Jeremiah 8:10 · Bible study
Jeremiah 8:10 Commentary: The Cost of Greed and Deceit
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Jeremiah 8:10 where God responds to greed and lies by giving wives and fields to others. What this judgment reveals about divine justice.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God judges universal greed and deceit by giving the people’s wives and land to conquerors, fulfilling the covenant curses.
- Key words: baṣaʿ (gain by violence), sheqer (falsehood), lākēn (therefore, legal conclusion).
- Main debate: Whether the passage is an authentic repetition by Jeremiah or a later copyist’s interpolation (LXX omits these verses).
- Theological theme: Judgment that matches the crime, covetousness leads to loss of possessions and family; false dealing brings public exposure.
- Best use: As a warning that personal and corporate sin has consequences, and that God’s patience has a limit.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to those who will possess them. For everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely.
KJV King James Version 1769
Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall possess them: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Therefore, I give their wives to others, Their fields to dispossessors, For from the least even unto the greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, From prophet even unto priest, every one is dealing falsely.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Therefore will I give their wives unto others, their fields to those that shall possess [them]; for every one, from the least even unto the greatest, is given to covetousness; from the prophet even unto the priest, every one dealeth falsely.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore will I give their women to strangers, their fields to others for an inheritance: because from the least even to the greatest all follow covetousness: from the prophet even to the priest all deal deceitfully.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por tanto daré á otros sus mujeres, y sus heredades á quien las posea: porque desde el chico hasta el grande cada uno sigue la avaricia, desde el profeta hasta el sacerdote todos hacen engaño.
Por isso darei suas mulheres a outros, e suas propriedades a quem as possuam: pois desde o menor até o maior, cada um se enche de avareza, desde o profeta até o sacerdote, todos agem com falsidade.
C’ est pourquoi je donnerai leurs femmes à d’ autres,
Darum will ich ihre Weiber den Fremden geben und ihre Äcker denen, die sie verjagen werden. Denn sie geizen allesamt, beide, klein und groß; und beide, Priester und Propheten, gehen mit Lügen um
Daarom zal Ik hun vrouwen aan anderen geven, hun akkers aan andere bezitters; want van den kleinste aan tot den grootste toe pleegt een ieder van hen gierigheid; van den profeet aan tot den priester toe bedrijft een ieder van hen valsheid.
Perciò io darò le loro mogli ad altri, e i loro campi a de’ nuovi possessori; poiché dal più piccolo al più grande, son tutti avidi di guadagno; dal profeta al sacerdote, tutti praticano la menzogna.
Dlatego dam żony ich innym, pola ich tym, którzy ich opanują; bo od najmniejszego aż do największego, wszyscy zgoła udali się za łakomstwem; od proroka aż do kapłana wszyscy przewodzą kłamstwo.
За то жен их отдам другим, поля их - иным владетелям; потому что все они, от малого до большого, предались корыстолюбию; от пророка до священника - все действуют лживо.
所以 我必將 他們的妻子 給 別人，將他們的田地 給別人為業；因為 他們從最小的 到 至大的 都 一味地 貪婪，從先知 到 祭司 都 行事 虛謊。
So I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who will take them for themselves: for everyone, from the least to the greatest, is given up to getting money; from the priest even to the prophet, everyone is false.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 8:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse pronounces a specific judgment on Judah for universal covetousness and false dealing. The threat, that wives and fields would be given to others, echoes the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28:30,32 and repeats, with slight variation, Jeremiah 6:12, 15. Calvin points out that losing one’s wife to an enemy was considered worse than death in ancient culture, making the punishment especially severe. Gill and Barnes note that the “others” are conquerors who will possess the land permanently, not temporarily. Keil and Delitzsch defend the repetition as Jeremiah’s own reuse of his earlier oracle, emphasizing that the same sins bring the same judgment. The people’s greed (Hebrew baṣaʿ, “gain by violence”) and their practice of sheqer (falsehood) had reached every level of society, from commoner to priest, and God’s response strips them of the very things they grasped for.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God announces a just punishment on a society where greed and falsehood are universal, and that punishment involves losing what they treasured most—wives and land—to their enemies.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Verbatim repetition from Jeremiah 6:12, 15 | Most commentators note that Jeremiah 8:10, 12 closely parallels Jeremiah 6:12, 15, with minor variations. | Some scholars (e.g., Hitzig) argue the passage was inserted later by a copyist because it is absent from the Septuagint. Others (Keil, Lange) maintain Jeremiah himself reused his own words for emphasis. |
| Meaning of “given to covetousness” | The Hebrew verb <em>bōṣeʿa</em> + <em>baṣaʿ</em> describes greed that cuts off or seizes unjust gain. This is clearly condemned as the root of their sin. | Some interpret this as a general love of money; others (Gill) stress the violent, extortionate nature of the gain, pointing to specific social injustices. |
| Scope of punishment | God hands over wives and fields to foreign conquerors, a physical and social disaster. | Calvin emphasizes permanent loss (the land given to “possessors” as hereditary owners), while others see it as a temporary judgment that could be reversed if the people repented. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah ministered in the final decades of the kingdom of Judah (roughly 627, 586 BC). Assyria had fallen, Babylon was rising, and Judah’s leaders vacillated between political alliances and religious idolatry. The people trusted in the temple, the law, and the prophets who spoke peace, but Jeremiah exposed the rot beneath the veneer.
