a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖םye.ru.sha.Lim
H3389
Jerushalaim or Jerushalem · proper noun, a place name
back
שׁוֹבְבָ֜הsho.Vah
H7725
to turn back (hence · verb, qal active participle, feminine singular absolute
perpetual
נִצַּ֑חַתni.Tza.chat
H5329
properly · verb, niphal active participle, feminine singular absolute
backsliding
מְשֻׁבָ֣הme.shu.Vah
H4878
apostasy · noun, common feminine singular absolute
hold
הֶחֱזִ֙יקוּ֙he.che.Zi.ku
H2388
to fasten upon · verb, hiphil perfect, 3rd person common plural
deceit
בַּתַּרְמִ֔יתba.tar.Mit
H8649
fraud · preposition with the article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
refuse
מֵאֲנ֖וּme.'a.Nu
H3985
to refuse · verb, piel perfect, 3rd person common plural
return
לָשֽׁוּבla.Shuv
H7725
to turn back (hence · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Jeremiah 9:6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 5:3 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 refuse…
Zechariah 7:11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
Hosea 11:7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
John 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Hebrews 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we…
Isaiah 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Isaiah 44:20 He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 8:4-12
The prophet here is instructed to set before this people the folly of their impenitence, which was it that brought this ruin upon them. They are here represented as the most stupid senseless people in the world, that would not be made wise by all the methods that Infinite Wisdom took to bring them to themselves and their right mind, and so to prevent the ruin that was coming upon them.
I. They would not attend to the dictates of reason. They would not act in the affairs of their souls with the same common prudence with which they acted in other things. Sinners would become saints if they would but show themselves men, and religion would soon rule them if right reason might. Observe it here.…
slidden . . . backsliding--rather, as the Hebrew is the same as in Jer 8:4, to which this verse refers, "turned away with a perpetual turning away."
perpetual--in contrast to the "arise" ("rise again," Jer 8:4).
refuse to return--in contrast to, "shall he . . . not return" (Jer 8:4; Jer 5:3).
John Gill on Jeremiah 8:5
Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding?.... These people fill into sin, and rise not again by repentance; they turn out of the good ways of God and religion, and return not again; they backslide and revolt from the Lord, and they continue in their revolt and rebellion; their backsliding is an everlasting one; there is no hope of their repentance and recovery: it is a vehement and passionate expostulation about the people of the Jews, founded upon the former general observation, showing them to be the worst of all people: it is a common saying, "it is a long lane that has no turning"; but these people, having departed from the Lord, return no more. A very…
Jeremiah 8:4-5
4. Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?
4. Et dices ad eos, Sic dicit Jehova, An qui ceciderunt non resurgent? si quis aversus fuerit non revertetur?
5. Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
5. Quare rebellis est populus hic Jerosolymae rebellione perpetua? (forti, ad verbum;) adhaeserunt fraudi (vel, apprehenderunt fraudem,) noluerunt reverti.
Though God had reminded his Prophet of the event, yet he still invites the Jews to repentance; not that there was any hope of restoring them to a right mind, (…
The Church Fathers
They have all abandoned him. There is no one who speaks well and does penance for his sins. They follow their own wills like a horse ready for battle. They bend their tongue as a bow. They invent everything, and there is no truth in them.
(Verse 5) Therefore, why is this people in Jerusalem turned away with contentious turning away? They have grasped falsehood and did not want to return. As much as I have provoked them to repentance, they have turned away from me, not so much out of a desire to sin, but to overcome me. For they have strongly grasped falsehood, whether idols or every corrupt thing that is contrary to truth and justice, and they did not want to return. It is not said: they were not able; but they have eagerly followed unjust things.
Those then who perish, perish against his will. This he testifies against each one of them day by day: "Turn from your evil ways. Why will you die, O house of Israel?" And again: "How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not." And: "Why has this people in Jerusalem turned away with a stubborn revolting? They have hardened their faces and refused to return." The grace of the Christ then is at hand every day. For it "wills all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." It calls all without any exception, saying, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you."
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Backsliding · Guilt and consequences of — Guilt and consequences of
Deceit · Evil of: Keeps from turning to God — Evil of: Keeps from turning to God
Idolatry · They who practise: Hold fast their deceit — They who practise: Hold fast their deceit
Impenitence · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Jews, The · National character of: Prone to backsliding — National character of: Prone to backsliding
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
The People's Obstinacy in Wickedness, and the Dreadfulness of the Judgment. - Since the people cleaves stedfastly to its sin (Jer 8:4-13), the Lord must punish sorely (Jer 8:14 -23). - Jer 8:4-13. "And say to them, Thus hath the Lord said: Doth one fall, and not rise again? or doth one turn away, and not turn back again? Jer 8:5. Why doth this people of Jerusalem turn itself away with a perpetual turning? They hold fast by deceit, they refuse to return. Jer 8:6. I listened and heard: they speak not aright; no one repenteth him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? They all turn to their course again, like a horse rushing into the battle. Jer 8:7. Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth h…
These three short poems were probably delivered during Jehoiakim’s reign.
8:4-7 These verses itemize the evidence of Judah’s sins. The people had fallen into idolatrous ritual sex and followed the ways of idol worship. They remained in their delusions because their minds and hearts were trapped by lies, a term that is often applied to idols (5:3, 6; 7:24; 9:6; Prov 24:16; Isa 44:20; Amos 5:2; Mic 7:8).
Rashi on Jeremiah 8:5
a perpetual backsliding Heb. משבה נצחת, a perpetual backsliding, like נצח, perpetual.
They have held Heb. החזיקו.
to deceit Heb. בתרמית.
