And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:

JEREMIAH 16:12KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 16:12 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 16:12 mean?

Jeremiah 16:12 says that the people of Judah have acted even more wickedly than their ancestors, because each person follows the stubborn desires of his own evil heart and refuses to listen to God. The verse highlights a worsening pattern of disobedience, with every individual choosing his own way instead of heeding God's voice.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God's message to the people of Judah during a time of national crisis. God is pointing out that not only have the people repeated the sins of earlier generations, but they have gone even further, each person acting according to his own selfish thoughts and ignoring God's instructions. This sets the stage for the warnings and consequences that follow in the chapter.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 16:12

  • "Imagination" (שְׁרִרוּת, sherirut) is often understood as "stubbornness" or "hardness," not just creative thought. Here, it means a determined, self-willed attitude that resists correction, showing that the people are not just dreaming up ideas but are stubbornly set in their ways.
  • "Evil heart" (לֵב רָע, lev ra‘) refers to the inner self or will that is bent toward wrongdoing. The phrase emphasizes that the problem is deep within each person, not just outward actions.
  • "Hearken" (שָׁמַע, shama‘) means more than just hearing; it carries the sense of listening with the intent to obey. The verse stresses that the people are not just ignoring God's words, but are refusing to respond or change.

Why Jeremiah 16:12 matters

  • Jeremiah 16:12 clarifies that the problem is not just with past generations but is getting worse, highlighting personal responsibility for each person's choices.
  • The verse emphasizes that disobedience is rooted in a stubborn heart, not just in outward actions, which helps explain why warnings and punishments follow.
  • By connecting the people's behavior to their refusal to "hearken," the verse links the coming judgment to a long-standing pattern of ignoring God's guidance, making the consequences seem both just and inevitable.

Where else these words appear

“imagination” Hebrew H8307 · used in 10 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
  • Jeremiah 7:24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
  • Jeremiah 13:10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.

“behold” Hebrew H2009 · used in 16 verses

  • Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
  • Genesis 42:28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?
  • 1 Samuel 14:43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.

“worse” Hebrew H7489 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 19:7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
  • 2 Kings 21:11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:
  • Isaiah 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.