The Meaning of Jeremiah 9:26 Explained

Jeremiah 9:26

KJV: Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.

YLT: On Egypt, and on Judah, and on Edom, And on the sons of Ammon, and on Moab, And on all cutting the corner of the beard, Who are dwelling in the wilderness, For all the nations are uncircumcised, And all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart!

Darby: Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners of their beard cut off, that dwell in the wilderness: for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.

ASV: Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that have the corners of their hair cut off, that dwell in the wilderness; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Egypt,  and Judah,  and Edom,  and the children  of Ammon,  and Moab,  and all [that are] in the utmost  corners,  that dwell  in the wilderness:  for all [these] nations  [are] uncircumcised,  and all the house  of Israel  [are] uncircumcised  in the heart. 

What does Jeremiah 9:26 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This would include the Gentile nations that practiced circumcision as well as Israel. There was no essential difference between these nations and Israel, since they all practiced the superficial requirement of the Mosaic Law, but had not really devoted themselves to the Lord wholeheartedly (cf. Genesis 17:9-14). They were the circumcised of body but not of heart (cf. Jeremiah 4:4; Jeremiah 6:10; Leviticus 26:41; Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; Romans 2:25-29). It was only what circumcision symbolized that Yahweh accepted, not just the practice of the rite by itself. Certain Arab tribes trimmed their hair away from their temples (cf. Jeremiah 25:23; Jeremiah 49:32), which the Law prohibited the Israelites from doing ( Leviticus 19:27), but they did practice circumcision. Thus, Judah was no better than her neighbors, and could expect punishment, just as the pagan nations could.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 9

1  Jeremiah laments the people for their manifold sins;
9  and for their judgment
12  Disobedience is the cause of their bitter calamity
17  He exhorts to mourn for their destruction;
23  and to trust not in themselves, but in God
25  He threatens both Jews and Gentiles

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 9:26 mean?

upon Egypt and Judah Edom the sons of Ammon Moab and all [who are] in farthest the corners who dwell in the wilderness for all [these] nations [are] uncircumcised and all the house of Israel [are] uncircumcised in the heart -
עַל־ מִצְרַ֣יִם וְעַל־ יְהוּדָ֗ה אֱד֞וֹם בְּנֵ֤י עַמּוֹן֙ מוֹאָ֔ב וְעַל֙ כָּל־ קְצוּצֵ֣י פֵאָ֔ה הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּ֤י כָל־ הַגּוֹיִם֙ עֲרֵלִ֔ים וְכָל־ בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַרְלֵי־ לֵֽב ס

עַל־  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מִצְרַ֣יִם  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
יְהוּדָ֗ה  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
אֱד֞וֹם  Edom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱדֹום 
Sense: Edom.
בְּנֵ֤י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
עַמּוֹן֙  of  Ammon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמֹּון  
Sense: a people dwelling in Transjordan descended from Lot through Ben-ammi.
מוֹאָ֔ב  Moab 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מֹואָב 
Sense: a son of Lot by his eldest daughter.
כָּל־  all  [who  are]  in 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
קְצוּצֵ֣י  farthest 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural construct
Root: קָצוּץ 
Sense: to cut off.
פֵאָ֔ה  the  corners 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פֵּאָה 
Sense: corner, edge, side, quarter, extremity.
הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים  who  dwell 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
הַגּוֹיִם֙  [these]  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
עֲרֵלִ֔ים  [are]  uncircumcised 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: עָרֵל  
Sense: uncircumcised, having foreskin.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בֵּ֥ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
עַרְלֵי־  [are]  uncircumcised 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: עָרֵל  
Sense: uncircumcised, having foreskin.
לֵֽב  in  the  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation