Jeremiah 4:22 Study Bible: "For my people are foolish, they do not know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."

◄ Jeremiah 4:22 ►

"For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good."

Study Bible

For My people
The phrase "For My people" indicates a personal relationship between God and the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "people" is "עַם" (am), which signifies a collective group that belongs to God. This highlights the covenant relationship established between God and Israel, emphasizing that despite their waywardness, they are still considered His people. This relationship is foundational to understanding the gravity of their rebellion and the depth of God's disappointment.

are fools
The term "fools" is translated from the Hebrew word "אֱוִילִים" (ewilim), which implies not just a lack of intelligence but a moral deficiency. In the biblical context, foolishness is often associated with a rejection of God's wisdom and a preference for one's own understanding. This is a severe indictment, as it suggests that the people have willfully turned away from the wisdom and guidance that God offers.

they have not known Me
The phrase "they have not known Me" underscores a failure in relational knowledge. The Hebrew word "יָדַע" (yada) means to know intimately or experientially. This is not merely an intellectual acknowledgment but a deep, personal relationship. The Israelites' failure to know God in this way is a central theme in the prophetic literature, highlighting their spiritual adultery and the resulting consequences.

They are foolish children
"Foolish children" combines the idea of immaturity with moral folly. The Hebrew word for "children" is "בָּנִים" (banim), which can denote dependency and a need for guidance. This phrase suggests that the Israelites, despite being God's chosen people, have not matured in their faith and understanding. They are like children who have not learned from their Father, which is a poignant image of their spiritual state.

without understanding
The phrase "without understanding" is translated from the Hebrew "אֵין בִּינָה" (ein binah), indicating a lack of discernment or insight. In the biblical context, understanding is often linked with wisdom and the fear of the Lord. This lack of understanding is not due to an absence of information but a refusal to apply God's truth to their lives, leading to poor moral and spiritual decisions.

They are skilled in doing evil
"Skilled in doing evil" is a tragic irony. The Hebrew word "חֲכָמִים" (chachamim) typically means wise or skillful, but here it is used to describe proficiency in wrongdoing. This suggests that the people have invested time and effort into perfecting their sinful behaviors, which is a stark contrast to their lack of understanding in doing good. It highlights the perversion of their talents and abilities.

but they do not know how to do good
The phrase "they do not know how to do good" reflects a complete moral and spiritual inversion. The Hebrew word for "good" is "טוֹב" (tov), which encompasses what is beneficial, righteous, and in alignment with God's will. The inability to do good is not due to ignorance but a deliberate choice to reject God's ways. This is a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from divine instruction and the natural inclination towards sin when separated from God.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. His ministry spanned the reigns of several kings and was marked by his deep emotional connection to his people and his unwavering commitment to God's truth.

2. Judah
The southern kingdom of Israel, which was facing imminent judgment due to its persistent idolatry and rebellion against God. Jeremiah's prophecies were directed primarily at this kingdom.

3. God
The sovereign Lord who speaks through Jeremiah, expressing His disappointment and anger at the spiritual state of His people. He desires repentance and a return to righteousness.

4. Foolish Children
A metaphor for the people of Judah, highlighting their lack of spiritual discernment and wisdom. Despite being God's chosen people, they have turned away from His teachings.

5. Evil and Good
The contrasting behaviors that God highlights through Jeremiah. The people are adept at committing evil acts but lack the knowledge and will to do good.

Teaching Points

The Danger of Spiritual Ignorance
Spiritual ignorance leads to moral decay and separation from God. We must seek to know God deeply through His Word and prayer.

The Consequences of Foolishness
Foolishness, as described in the Bible, is not merely a lack of intelligence but a willful rejection of God's wisdom. We must strive to be wise in God's eyes, not just in worldly matters.

The Skill of Doing Good
Just as the people of Judah were skilled in doing evil, we are called to cultivate the skill of doing good. This requires intentional practice and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

Repentance and Return to God
God desires His people to turn from their foolish ways and return to Him. Repentance is a daily practice that keeps our hearts aligned with God's will.

