Jeremiah 5:2

And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely. THOUGH THEY SAY, THE LORD LIVETH - (, "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him"). SWEAR FALSELY - not a judicial oath; but their profession of the worship of Yahweh is insincere (; ). The reformation under Josiah was merely superficial in the case of the majority....

This is added by way of anticipation; for the Jews, as it is well known, thought that they had a cover for all their vices, inasmuch as they had God’s name continually in their mouths. Since then they professed to worship the God of Abraham, they thought that this pretext was sufficient to cover all their wickedness. The Prophet obviates this objection, and shews that this disguise was of no avail, because in thus using God’s name, they profaned it: and he goes still further; for he shews that the Jews, not only in common practice, were wholly destitute of the fear of God, but that when anything of a religious kind appeared among them, it was sacrilegious; and this is far worse than when God’s name is forgotten, and wretched men allow themselves a full license in sinning, as though they could not conceal their wickedness: for when they openly provoke God, and as it were dishonor him to h...

1-9 None could be found who behaved as upright and godly men. But the Lord saw the true character of the people through all their disguises. The poor were ignorant, and therefore they were wicked. What can be expected but works of darkness, from people that know nothing of God and religion? There are God's poor, who, notwithstanding poverty, know the way of the Lord, walk in it, and do their duty; but these were willingly ignorant, and their ignorance would not be their excuse. The rich were insolent and haughty, and the abuse of God's favours made their sin worse....

Verse Jeremiah 5:2. _THE LORD LIVETH_] Though they profess to _bind themselves_ by Jehovah, as if they acknowledged him their God and only Lord, yet they _swore falsely_; for not believing in him, they took _a_ _false oath_; one by which they did not believe themselves bound, not acknowledging him as their Lord. See on Jeremiah 4:2....

Though they take the most binding form of oath, they do so only as a means of deceiving others....

EXPOSITION Is the punishment thought too severe? Then let the moral condition of Jerusalem be inquired into. Must not such transgressions precipitate its people into ruin? There are four well-marked sections or strophes. JEREMIAH 5:1 Gladly would Jehovah pardon, if his people showed but a gleam of sound morality. But they are all deaf to the warning voice—the Law of God is flagrantly violated. In particular the marriage tie, as well the typical one between man and woman as the anti-typical between the people and its God, is openly disregarded (comp. Hosea 4:1; Micah 7:2; Isaiah 64:6,...

AND THOUGH THEY SAY, THE LORD LIVETH,.... It might be said, that there were multitudes that made mention of the name of the Lord, that professed it, and swore by it; which sometimes is put for the worship and service of God, Deuteronomy 10:20 and therefore it could not be so difficult a matter to find a man of integrity and uprightness among them; this is answered by allowing there were persons that did do so: but then it must be observed, THAT SURELY THEY SWEAR FALSELY; they abused the name of God, and were guilty of perjury: or the sense is, they were only nominal professors, hypocritical worshippers; in words professed to know God, but in works denied him; had a form of religion and godliness, but without the power of it....

Jeremiah 5:1. _Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it._ It was a very wonderful offer, on the part of God, to forgive the inhabitants of the whole city of Jerusalem for the sake of one man; and it was all the more remarkable because he gave them time to make a thorough search to see whether such a person could be found: «if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth.» Into what a horrible state of guilt must the Jewish capital have fallen when there was not one man, even among the magistrates or the priests, who cared for that which was just and true. May God prevent London and England from becoming like Jerusalem and Judah! May truth and righteousness flourish in our land!...

CHAPTER 5 _ 1. The apostate conditions of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 5:1) _ 2. The impending judgment (Jeremiah 5:10) 3. Sowing and reaping (Jeremiah 5:19) 4. The horrible thing (Jeremiah 5:30) Jeremiah 5:1. So degenerate had the inhabitants of Jerusalem become that the Lord promised if but one man could be found in the city who executed judgment and sought the truth, He would pardon Jerusalem. It was a general apostasy. A similar apostasy is predicted for the end of our age. “Nevertheless when the Son of Man

THE SINS OF JERUSALEM. Jeremiah is bidden to seek even one man in Jerusalem, for whose sake Yahweh may spare the city (_cf._ Genesis 18:16), one man of justice and faithfulness (_mg.) ;_ even the oaths they swear by Yahweh mean nothing. The prophet confesses that it is this lack of faithfulness that has brought a hard discipline on the city, though in vain; yet he turns from the man in the street to those of high degree, for _they_ (emph.) know the ordinances of Yahweh only to find them united in disobedience (Jeremiah 5:5; for the figure of the rebellious oxen, _cf._ Jeremiah 2:20). So comes the foe, like forest lion, or desert wolf (_mg.),_ or lurking leopard; since Yahweh's provision of a fer