Jeremiah 16:10-13 Meaning: Why Do We Deny Our Sin?
10It will happen, when you tell this people all these words, and they ask you, ‘Why has Yahweh pronounced all this great evil against us?’ or ‘What is our iniquity?’ or ‘What is our sin that we have committed against Yahweh our God?’
11then you shall tell them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me,’ says Yahweh, ‘and have walked after other gods, have served them, have worshiped them, have forsaken me, and have not kept my law.
12You have done evil more than your fathers, for behold, you each walk after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that you don’t listen to me.
13Therefore I will cast you out of this land into the land that you have not known, neither you nor your fathers. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’
10And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?
11Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;
12And 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:
13Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.
10And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt show this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath Jehovah pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against Jehovah our God?
11then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith Jehovah, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;
12and ye have done evil more than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, so that ye hearken not unto me:
13therefore will I cast you forth out of this land into the land that ye have not known, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; for I will show you no favor.
10And it hath come to pass when thou declarest to this people all these words, and they have said unto thee, `For what hath Jehovah spoken against us all this great evil? yea, what is our iniquity, and what our sin, that we have sinned against Jehovah our God?'
11Then thou hast said unto them: Because that your fathers have forsaken Me, An affirmation of Jehovah, And go after other gods, and serve them, And they bow themselves to them, And Me have forsaken, and My law not kept,
12Ye also have done evil above your fathers, And lo, ye are walking each after the stubbornness of his evil heart, So as not to hearken unto Me.
13And I have cast you from off this land, On to a land that ye have not known, Ye and your fathers, And ye have served there other gods by day and by night, Where I do not give to you grace.
10And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt declare unto this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath Jehovah pronounced all this great evil against us? and what is our iniquity? and what is our sin which we have committed against Jehovah our God?
11then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith Jehovah, and have walked after othergods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;
12and you, ye have done still worse than your fathers; and there ye are walking every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart, not to hearken unto me:
13and I will cast you forth out of this land, into a land that ye know not, ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve othergods day and night: because I will shew you no favour.
Meaning in one sentence
When the people of Judah faced judgment, they asked 'Why?' and 'What have we done wrong?' Jeremiah's answer exposes our tendency to hide from our own sin.
Context
Jeremiah had been sent to announce a coming disaster so severe that normal life would stop. No weddings, no mourning, no comfort. Then the people ask a question that sounds reasonable: Why is God doing this? What did we do? But the question is not honest. It is a refusal to see what has been plain for generations. God tells Jeremiah exactly what to say: you left me for other gods, your fathers did the same, and you have gone further. You walk in the stubbornness of your own heart and will not listen. The answer does not satisfy curiosity. It exposes the gap between what they claim to know and what they refuse to admit.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words open the door to this passage. The word for “forsake” is azav, a deliberate leaving, like walking away from a relationship. The people did not drift from God; they abandoned Him. Then there is sherirut, rendered “stubbornness” in several translations. It comes from a root meaning hardness or firmness. This is not ordinary stubbornness. It is a heart that has set itself like stone against God. And finally chaninah, the word God withholds in verse 13: “favor.” It means compassion, grace freely given. To have no favor from God is to be left with the full weight of our own choices. These words together show a pattern: first we turn away, then we harden ourselves, then we wonder why we feel abandoned.
How Christians Read This Verse
John Calvin observed that the people flattered themselves in their vices, unable to be turned to repentance by any admonition. Matthew Henry noted that they inquired, but not as humble learners who want to know their sin; rather, they questioned God’s justice as if they were innocent. In the Wesleyan tradition, Adam Clarke emphasized that the children’s sins would not have brought punishment if they had not followed and exceeded their fathers’ bad example. Across these traditions, commentators agree that the people’s question reveals the blindness of a heart that has refused God for so long that it no longer sees its own guilt. The diagnosis is the same: self-deception runs deeper than ignorance.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers see the people’s question, “What is our sin?”, and assume they are sincerely seeking God’s reasons. In fact, the question is defensive. They have heard Jeremiah’s warnings for years. They know what they have done. The question is not an honest request for insight; it is an attempt to shift blame and appear innocent. Jeremiah’s blunt answer strips away that pretense. The people are not ignorant; they are stubborn.
Living This Out
This passage asks you to sit with an uncomfortable question: when life falls apart, do you rush to defend yourself or to examine your heart? The people of Judah wanted an explanation that would let them off the hook. But God did not give them one. He gave them the truth. This week, before you ask God “Why?” about a hard situation, try asking Him “What in me needs to change?” The first question can become a wall. The second question is a door.
Main takeaway: We cannot question God’s justice while refusing to acknowledge the sin we have chosen and cherished.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes when we do something wrong and get in trouble, we say “It’s not my fault!” That is what the people did. But God wants us to say sorry and tell the truth.
For ages 9, 12
The people in this story had been warned many times that they were turning away from God. But when trouble came, they acted like they had no idea why. That is a kind of pretending we all do. God sees through it. He wants us to be honest with Him and with ourselves. When you mess up, you do not have to pretend you are perfect. You can just say, “God, I was wrong. Please help me change.” That is the prayer He always hears.
Questions People Ask
Why did the people ask 'What is our sin?' if they already knew?
The question was not a request for information. It was a way of deflecting blame. They had heard the prophets for years. Their hearts were so hardened that they could no longer see their own idolatry as sin, or they hoped that acting innocent would change God's mind.
Does this passage teach that God punishes children for the sins of their fathers?
No. Verse 12 makes clear that each generation chose its own rebellion: 'You have done evil more than your fathers.' The punishment came because both fathers and children persisted in abandoning God. The Bible holds individuals accountable for their own choices.
What does 'serve other gods day and night' mean in verse 13?
Some commentators see irony here. The people loved serving idols so much that God would give them over to a land where idolatry was everywhere. In exile, they would be forced to serve other gods without the protection of God's favor. It is the tragic fulfillment of what they chose.
What is the 'stubbornness of his evil heart'?
The Hebrew word sherirut means hardness, firmness, even obstinacy. It describes a will that has set itself against God and refuses to bend. This is not a momentary weakness but a settled posture of the heart.
How should Christians today apply this passage without falling into works-based thinking?
The passage is not about earning God's favor by being good enough. It is about the danger of persistent, unconfessed sin in the life of God's people. Grace does not remove the need for honest repentance. When God exposes sin, He invites us back, not to a list of rules, but to relationship. The hope comes in the very next verses, where God promises restoration.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study