The Meaning of Jeremiah 8:7 Explained

Jeremiah 8:7

KJV: 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.

YLT: Even a stork in the heavens hath known her seasons, And turtle, and swallow, and crane, Have watched the time of their coming, And -- My people have not known the judgment of Jehovah.

Darby: Even a stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of Jehovah.

ASV: Yea, the stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle-dove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the law of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 8:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The migratory birds that visited Palestine yearly knew instinctively when it was time for them to change direction and fly either north or south, depending on the season. But the Judeans had more specific direction from the Lord in His Word and the promptings of His love. Yet they did not see that it was time for them to change the direction of their lives (cf. Jeremiah 5:22-23). The Judahites were not even as smart as birds.
"In matters spiritual and moral we act with a perversity which is quite unlike our common sense at other levels, let alone the impressive wisdom of our fellow creatures (even the bird-brained, 7a!)." [1]

Context Summary

Jeremiah 8:4-22 - False Promises Of Peace
This chapter is filled with denunciation of the unreasonable and infatuated obstinacy of Israel. As the horse rushes madly to the fight, so were the people set on evil. The very birds that were sensitive to the laws of migration, and obeyed the call of the sunnier clime, were more impressible than the Chosen People. God often calls us out of the stormy winter blasts to lands of sunny fellowship, but we will not heed. From Jeremiah 5:10 onward we have a description of the desolation about to visit the land. Notwithstanding the promises of false prophets, the invader overran the country and the exiled people might readily begin to question why such a fate had befallen them. To this there was but one answer. Their sin had cut them off from God's protecting care. Is not this the reason why harvests pass and summers end, and the years roll on, and still you are not saved? There is balm for your wounds, and a physician for your healing, but you do not avail yourselves of them; and God's love is powerless, however greatly He desires to help you, until you return. The father would do anything for the prodigal, but He has no chance so long as the prodigal remains in the far-land. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 8

1  The calamity of the Jews, both dead and alive
4  He upbraids their foolish and shameless impenitency
13  He shows their grievous judgment;
18  and bewails their desperate estate

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 8:7 mean?

Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times and the turtledove - the swift and the swallow Observe - the time of their coming but My people not do know - the judgment of Yahweh
גַּם־ חֲסִידָ֣ה בַשָּׁמַ֗יִם יָֽדְעָה֙ מֽוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָ וְתֹ֤ר [וסוס] (וְסִיס֙) וְעָג֔וּר שָׁמְר֖וּ אֶת־ עֵ֣ת בֹּאָ֑נָה וְעַמִּ֕י לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ אֵ֖ת מִשְׁפַּ֥ט יְהוָֽה

גַּם־  Even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
חֲסִידָ֣ה  the  stork 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲסִידָה  
Sense: stork.
בַשָּׁמַ֗יִם  in  the  heavens 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
יָֽדְעָה֙  Knows 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
מֽוֹעֲדֶ֔יהָ  her  appointed  times 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: מֹועֵד  
Sense: appointed place, appointed time, meeting.
וְתֹ֤ר  and  the  turtledove 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּור  
Sense: dove, turtledove.
[וסוס]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
(וְסִיס֙)  the  swift 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
וְעָג֔וּר  and  the  swallow 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָגוּר  
Sense: name of a bird.
שָׁמְר֖וּ  Observe 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֵ֣ת  the  time 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
בֹּאָ֑נָה  of  their  coming 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְעַמִּ֕י  but  My  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
יָֽדְע֔וּ  do  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
אֵ֖ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִשְׁפַּ֥ט  the  judgment 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.

What are the major concepts related to Jeremiah 8:7?

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