Jeremiah 5:23 | |
23. But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. | 23. Atqui populo huic fuit cor perversum et rebelle; deflexerunt et abierunt |
Here the previous verse is completed; for what is said here is connected with the question which we have noticed. But God now proves more clearly why he adduced what he said of the sea. The copulative
And he proves that the people had a perverse heart by the effect; for they had
1 It is true that the idea of perverseness is conveyed by this word; but it means one bent on turning away from God. To turn away, or to apostatize, is its primary meaning, as in the latter clause of this verse; but here it is a participle in a reduplicate form, which has ever an expansive meaning. It means here either a heart continually turning away from God, or a heart resolutely determined to turn away from him. The last seems to be the meaning, as it appears to correspond with the next line,-
But in this people has been a heart, Thoroughly revolting and disobedient; They have revolted and gone away.
When they turned away from God or revolted, they were remonstrated with and exhorted to return; but they disobeyed; hence their thorough revolt and their going away.-Ed.