Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
JEREMIAH 5:6KJVWhat does Jeremiah 5:6 mean?
Jeremiah 5:6 says that because the people have committed many wrongdoings and have repeatedly turned away from God, they will face danger and destruction, pictured as wild animals attacking them. The verse uses the images of a lion, a wolf, and a leopard to show how certain and severe the coming judgment will be.
In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Judah, warning them about the consequences of their ongoing unfaithfulness. The wild animals represent real threats but also symbolize invading enemies and unstoppable disasters that will come because the people have ignored repeated warnings and continued in their "transgressions" and "backslidings." The language is vivid to make clear that the danger is both unavoidable and a direct result of their choices.
The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 5:6
- "Transgressions" (פֶּשַׁע, peshaʿ, H6588) refers to deliberate acts of rebellion or breaking away from what is right. This word highlights that the people's wrongdoings are not accidental but willful.
- "Backslidings" (מְשׁוּבָה, meshubah, H4878) means repeated turning away or unfaithfulness. The verse says these have "increased" (עָצַם, atsám, H6105), stressing a pattern of ongoing disloyalty, not just a one-time failure.
- "Slay" (נָכָה, nakhah, H5221) and "spoil" (שָׁדַד, shadad, H7703) are strong words for violent attack and destruction, showing that the consequences are not mild warnings but real and harsh punishments.
- "Wolf of the evenings" (זְאֵב עֲרָבוֹת, ze'ev ʿaravot, H2061 + H6160) suggests a wolf that hunts at dusk, a time when people are more vulnerable, emphasizing the suddenness and unpredictability of the danger.
Why Jeremiah 5:6 matters
- This verse clarifies that the coming judgment is not random or unfair; it is directly tied to the people's many and repeated choices to turn away from what they knew was right.
- The use of wild animals as symbols helps the reader feel the fear and inevitability of the coming disaster, making the warning more vivid and memorable.
- Jeremiah 5:6 connects to the wider message of the chapter, which is Jeremiah’s effort to get the people to see the seriousness of their situation and the urgent need to change before it is too late.