Jeremiah 5:12 Meaning: What Did They Deny About God?
They have denied Yahweh, and said, “It is not he. Evil won’t come on us. We won’t see sword or famine.
They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
They have denied Jehovah, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
They have lied against Jehovah, And they say, ` It is not He, Nor come in against us doth evil, Yea, sword and famine we do not see.
They have denied Jehovah, and say, He is not; and evil shall not come upon us, nor shall we see sword nor famine;
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah 5:12 shows Israel denying God, either His existence or His coming judgment. A verse about false security and rejecting prophetic warning.
Context
Jeremiah lived through Judah's final years before the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. He had been warning the people for decades that their idolatry and injustice would bring consequences. By chapter 5, God announces that both Israel and Judah have been unfaithful. Then verse 12 records the people's blunt response to the prophets' message: they denied Yahweh outright. Two things are clear: they refused to believe that judgment was coming, and they rejected the One who sent the warning. The surrounding verses show God answering their defiance with a promise to bring a distant nation against them, exactly what they said would never happen.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb for "denied" is kachash, which carries the force of deceiving, lying about, or acting falsely toward someone. It is not a mild doubt; it is an active rejection. The people did not just question God's timing, they lied about Him to His face. Then comes the phrase "It is not he" (lo hu). Commentators disagree on the exact meaning, but the phrase dismisses God's involvement: He is not the one speaking through the prophets, or He is not the God who punishes, or He is not even there at all. Finally, the word for "see" (ra'ah) is used for physical sight, but also for experiencing something. They said they would not even see sword or famine, meaning they were certain these things would never touch them.
How Christians Read This Verse
How far did their denial go? Some Christian teachers see outright atheism here. Adam Clarke wrote that they said "there is no such being; therefore this evil shall not come upon us." Others, like the translators of the Cambridge Bible and Matthew Henry, think the people meant God was not speaking through the prophets at all. Calvin originally leaned toward denial of existence, then softened to say they denied that God was in the prophets. Both readings find support in the verse. The people either denied God's existence or denied that He acts in judgment, either way, they dismissed the warning as empty talk. Historic Christian teaching agrees that the heart of sin is refusing to let God be God.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the people were simply expressing doubt or uncertainty about the future. In fact, the Hebrew verb kachash means actively lying about or denying God, not just wondering. They were not unsure; they were defiant. The phrase "It is not he" was a flat rejection of God's word and authority.
Living This Out
This verse asks a hard question about your own heart this week. When you read a passage that warns about sin, or when a friend gently confronts you, what is your first reaction? The people in Jeremiah heard an unwelcome message and simply said, "No, that won't happen." Watch for that reflex in yourself. Not every warning comes from a false prophet, sometimes the truth is hard because it is true. Before you dismiss a convicting word, ask whether you are treating God as someone who means what He says. You do not have to agree with every preacher, but you can stay humble enough to listen.
Main takeaway: Denying that God will hold us accountable is the same as denying who He is.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some people said, "Bad things won't happen to us." They did not believe what God said. But God always keeps His word.
For ages 9, 12
God sent Jeremiah to warn the people, but they decided Jeremiah was lying. They thought they were safe. It is easy to ignore a warning we do not like. But when God speaks, we should listen. He loves us enough to tell us the truth, even when it is hard to hear.
Questions People Ask
What does 'They have denied Yahweh' mean in Jeremiah 5:12?
The Hebrew word kachash means to deceive, lie about, or act falsely toward someone. The people were not simply ignoring God; they actively rejected His word and authority. Some commentators see this as outright denial that He exists, while others think they denied that He speaks through the prophets.
What does 'It is not he' refer to?
The phrase is a flat dismissal. Some think the people meant 'He is not [the true God]' or 'He is not [going to punish us].' Others, like the Cambridge Bible, see it as a colloquial expression meaning 'This isn't from God', a rejection of Jeremiah's prophecies. Either way, the people refused to let God be the one who speaks truth.
Is Jeremiah 5:12 about atheism?
Some commentators, like Adam Clarke, believe the people became practical atheists, denying God's existence by their actions. Others argue they only denied that God would judge them. Both interpretations fit the text, and both stem from a heart that does not want to answer to God.
Who is speaking in Jeremiah 5:12?
God is the speaker through Jeremiah. He tells the prophet what the people are saying behind his back. The verse gives the content of their denial: they said 'It is not he' and 'Evil won't come on us.' It is God's indictment of their stubborn unbelief.
What is the context of Jeremiah 5:12?
Jeremiah warns Judah that God will bring a foreign nation to punish them for their unfaithfulness. The people had been listening to false prophets who promised peace instead of judgment. Verse 12 captures their refusal to believe Jeremiah's warning. In the next verses, God answers their denial by promising to make Jeremiah's words like fire that will consume them.
For pastors & researchers
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