What is the meaning of Jeremiah 9:13?

And the LORD answered

The passage opens with God Himself responding, underscoring that the diagnosis of Judah’s condition comes straight from the divine source.

• God’s readiness to speak shows His relational nature (Jeremiah 1:4–5; Isaiah 1:18).

• When the Lord answers, His word is final and authoritative (Psalm 33:8–9).

• This divine response also sets the stage for judgment that will be just and unquestionable (Jeremiah 4:12).

---

It is because they have forsaken My law

The core issue is abandonment of God’s revealed standard.

• “Forsaken” implies deliberate, continual rejection rather than momentary lapse (2 Kings 22:13).

• God links calamity directly to covenant violation, echoing Deuteronomy 28:15.

• Hosea 4:6 reminds us that destruction follows when people discard God’s knowledge.

---

which I set before them

Israel did not lack light or instruction; God graciously placed His law plainly in their midst.

• Deuteronomy 30:14–15 speaks of the word being “very near you.”

• Psalm 147:19–20 notes the privilege of receiving statutes other nations never had.

• Responsibility increases with revelation; Judah’s guilt is therefore heightened (Luke 12:48).

---

they have not walked in it

The law was meant for daily living, yet Judah chose a different path.

• To “walk” pictures steady, habitual conduct (Psalm 1:1–2).

• Amos 3:3 asks, “Can two walk together unless they are agreed?”—Judah’s lifestyle showed disagreement with God.

• Micah 6:8 summarizes God’s expectation: act justly, love mercy, walk humbly. Judah did the opposite.

---

or obeyed My voice

Beyond the written law, God spoke through prophets, but they refused to listen.

• Exodus 19:5 links covenant blessing to “carefully listening to My voice.”

• 1 Samuel 15:22 teaches that obedience is better than sacrifice.

• Jeremiah 7:23–24 describes how they “did not listen or incline their ear, but walked in the stubbornness of their evil hearts.”

---

summary

Jeremiah 9:13 lays bare the root of Judah’s coming judgment: willful abandonment of God’s clearly revealed law and a persistent refusal to live by it or heed His prophetic voice. The verse calls every generation to cherish Scripture, walk in its light, and listen actively to God—because blessing or discipline hinges on our response to His authoritative word.