Jeremiah 5:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Listen, O people. Why does the Lord speak words of admonition? Through these statements of rebuke, He seeks to elevate those who have stumbled. There is no greater affliction than the absence of knowledge of God. For those who possess sight cannot perceive, and those who have ears do not comprehend. He refers specifically to these senses, as they are the primary means by which we attain a deeper understanding of God, and they are essential for our encounter with Him.

Proclaim this to the descendants of Jacob and spread it throughout Judah, saying, Listen to this, you people without wisdom, you who possess sight but cannot see, and hearing yet do not understand. He seeks to bring to salvation those who sin in various ways, and He refers to those who abandon the Source of knowledge as foolish, likening them to idols, of which it is stated, ‘They have eyes but do not see; they have ears but do not hear. Like them, let be those who form me and all who place their hope in me’ (Psalm 113:15-16). This message is directed to the inhabitants of Judah and the house of Jacob, for Israel had previously fallen into Assyria. Together, it demonstrates that even without formal teaching, we should inherently recognize what is right.

They possess eyes yet fail to perceive, and they have ears but cannot listen. This illustrates their irrational and lifeless state. Even the sea, as God declares, observes its limits: I have established these boundaries, not as an unyielding barrier, but as a mere line of sand. Still, when it is disturbed, it does not overstep these limits; as it approaches, it retreats. In contrast, the Jewish people are marked by reason but have chosen to embrace folly. For God states: