Jeremiah 5:22
הַאֹותִ֨י לֹא־תִירָ֜אוּ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֗ה אִ֤ם מִפָּנַי֙ לֹ֣א תָחִ֔ילוּ אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי חֹול֙ גְּב֣וּל לַיָּ֔ם חָק־עֹולָ֖ם וְלֹ֣א יַעַבְרֶ֑נְהוּ וַיִּֽתְגָּעֲשׁוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יוּכָ֔לוּ וְהָמ֥וּ גַלָּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א יַעַבְרֻֽנְהוּ׃
Rhetorical Rebuke: הַאֹותִי לֹא־תִירָאוּ
הַאֹותִי — “Me” — formed with the interrogative prefix ה־ + אֹותִי (“me” as direct object).
This sets up a rhetorical question: “Will you not fear Me?”
לֹא־תִירָאוּ — Qal imperfect 2mp of י־ר־א, “to fear.”
Future/expected action, negated: “Will you not fear?”
נְאֻם־יְהוָה — “Says YHWH.” A divine oracle formula affirming the authority behind the rebuke.
Divine Authority Rejected: אִם מִפָּנַי לֹא תָחִילוּ
אִם — “If,” but here best read as rhetorical parallel to the previous question — not conditional but interrogative.
מִפָּנַי — “From before Me,” indicating God’s overwhelming presence.
לֹא תָחִילוּ — Qal imperfect 2mp of ח־י־ל, “to tremble, shudder.”
Used in poetic/legal contexts for awe or fear before divine power.
The Eternal Boundary: אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי חֹול גְּבוּל לַיָּם
אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי — “Who set…”
- שַׂמְתִּי — Qal perfect 1cs of ש־ו־ם, “to place, appoint”
חֹול גְּבוּל לַיָּם — “sand [as] a boundary for the sea”
- חֹול — “sand,” functioning here as a poetic image of frailty
- גְּבוּל — “boundary, limit”
- לַיָּם — “for the sea”
The image is paradoxical: soft sand restrains the mighty sea, emphasizing God’s power through a natural law.
The Eternal Decree: חָק־עוֹלָם וְלֹא יַעַבְרֶנְהוּ
חָק־עוֹלָם — “an eternal statute.”
- חָק — “decree, ordinance,” often of fixed legal or natural boundaries
- עוֹלָם — “forever, perpetual”
וְלֹא יַעַבְרֶנְהוּ — “and it shall not pass over it”
- יַעַבְרֶנְהוּ — Qal imperfect 3ms + 3ms suffix of ע־ב־ר, “to cross, transgress.”
The sea cannot cross the appointed boundary.
Raging, Yet Bound: וַיִּתְגָּעֲשׁוּ וְלֹא יוּכָלוּ
וַיִּתְגָּעֲשׁוּ — Hitpael wayyiqtol 3mp of ג־ע־שׁ, “to rage, storm.”
Refers to the sea’s violent action — **“they surged”**
וְלֹא יוּכָלוּ — Qal imperfect 3mp of י־כ־ל, “to be able.”
“They were not able” — despite the storming, they could not break the limit.
Restless But Contained: וְהָמוּ גַלָּיו וְלֹא יַעַבְרֻנְהוּ
וְהָמוּ — Qal perfect 3mp of ה־מ־ה, “to roar, murmur.”
Describes the motion or sound of the waves.
גַלָּיו — “its waves,” from גַּל + third ms suffix
וְלֹא יַעַבְרֻנְהוּ — Qal imperfect 3mp + 3ms suffix
“They shall not pass over it” — repetition reinforces the invincibility of the divine limit.
Parsing Table: Key Forms in Jeremiah 5:22
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| תִירָאוּ | י־ר־א | Qal imperfect 2mp | “You will fear” — rhetorical rebuke |
| שַׂמְתִּי | ש־ו־ם | Qal perfect 1cs | “I set” — divine action of boundary-setting |
| יַעַבְרֶנְהוּ | ע־ב־ר | Qal imperfect 3ms + 3ms suffix | “He will pass over it” — denied by decree |
| וַיִּתְגָּעֲשׁוּ | ג־ע־שׁ | Hitpael wayyiqtol 3mp | “They stormed” — violent sea imagery |
| וְהָמוּ | ה־מ־ה | Qal perfect 3mp | “They roared” — continued unrest |
The Fear We Refuse, The Boundaries God Keeps
Jeremiah 5:22 is a study in divine contrast. God’s creation obeys Him — the sea respects its sandy limit. But people do not. The grammar highlights this paradox: rhetorical questions, repeated imperfect verbs, and poetic sea metaphors all shout that divine laws are ignored by the very beings meant to fear Him. The natural world trembles before YHWH. Shouldn’t we?
