prophets promising peace (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11). Their 'wisdom' led directly to national catastrophe in 586 BC. Archaeological discoveries of seals from Jeremiah's era confirm the existence of these official scribal classes.
Questions for Reflection
- How does rejecting God's word expose the folly of all human wisdom, however sophisticated?
- What modern forms of 'wise' rejection of Scripture do we encounter today?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
This verse pronounces judgment on the self-proclaimed wise: 'The wise men are ashamed' (boshu chakamim, בֹּשׁוּ חֲכָמִים). The Hebrew bosh (בּוֹשׁ) denotes public humiliation, disappointed expectation, and covenant curse. 'They are dismayed and taken' adds chatat (חָתַת, shattered, terrified) and lakad (לָכַד, captured, snared)—the wise are caught in their own trap. 'Lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD' uses ma'as (מָאַס, to despise, reject with contempt) with debar-YHWH (דְּבַר־יְהוָה). This rejection isn't ignorance but deliberate contempt. 'And what wisdom is in them?' The rhetorical question exposes false wisdom: rejecting divine revelation leaves only human folly disguised as sophistication. True wisdom begins with fearing God (Proverbs 1:7); rejecting His word destroys wisdom's foundation.