Jeremiah 9:5 Meaning: The Exhaustion of Deceit
Friends deceive each other, and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies. They weary themselves committing iniquity.
And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
And they will deceive every one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they weary themselves to commit iniquity.
And each at his friend they mock, And truth they do not speak, They taught their tongue to speak falsehood, To commit iniquity they have laboured.
And they act deceitfully every one with his neighbour, and speak not the truth: they teach their tongue to speak falsehood, they weary themselves with perverse dealing.
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah 9:5 shows how lying becomes a habit and sin turns into hard labor, replacing truth with a wearying life of deceit.
Context
Jeremiah lived through the final years of Judah. He watched a people who had known God turn away, and the lies that started in the heart spread into every relationship. In this chapter, his grief spills out; he wishes he could escape to the wilderness just to weep without restraint. The verses around our passage describe a society where trust has collapsed. Brothers undercut one another. Neighbors slander. No one speaks honestly, even to a friend. This is not an occasional slip, but a whole culture that has learned to lie. Jeremiah is showing us what happens when a people stop knowing God and start knowing only deceit.
Key Words
The phrase “taught their tongue to speak lies” carries the sense of training, almost like teaching an animal a skill. The prophet uses a word that elsewhere describes a wild donkey learning the wilderness. These people have practiced falsehood so long that lying feels natural, like a second language. The other striking phrase is “weary themselves committing iniquity.” They work hard at sinning. They pour their energy into deception the way a farmer pours energy into his fields. Several commentators notice the irony: sinners labor with more effort than the righteous sometimes spend doing good. Sin becomes a drudgery, a treadmill of exhaustion. Yet they keep running. The verse invites us to ask: what am I training my tongue to do, and where am I spending my strength?
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen in this verse a picture of sin’s self-destructive power. Wesleyan commentators like Adam Clarke highlight the sheer drudgery: sin is hard work that leads nowhere but to hell, while a fraction of that effort spent with God would lead to glory. Reformed writers such as Calvin focus on the loss of shame when friends are treated like strangers; even pagans show some restraint with those close to them, yet here all bonds of trust are broken. Baptist expositor John Gill notes that the people became so accustomed to lying they could not do otherwise, as if it were natural. Anglican sources like the Cambridge Bible point to textual difficulties but agree on the underlying reality: a society that has rejected truth will exhaust itself in lies. All share the conviction that deceit is not freedom, but bondage.
A common misunderstanding
It is easy to read this verse and think of liars out there, the politicians or con artists who live by deception. The prophet, however, is talking about ordinary people, friends and neighbors, even family members. The real mistake is to miss the personal question: have I too taught my tongue a pattern of falsehood, maybe in small ways, exaggerating, flattering, hiding the truth to keep the peace? The verse is a mirror, not just a charge against the world. The correction comes in the next verses: God will melt and test his own people, because this kind of deceit is not merely social, it is a rejection of knowing him.
Living This Out
This week, pay attention to where you spend your energy. Do you find yourself working hard to keep a false story straight, to manage impressions, to twist the truth just enough to get by? That is the weariness the verse describes. The alternative is simpler but not easier: speak truth when it costs you. Start with one conversation today where you refuse to lie, even in the small ways. You may find that truth, unlike deceit, leads to rest rather than exhaustion. And as you unlearn the old habit, ask God to retrain your tongue for honesty.
Main takeaway: Sin trains us to lie and then exhausts us with the effort; truth sets us free to live with less weight.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Have you ever tried to hide something you did wrong? It takes a lot of work to keep a secret. That is what this verse talks about, people who work hard at lying. God wants us to tell the truth and rest.
For ages 9, 12
Jeremiah noticed that people around him had gotten so used to lying that they could not stop. They put more energy into lying than into doing good. Think about your friendships: do you ever work hard to keep a lie going? That is exhausting. God calls us to be honest even when it is hard, because truth leads to freedom.
Questions People Ask
What does 'they weary themselves committing iniquity' mean?
It means that sinners work hard at sinning. They put real effort and energy into deception, like someone laboring at a job. This shows that sin is not just a mistake but a habit that takes work, and it leads to exhaustion rather than fulfillment.
Why does Jeremiah focus on friends and neighbors deceiving each other?
Jeremiah is showing that deceit had broken down the most basic trust in society. When you cannot even trust your friend or your brother, the whole community is sick. This is a sign that the people have turned away from God, because their relationships no longer reflect his truth.
How is this verse relevant today?
Deception is still common, even among people of faith. We are tempted to lie to keep peace, to make ourselves look good, or to avoid consequences. This verse challenges us to examine our own habits and to put effort into truth instead of falsehood.
What does it mean to 'teach your tongue to speak lies'?
It means that lying can become a learned skill, practiced so often that it feels automatic. Like learning a new language, the tongue gets trained over time. This warns us that small, repeated deceptions can become a permanent habit.
Does God punish this kind of deceit?
Yes, the following verses show that God will discipline his people. But the punishment is not just revenge; it is a refining process, like melting metal to test it. God wants to remove the deceit so that truth can remain.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study