The crime described here is systemic. “Everyone from the least to the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely.” The Hebrew word for covetousness, baṣaʿ, carries the sense of violent gain, cutting off a piece for oneself by force or fraud. It is the same root used for the unjust profit that corrupt judges and prophets chased (Micah 3:11). The phrase “deals falsely” (ʿōśeh šeqer) means acting with deception, breaking trust at the most basic level. When both spiritual guides and ordinary citizens operate this way, the society has no moral footing.
The punishment matches the sin. Covetous people want more land and control of others, so God gives their fields to invaders and their wives to strangers. Calvin sees this as a permanent dispossession, not a temporary raid. The land that Judah thought was theirs by divine right would pass to a pagan empire. The curse of Deuteronomy 28 activates: “You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. … Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people.” By Jeremiah’s day, this was not abstract theory. It was a coming historical reality: the Babylonian conquest in 587 BC would tear families apart and scatter the people.
Jeremiah 8:10 also functions as a legal indictment. The Hebrew particle lākēn (“therefore”) ties the sentence to the preceding charges: the people refused to repent (v.6), did not know the Lord’s law (v.7), and claimed false wisdom while their scribes twisted the truth (v.8, 9). Judgment is not arbitrary; it is the logical consequence of a broken covenant with a just God.
Textual Notes
The Masoretic Text (MT) of Jeremiah 8:10, 12 closely mirrors Jeremiah 6:12, 15. The Septuagint (LXX) omits these three verses entirely, leading some scholars (e.g., Hitzig) to argue that they are a later interpolation. Keil and Delitzsch defend the reading as an authentic, deliberate repetition by Jeremiah, noting that the minor verbal variations (e.g., “from the least to the greatest” instead of “from their smallest”) are typical of Jeremiah’s style and do not indicate secondary insertion. No significant variants exist among Hebrew manuscripts; the main textual issue is the LXX omission. The consulted sources do not mention other variants.
Reception History
Because this verse is nearly identical to Jeremiah 6:12, 13, it has often been read in that light. Early Christian interpreters saw it as a warning against the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10) and a demonstration of God’s faithfulness to his covenant curses. In the Reformation, Calvin used it to argue that God’s judgment against false prophets and corrupt priests is a pattern for the church in every age. Puritans and later evangelical preachers cited the verse to condemn hypocrisy in religious leaders and to call for personal integrity. The repetition in Jeremiah has also been used in lectionary readings to emphasize the persistence of God’s call to repentance even when judgment is near.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The sin is universal, from least to greatest, prophet to priest, everyone participates in greed and falsehood. No one is exempt, and no one is righteous.
- The punishment is personal, God gives their wives to others and their fields to new owners. The things they treasured and protected are taken, and the loss is felt in the most intimate areas of life.
- The God who judges is the God who warns, This judgment was announced repeatedly (Jer 6:12, 15) so that the people could repent. The repetition itself is a mercy, even as the sentence falls.
Five-point outline
- The charge: universal covetousness and false dealing.
- The agents: prophets and priests who should have led the people in truth.
- The sentence: loss of wives and land to conquerors.
- The context: a covenant people who broke faith.
- The purpose: to reveal God's justice and call future generations to heed his word.
