Jeremiah 5:30
New International Version
“A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land:

New Living Translation
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land—

English Standard Version
An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:

Berean Standard Bible
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.

King James Bible
A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

New King James Version
“An astonishing and horrible thing Has been committed in the land:

New American Standard Bible
“An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land:

NASB 1995
“An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land:

NASB 1977
“An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land:

Legacy Standard Bible
“A horrible and appalling thing Has happened in the land:

Amplified Bible
“An appalling and horrible thing [bringing desolation and destruction] Has come to pass in the land:

Christian Standard Bible
“An appalling, horrible thing has taken place in the land.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A horrible, terrible thing has taken place in the land.

American Standard Version
A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the land:

Contemporary English Version
Look at the terrible things going on in this country. I am shocked!

English Revised Version
A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the land;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Something horrible and disgusting is happening in the land:

Good News Translation
A terrible and shocking thing has happened in the land:

International Standard Version
"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:

Majority Standard Bible
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.

NET Bible
"Something horrible and shocking is going on in the land of Judah:

New Heart English Bible
"An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.

Webster's Bible Translation
A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

World English Bible
“An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
An astonishing and horrible thing has been in the land:

Young's Literal Translation
An astonishing and horrible thing hath been in the land.

Smith's Literal Translation
Astonishment and horror was in the land.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Astonishing and wonderful things have been done in the land.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Astonishing and wondrous things have been done upon the earth.

New American Bible
Something shocking and horrible has happened in the land:

New Revised Standard Version
An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
An astonishing and horrible thing is committed in the land:

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A trance and insanity was in the land
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
An appalling and horrible thing Is come to pass in the land:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Shocking and horrible deeds have been done on the land;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Judgment Proclaimed
29Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this? 30A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land. 31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?…

Cross References
Matthew 23:27-28
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. / In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Isaiah 59:14-15
So justice is turned away, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter. / Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

Ezekiel 22:25-28
The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her. / Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. / Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain. ...

Micah 3:11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”

Matthew 15:7-9
You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: / ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. / They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Hosea 4:1-2
Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: “There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land! / Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.

Zephaniah 3:4
Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. / For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, / unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, ...

Isaiah 1:4-6
Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him. / Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep rebelling? Your head has a massive wound, and your whole heart is afflicted. / From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness—only wounds and welts and festering sores neither cleansed nor bandaged nor soothed with oil.

Amos 5:12
For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.

Romans 1:28-32
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. / They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. ...

Isaiah 5:20-23
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. / Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. / Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and champions in mixing strong drink, ...

2 Peter 2:1-3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. / Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed. / In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.

Lamentations 2:14
The visions of your prophets were empty and deceptive; they did not expose your guilt to ward off your captivity. The burdens they envisioned for you were empty and misleading.

1 Timothy 4:1-2
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, / influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.


Treasury of Scripture

A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

A wonderful and horrible thing.

Jeremiah 2:12
Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:14
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

Isaiah 1:2
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

Jump to Previous
Appalling Astonishing Committed Fear Horrible Shocking Wonder Wonderful
Jump to Next
Appalling Astonishing Committed Fear Horrible Shocking Wonder Wonderful
Jeremiah 5
1. The judgments of God upon the people, for their perverseness;
7. for their adultery;
10. for their impiety;
15. for their worship of idols;
19. for their contempt of God;
25. and for their great corruption in the civil state;
30. and ecclesiastical.














A horrible and shocking thing
This phrase indicates an event or situation that is both appalling and unexpected. In the context of Jeremiah, it refers to the spiritual and moral decay of Judah. The Hebrew words used here convey a sense of astonishment and dread, suggesting that the actions of the people are not only sinful but also deeply offensive to God. This echoes the language used in other prophetic books, such as Isaiah and Ezekiel, where similar terms describe the people's rebellion against God. The "horrible and shocking thing" can be seen as a precursor to the judgment that God will bring upon the nation, highlighting the severity of their transgressions.

has happened
The use of the past tense indicates that the event has already occurred, emphasizing the immediacy and reality of the situation. This is not a future warning but a present reality that the people of Judah must confront. The certainty of the event underscores the prophetic role of Jeremiah, who is tasked with bringing God's message to a people who have already strayed far from His commandments. This phrase also serves as a reminder of the consequences of disobedience, as seen throughout the history of Israel, where turning away from God leads to calamity.

in the land
The "land" refers specifically to the land of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel. This geographical reference is significant because the land was a central element of God's covenant with Israel. It was a gift from God, a place where His people were to live in obedience and worship. The defilement of the land through idolatry and injustice is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, and it often leads to divine judgment. The mention of the land also connects to the broader biblical narrative of the Promised Land, a type of the eternal inheritance promised to believers through Christ. The corruption of the land serves as a stark contrast to the holiness that God desires for His people.

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 sin and rebellion against God. Jeremiah's prophecies were directed primarily at this kingdom.

3. The Land
Refers to the land of Judah, which was experiencing moral and spiritual decay. The "horrible and shocking thing" indicates a significant departure from God's ways.
Teaching Points
Recognition of Sin
The "horrible and shocking thing" serves as a call to recognize and acknowledge the sin in our own lives and communities. We must be vigilant in identifying areas where we have strayed from God's commands.

Spiritual Leadership Accountability
Just as the leaders in Jeremiah's time were held accountable, today's spiritual leaders must ensure they are guiding their congregations according to biblical truth, not personal or cultural preferences.

Call to Repentance
The shocking state of the land is a reminder of the need for repentance. We are called to turn back to God with sincere hearts, seeking His forgiveness and guidance.

God's Righteous Judgment
The passage underscores the reality of God's judgment on sin. It is a sobering reminder that God is just and will not overlook persistent rebellion.

Hope in Restoration
While the verse highlights a dire situation, the broader context of Jeremiah includes promises of restoration for those who return to God. This offers hope and encouragement for believers today.(30) Wonderful.--Better, terrible.

Is committed.--Better, has come to pass.

Verses 30, 31. - The result of the prophet's examination of the moral condition of the people. Verse 30. - A wonderful and horrible thing, etc.; rather, an appalling and horrible thins hath happened in the land. The word rendered "appalling" (or stupefying) has a peculiar force, it only occurs again in Jeremiah 23:14, though a cognate adjective is found in Jeremiah 18:13 (comp. on Jeremiah 2:11).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A horrible
שַׁמָּה֙ (šam·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8047: Ruin, consternation

and shocking thing
וְשַׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה (wə·ša·‘ă·rū·rāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 8186: A horror, horrible thing

has happened
נִהְיְתָ֖ה (nih·yə·ṯāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

in the land.
בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (bā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


Links
Jeremiah 5:30 NIV
Jeremiah 5:30 NLT
Jeremiah 5:30 ESV
Jeremiah 5:30 NASB
Jeremiah 5:30 KJV

Jeremiah 5:30 BibleApps.com
Jeremiah 5:30 Biblia Paralela
Jeremiah 5:30 Chinese Bible
Jeremiah 5:30 French Bible
Jeremiah 5:30 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Jeremiah 5:30 A wonderful and horrible thing is happen (Jer.)
Jeremiah 5:29
Top of Page
Top of Page