Jeremiah 5:3

O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Jeremiah addresses Yahweh, describing the nation’s hardened rebellion during a period of widespread false swearing and moral decay. The prophet speaks this lament as divine judgment actively unfolds against a people who refuse to acknowledge their guilt.

The words — The Hebrew phrase עֵינֶיךָ לֶאֱמוּנָה ('ei.nei.ka le.'emunah) literally renders “eyes to faithfulness,” while הִכִּיתָה חָלוּ (hi.ki.tah cha.lu) translates to “you struck [and] they did not writh[e].” These terms anchor the verse’s contrast between divine scrutiny and human insensitivity.

The thread — This pattern of unresponsive discipline recurs in Jeremiah 2:30 and 7:28, where struck sons and rejected correction mirror the same stubbornness. The motif of divine eyes seeking faithful hearts also echoes 2 Chronicles 16:9.

Why it lands — The text demands a reader confront their own capacity to numb divine correction and harden against repentance. It requires immediate acknowledgment of guilt rather than continued resistance to God’s discipline.

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

יְהֹוָ֗הYah.wehO Yahweh עֵינֶיךָ֮'ei.nei./Kha[are] eyes/ your הֲל֣וֹאha./Lo'¿/ not לֶאֱמוּנָה֒le./'e.mu.Nahto/ faithfulness הִכִּ֤יתָהhi.Ki.tahyou struck אֹתָם֙'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them וְֽלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ not חָ֔לוּCha.luthey writhed כִּלִּיתָ֕םki.li.Ta/myou brought to an end/ them מֵאֲנ֖וּme.'a.Nuthey refused קַ֣חַתKa.chatto accept מוּסָ֑רmu.Sarcorrection חִזְּק֤וּchi.ze.Kuthey made strong פְנֵיהֶם֙fe.nei./Hemfaces/ their מִסֶּ֔לַעmi./Se.la'more than/ rock מֵאֲנ֖וּme.'a.Nuthey refused לָשֽׁוּב׃la./Shuvto/ return

King James Version

O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 2:30 “I have struck your sons in vain; they accepted no discipline. Your own sword has devoured your prophets like a voracious lion.”
Jeremiah 7:28 Therefore you must say to them, ‘This is the nation that would not listen to the voice of the LORD their God and would not receive correction. Truth has perished; it has disappeared from their lips.
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.”
Isaiah 9:13 But the people did not return to Him who struck them; they did not seek the LORD of Hosts.
Zephaniah 3:7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me and accept correction.’ Then her dwelling place would not be cut off despite all for which I punished her. But they rose early to corrupt all their deeds.
Psalms 11:4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.
Isaiah 42:25 So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.
Ezekiel 3:7 But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.
Zephaniah 3:1 Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled!
2 Chronicles 28:22 In the time of his distress, King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.