Illustration hooks
- A person who cheats on their taxes and cuts corners at work, then prays for protection over their home and family. The disconnect between public dishonesty and private trust in God’s blessing.
- A company that pursues profit by exploiting workers or deceiving customers, then expects the business to remain stable. The market can turn, exposing the foundation they built on greed.
- A spiritual leader who preaches integrity on Sunday but operates in manipulation during the week. The congregation may not see it, but God does, and the leader’s influence will eventually erode.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If I quietly engage in small dishonesties, can I expect God to protect my family?”
- “Does God still punish entire communities for the sins of their leaders?”
- “How do I know if my own heart is ‘given to covetousness’ without realizing it?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts us with a God who sees the full scope of human greed and dishonesty and responds with justice. The people of Judah had lost their moral compass: their leaders lied, their hearts chased profit, and they assumed God would not act. But he did. In your group, consider how sin that seems personal or private can actually bring consequences that affect the whole community.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 8:10. What does the phrase “from the least to the greatest” tell you about the extent of the sin?
- Why do you think God specifically threatens to give their wives and fields to others? What does that reveal about his priorities?
- Compare this verse with Jeremiah 6:12, 13. What do you make of the repetition? Does it emphasize God’s persistence or the people’s stubbornness?
- The Hebrew word for “covetousness” here (baṣaʿ) means “gain by violence or fraud.” Can you think of modern examples of this kind of greed?
- How does this passage challenge the way you think about the connection between personal ethics and God’s protection?
- In verse 11, the false prophets “heal the hurt slightly.” How do we sometimes offer cheap comfort instead of confronting sin?
- What hope does this passage leave? Does God ever show mercy in judgment? (Consider Jeremiah 29:10, 14 as a cross-reference.)
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 28:30 | You will betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. You will build a house, and you won’t dwell in it. You will plant a vineyard, and not use its fruit. |
| Deuteronomy 28:32 | Your sons and your daughters will be given to another people. Your eyes will look and fail with longing for them all day long. There will be no power in your hand. |
| Isaiah 28:7 | They also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment. |
| Isaiah 56:10 | His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They can’t bark— dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber. |
| Isaiah 56:12 | “Come,” they say, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be as today, great beyond measure.” |
| Jeremiah 5:31 | The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it? |
| Jeremiah 6:12 | Their houses will be turned to others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out my hand on the inhabitants of the land, says Yahweh.” |
| Jeremiah 6:13 | “For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke observes that this section closely repeats an earlier passage in Jeremiah. He notes the same judgment and language appear again, showing that the prophet deliberately reinforces his warning by restating it in nearly identical terms.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out that the phrase often read as "to them that shall inherit them" actually means forcible takeover by conquering invaders, not peaceful inheritance. He also notes that these verses are nearly identical to Jeremiah 6:12-15.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that God resorted to severe threats only after finding the people utterly obstinate and unresponsive to gentler warnings. The punishments described—wives taken and fields given to permanent possessors—are not temporary calamities but a complete, long-term dispossession that shatters the Jews' false confidence in perpetual ownership of the land.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that these verses are missing from the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament. They are also nearly identical to a passage found earlier in Jeremiah, which suggests they may be a later repetition or interpolation. See the notes on that earlier section for the detailed explanation.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes highlight a total collapse of integrity: from the lowest person up to the prophets and priests, everyone is driven by greed and deals falsely. This universal corruption is the direct reason God gives their fields and families to others as judgment.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees God's punishment as giving Jewish wives to Gentiles and their fields to new, rightful owners, a judgment especially bitter to them. He traces the cause to universal covetousness and deceit among all classes, from prophets to priests, which he calls the root of their ruin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that these verses repeat an earlier passage from the same prophet, with a similar recurrence elsewhere. He clarifies that "inherit" means to succeed to possession, indicating that the people's property will pass to others as judgment.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch defend the repeated warning as genuinely Jeremiah's own work, not a later addition. They argue that critics who call it an interruption miss how the prophet routinely reuses strong language. For them, the point is clear: those who reject God's word have no wisdom at all.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the sheer senselessness of Judah's impenitence: even migratory birds know their appointed times, but God's own people refuse to recognize His judgment. He finds it astonishing that a people claiming wisdom and possessing God's law could be more stubborn than the stork and the crane.