Jeremiah 8:7

Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons. The turtledove, the swift, and the thrush keep their time of migration, but My people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks through Jeremiah to Judah during a period of widespread rebellion, directly addressing a community that has abandoned repentance and pursues its own desires. The prophet contrasts their spiritual blindness with the observable order of the natural world.

The words — The Hebrew חֲסִידָ֣ה (cha.si.Dah) denotes a stork, while מֽוֹעֲדֶ֔י/הָ (mo.'a.Dei./ha) literally means "its appointed times." These terms establish the baseline of instinctual obedience that human disobedience actively violates.

The thread — This contrast between animal instinct and human spiritual failure appears in Isaiah 1:3, where livestock recognize their owners while Israel does not know God. The theme of human ignorance regarding divine requirements also surfaces in Jeremiah 5:4 and the instruction to learn wisdom from the ant in Proverbs 6:6.

Why it lands — The text states that ignoring God's requirements is a conscious failure, not a lack of capacity or information. It demands that readers examine whether they are observing divine commands with the same reliable consistency as created things observe their natural patterns.

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

גַּם־gam-also חֲסִידָ֣הcha.si.Daha stork בַשָּׁמַ֗יִםva./sha.Ma.yimin the/ heavens יָֽדְעָה֙ya.de.'Ahit knows מֽוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָmo.'a.Dei./haappointed times/ its וְתֹ֤רve./Torand/ a turtle-dove וְסִיס֙ve./susand/ a swift וְעָג֔וּרve./'a.Gurand/ a crane שָׁמְר֖וּsha.me.Ruthey keep אֶת־'et-<obj.>עֵ֣ת'et[the] time of בֹּאָ֑נָהbo.'A./nahcoming/ they וְעַמִּ֕יve./'a.M/iand/ people/ my לֹ֣אlo'not יָֽדְע֔וּya.de.'Uthey know אֵ֖ת'et<obj.>מִשְׁפַּ֥טmish.Pat[the] ordinance of יְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehYahweh

King James Version

Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.

Cross-references

Isaiah 1:3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”
Jeremiah 5:4 Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.
Proverbs 6:6 Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
Isaiah 5:12 At their feasts are the lyre and harp, tambourines and flutes and wine. They disregard the actions of the LORD and fail to see the work of His hands.
Song of Solomon 2:12 The flowers have appeared in the countryside; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.