Jeremiah 5:5I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they know the way of Yahweh, and the law of their God." But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
The setting
Jerusalem's palace district, ~627-586 BC. Jeremiah approaches the educated elite - priests, nobles, advisors. These men knew Torah, attended temple, yet lived in corruption. Modern Government Quarter, Jerusalem.
The emotion here: devastated that those who should know better chose worse
The original word
nāthaq (נָתַק) — to tear away violently, like an ox breaking free from a yoke by force
Why it matters
The 'great men' included King Jehoiakim who burned Jeremiah's scroll and lived in luxury while people suffered
Read with care
What most readers miss in Jeremiah 5:5
The phrase 'with one accord' shows this wasn't individual failure but collective, organized rebellion against God
Common misconceptionPeople think this verse teaches that educated people are automatically more accountable, but Jeremiah shows that knowledge without heart transformation leads to greater rebellion.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Jeremiah 5:5
Bible Genome reading
Jeremiah 5:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Jeremiah 5:5 comes from the book of Jeremiah, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Jeremiah. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include leadership failure, broken covenant, false hope. Notable phrases: I will go to the great men; broken the yoke.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Jeremiah 5:5 mean to you, today?
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