Bible Study Questions

1. What are some modern examples of spiritual ignorance, and how can we guard against them in our own lives?

2. How does the description of "foolish children" in Jeremiah 4:22 challenge our understanding of spiritual maturity?

3. In what ways can we become more "skilled in doing good" in our daily lives, and what practical steps can we take to achieve this?

4. How do the themes of Jeremiah 4:22 relate to the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament about knowing God and doing His will?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced the consequences of foolishness. How did that experience shape your understanding of God's wisdom and guidance?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Proverbs 1:7
This verse emphasizes the importance of the fear of the Lord as the beginning of knowledge, contrasting with the foolishness of those who reject wisdom and instruction, similar to the people of Judah in Jeremiah 4:22.

Hosea 4:6
This passage speaks of God's people being destroyed for lack of knowledge, paralleling the ignorance and foolishness described in Jeremiah 4:22.

Romans 1:21-22
Paul describes how people, although knowing God, did not honor Him and became futile in their thinking, echoing the foolishness and lack of understanding in Jeremiah 4:22.

Sermons

The Wisdom of This World	A.F. Muir	Jeremiah 4:22
Those Who are Wise to Do Evil	D. Young	Jeremiah 4:22
The Proclamation of Woe	S. Conway	Jeremiah 4:5-31
The Alarm of War	G. Lawson.	Jeremiah 4:19-26
The Prophet's Lamentations Over His People's Doom	T. Herren, D. D.	Jeremiah 4:19-26
War	J. M. Lang, D. D.	Jeremiah 4:19-26
The Fellowship of Christ's Sufferings	S. Conway	Jeremiah 4:19-30
A Surely Coming Confession Compelling a Present Serious Question	S. Conway	Jeremiah 4:20, 30

People

Dan, Jeremiah

Places

Dan, Jerusalem, Mount Ephraim, Zion

Topics

Evil, Evil-doing, Evil-minded, Foolish, Intelligence, Intelligent, None, Sense, Senseless, Shrewd, Skilled, Sons, Sottish, Stupid, Understanding, Wise, Yea

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Jeremiah 4:22

     1403   God, revelation
     5135   blindness, spiritual
     5531   skill
     6183   ignorance, of God
     7115   children of God
     8136   knowing God, effects
     8355   understanding
     8367   wisdom, importance of
     8442   good works
     8702   agnosticism
     8756   folly, examples
     8760   fools, characteristics

Library

The Wailing of Risca
You all know the story; it scarce needs that I should tell it to you. Last Saturday week some two hundred or more miners descended in health and strength to their usual work in the bowels of the earth. They had not been working long, their wives and their children had risen, and their little ones had gone to their schools, when suddenly there was heard a noise at the mouth of the pit;--it was an explosion,--all knew what it meant. Men's hearts failed them, for well they prophesied the horror which …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 7: 1861

How those are to be Admonished who Sin from Sudden Impulse and those who Sin Deliberately.
(Admonition 33.). Differently to be admonished are those who are overcome by sudden passion and those who are bound in guilt of set purpose. For those whom sudden passion overcomes are to be admonished to regard themselves as daily set in the warfare of the present life, and to protect the heart, which cannot foresee wounds, with the shield of anxious fear; to dread the hidden darts of the ambushed foe, and, in so dark a contest, to guard with continual attention the inward camp of the soul. For, …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Prevailing Prayer.
Text.--The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.--James v. 16. THE last lecture referred principally to the confession of sin. To-night my remarks will be chiefly confined to the subject of intercession, or prayer. There are two kinds of means requisite to promote a revival; one to influence men, the other to influence God. The truth is employed to influence men, and prayer to move God. When I speak of moving God, I do not mean that God's mind is changed by prayer, or that his …
Charles Grandison Finney—Lectures on Revivals of Religion

