The Meaning of Jeremiah 5:28 Explained

Jeremiah 5:28

KJV: They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

YLT: They have been fat, they have shone, Yea, they have overpassed the acts of the evil, Judgment they have not judged, The judgment of the fatherless -- and they prosper, And the judgment of the needy they have not judged.

Darby: They are become fat, they shine, yea, they surpass in deeds of wickedness; they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, and they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not adjudge.

ASV: They are waxed fat, they shine: yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They are waxen fat,  they shine:  yea, they overpass  the deeds  of the wicked:  they judge  not the cause,  the cause of the fatherless,  yet they prosper;  and the right  of the needy  do they not judge. 

What does Jeremiah 5:28 Mean?

Verse Meaning

These social bullies had grown fat (wealthy, cf. Deuteronomy 32:15; Psalm 92:14; Proverbs 28:2; Proverbs 28:24) at the expense of their neighbors, so expert had they become in wickedness. Instead of giving special help to the needy among them, they had withheld assistance so they could keep their money for themselves.

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 5:28 mean?

They have grown fat they are sleek Yes they surpass the deeds of the wicked the cause not they do plead the cause of the fatherless and yet they prosper and the right of the needy not they do defend
שָׁמְנ֣וּ עָשְׁת֗וּ גַּ֚ם עָֽבְר֣וּ דִבְרֵי־ רָ֔ע דִּ֣ין לֹא־ דָ֔נוּ דִּ֥ין יָת֖וֹם וְיַצְלִ֑יחוּ וּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט אֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים לֹ֥א שָׁפָֽטוּ

שָׁמְנ֣וּ  They  have  grown  fat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁמֵן  
Sense: to be or become fat, grow fat.
עָשְׁת֗וּ  they  are  sleek 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשַׁת 
Sense: (Qal) to be smooth, be shiny, gleam.
גַּ֚ם  Yes 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
עָֽבְר֣וּ  they  surpass 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
דִבְרֵי־  the  deeds 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
רָ֔ע  of  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
דִּ֣ין  the  cause 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דִּין 
Sense: judgment.
דָ֔נוּ  they  do  plead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: דֹּון 
Sense: to judge, contend, plead.
דִּ֥ין  the  cause 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דִּין 
Sense: judgment.
יָת֖וֹם  of  the  fatherless 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָתֹום  
Sense: an orphan, fatherless.
וְיַצְלִ֑יחוּ  and  yet  they  prosper 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: צָלַח 
Sense: (Qal) to rush.
וּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט  and  the  right 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
אֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים  of  the  needy 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֶבְיׄון  
Sense: in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person.
שָׁפָֽטוּ  they  do  defend 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.