Jeremiah 3:25

Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet Jeremiah speaks on behalf of Israel, addressing the nation in a moment of collective confession following the exposure of their idolatry and its consequences.

The words — The command נִשְׁכְּבָ֣ה (nish.ke.Vah) means "let us lie down," directly coupled with בְּ/בָשְׁתֵּ֗/נוּ (be./va.she.Te./nu) for "in our shame," instructing the people to physically embrace their disgrace rather than avoid it.

The thread — This pattern of delayed confession and lifelong disobedience parallels the warnings in Jeremiah 22:21 and the rejected instruction in Proverbs 5:13, while Jeremiah 2:26 compares the nation's resulting disgrace to a thief caught in the act.

Why it lands — The text demands an unflinching acknowledgment of inherited and personal sin before any appeal for restoration, requiring the reader to stop rationalizing disobedience and accept the full weight of their guilt.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

נִשְׁכְּבָ֣הnish.ke.Vahlet us lie down בְּבָשְׁתֵּ֗נוּbe./va.she.Te./nuin/ shame/ our וּֽתְכַסֵּנוּ֮u./te.kha.se./Nuand/ let it cover/ us כְּלִמָּתֵנוּ֒ke.li.ma.te./Nudisgrace/ our כִּי֩kifor לַיהוָ֨הla./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh אֱלֹהֵ֜ינוּ'e.lo.Hei./nuGod/ our חָטָ֗אנוּcha.Ta.nuwe have sinned אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙'a.Nach.nuwe וַאֲבוֹתֵ֔ינוּva./'a.vo.Tei./nuand/ ancestors/ our מִנְּעוּרֵ֖ינוּmi./ne.'u.Rei./nusince/ youth<s>/ our וְעַד־ve./'ad-and/ until הַיּ֣וֹםhai./Yomthe/ day הַזֶּ֑הha./Zeh<the>/ this וְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ not שָׁמַ֔עְנוּsha.Ma'.nuwe have listened בְּק֖וֹלbe./Kolto/ [the] voice of יְהֹוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ ס'e.lo.Hei./nuGod/ our

King James Version

We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 22:21 I warned you when you were secure. You said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from youth, that you have not obeyed My voice.
Proverbs 5:13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.
Jeremiah 2:26 As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets
Lamentations 5:16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
Ezekiel 7:18 They will put on sackcloth, and terror will overwhelm them. Shame will cover all their faces, and all their heads will be shaved.
Deuteronomy 31:17 On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’
Judges 2:2 and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?
Nehemiah 9:32 So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.
Psalms 106:7 Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wonders or remember Your abundant kindness; but they rebelled by the sea, there at the Red Sea.
Psalms 109:29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may they wear their shame like a robe.