How to Make Use of Christ for Cleansing of us from Our Daily Spots.
Having spoken of the way of making use of Christ for removing the guilt of our daily transgressions, we come to speak of the way of making use of Christ, for taking away the guilt that cleaveth to the soul, through daily transgressions; "for every sin defileth the man," Matt. xv. 20; and the best are said to have their spots, and to need washing, which presupposeth filthiness and defilement, Eph. v. 27. John xiii. 8-10. Hence we are so oft called to this duty of washing and making us clean. Isa. …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

"For they that are after the Flesh do Mind the Things of the Flesh,",
Rom. viii. 5.--"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh,", &c. Though sin hath taken up the principal and inmost cabinet of the heart of man--though it hath fixed its imperial throne in the spirit of man, and makes use of all the powers and faculties in the soul to accomplish its accursed desires and fulfil its boundless lusts, yet it is not without good reason expressed in scripture, ordinarily under the name of "flesh," and a "body of death," and men dead in sins, are …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"Who Walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the Flesh,"
Rom. viii. 4, 5.--"Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh," &c. If there were nothing else to engage our hearts to religion, I think this might do it, that there is so much reason in it. Truly it is the most rational thing in the world, except some revealed mysteries of faith, which are far above reason, but not contrary to it. There is nothing besides in it, but that which is the purest reason. Even that part of it which is most difficult to man, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Acceptable Sacrifice;
OR, THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART: SHOWING THE NATURE, SIGNS, AND PROPER EFFECTS OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT. BEING THE LAST WORKS OF THAT EMINENT PREACHER AND FAITHFUL MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST, MR. JOHN BUNYAN, OF BEDFORD. WITH A PREFACE PREFIXED THEREUNTO BY AN EMINENT MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN LONDON. London: Sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgates, 1692. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. The very excellent preface to this treatise, written by George Cokayn, will inform the reader of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Original Sin
Q-16: DID ALL MANKIND FALL IN ADAM'S FIRST TRANSGRESSION? A: The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him, by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. 'By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' &c. Rom 5:12. Adam being a representative person, while he stood, we stood; when he fell, we fell, We sinned in Adam; so it is in the text, In whom all have sinned.' Adam was the head …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Repentance
Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Acts 11: 18. Repentance seems to be a bitter pill to take, but it is to purge out the bad humour of sin. By some Antinomian spirits it is cried down as a legal doctrine; but Christ himself preached it. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent,' &c. Matt 4: 17. In his last farewell, when he was ascending to heaven, he commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name.' Luke 24: 47. Repentance is a pure gospel grace. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Directions to Awakened Sinners.
Acts ix. 6. Acts ix. 6. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do. THESE are the words of Saul, who also is called Paul, (Acts xiii. 9,) when he was stricken to the ground as he was going to Damascus; and any one who had looked upon him in his present circumstances and knew nothing more of him than that view, in comparison with his past life, could have given, would have imagined him one of the most miserable creatures that ever lived upon earth, and would have expected …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

The Quotation in Matt. Ii. 6.
Several interpreters, Paulus especially, have asserted that the interpretation of Micah which is here given, was that of the Sanhedrim only, and not of the Evangelist, who merely recorded what happened and was said. But this assertion is at once refuted when we consider the object which Matthew has in view in his entire representation of the early life of Jesus. His object in recording the early life of Jesus is not like that of Luke, viz., to communicate historical information to his readers. …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision B. Jesus Talks with Nicodemus. ^D John III. 1-21. ^d 1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. [Nicodemus is mentioned only by John. His character is marked by a prudence amounting almost to timidity. At John vii. 50-52 he defends Jesus, but without committing himself as in any way interested in him: at John xix. 38, 39 he brought spices for the body of Jesus, but only after Joseph of Arimathæa had secured the body. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links

Jeremiah 4:22 NIV
Jeremiah 4:22 NLT
Jeremiah 4:22 ESV
Jeremiah 4:22 NASB
Jeremiah 4:22 KJV

Jeremiah 4:22 Commentaries

Bible Hub