Jeremiah 5:30 — Word Study
WLCשַׁמָּה֙ וְשַׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה נִהְיְתָ֖ה בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
BSAA horribleshammâh [shocking, astonishing] and shocking thingshaʻărûwrâh [inspiring horror, fearful, event, situation] has happenedhâyâh■ [come to pass, occurred] in the landʼerets [country, territory, region]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שַׁמָּה֙ | an atrocious event | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| וְשַׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה | and a horrible [thing] | Conjunction |
| נִהְיְתָ֖ה | it has occurred | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person feminine singular |
| בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ | in the land | Preposition, noun common feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land. |
| KJV | ¶ A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; |
| ASV | A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the land: |
| YLT | An astonishing and horrible thing hath been in the land. |
| WEB | “An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land. |
| BBE | A thing of wonder and fear has come about in the land; |
The translations agree on the core meaning of horror and shock in this verse.
The structure is straightforward, with a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase that specifies the location of the event.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbהָיָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Jeremiah 5:30
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Moral Decay of Israelgenerated
Jeremiah 5:30 reflects a deep concern for the state of the land and its people. The preceding verses describe the wickedness of the people, who have become complacent and corrupt, failing to care for the vulnerable. This verse serves as a stark declaration of the consequences of such moral failure, emphasizing the gravity of the situation in Israel.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah 2:12 | Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,” declares the LORD. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 23:14 | And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns his back on wickedness. They are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.” |
| 3 | Isaiah 1:2 | Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me. |
| 4 | Hosea 6:10 | In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing: Ephraim practices prostitution there, and Israel is defiled. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שַׁמָּה, sha.Mahgenerated
The word שַׁמָּה (sha.Mah) is a feminine noun meaning 'horror' or 'desolation'. It conveys a sense of devastation and is often associated with the aftermath of conflict or disaster. The parsing as a common noun in the singular indicates a specific event or situation that evokes fear and shock.
This term is derived from the root שָׁמַם (shamam), which also relates to destruction. In this context, it underscores the severity of the moral decline in the land, marking a significant event that has caused great distress.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In the Berean Standard Bible, the verse reads 'A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.' The KJV and ASV use similar wording, maintaining the sense of horror conveyed by שַׁמָּה.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb נִהְיְתָ֖ה, it has occurred, governs the entire clause, indicating what has happened. The structure emphasizes the noun phrases that describe the shocking event, highlighting the severity of the situation in the land.
The sentence follows a straightforward order: the subject is the noun phrase describing the event, followed by the prepositional phrase indicating the location. This structure draws attention to the horror that has befallen the land.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew שַׁמָּה is rendered as ἔκστασις (ekstasis), which means 'a state of shock or astonishment'. This choice reflects a narrowing of the focus on the emotional response to the event, emphasizing the shock experienced by the people.
The use of φρικτὰ for וְשַׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה further highlights the horror associated with the situation, aligning closely with the original Hebrew meaning.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Jeremiah 5:30 states that a horrible and shocking event has occurred in the land. This reflects the moral corruption and negligence of the people, as described in the surrounding verses. The verse serves as a warning about the consequences of such behavior.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It refers to the moral decay and the consequences of the people's actions, highlighting a significant event that has caused distress in the land.
The term indicates the level of devastation and fear resulting from the people's wickedness and neglect of justice.
It serves as a culmination of the preceding descriptions of corruption, emphasizing the dire consequences of the people's failure to uphold righteousness.
It warns of the repercussions of moral decline and the importance of justice and care for the vulnerable in society.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see moral decline in my own community?
- How can I contribute to a more just and caring society?
- What actions can I take to stand up for those who are vulnerable?
- How does this verse challenge me to reflect on my own values and behaviors?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Jerome comments on this verse, noting the astonishment and wonders done on the earth, linking it to the false prophecies and moral failures of the people.
Astonishment and wonders were done on the earth. The prophets were prophesying falsehood (or wickedness) and the priests were applauding with their hands. And my people loved such things.Early Church Fathers on Jeremiah 5 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Jeremiah 5:30 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleA wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land. What may justly raise admiration in some, and horror in others, or both in all: it is so amazing that it can hardly be conceived of, and so
Read John Gill on Jeremiah 5 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryA wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; A ... horrible thing - (Jeremiah 23:14; Hosea 6:10).
Read Robert Jamieson on Jeremiah 5 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleSo prodigious or stupendous a crime, that it is beyond the thought or apprehension of man to conceive, much more to express; and so abominable, that a man would even loathe the thoughts of. What this is we have in the next verse. The land, Heb. this land, aggravating the greatness of the wonder, that such a thing should be in such a land: see .
Read Matthew Poole on Jeremiah 5 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsJeremiah 5:30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;Ver. 30. A wonderful and horrible thing.] Res stupenda et horrenda; an abhorred filth, such as may well draw from us a Heu, heu, Domine Deus Is committed in the land.] Heb., In this land, where men are therefore the worse, because they should be better.
Read John Trapp on Jeremiah 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(30) Wonderful.—Better, terrible.Is committed.—Better, has come to pass.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Jeremiah 5 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 30. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed on the land] Dahler translates: "Strange crimes and horrible trespasses have been committed in the land." These have been already detailed; but this may refer to what follows.
Read AdamClarke on Jeremiah 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges30, 31. See introd. summary to section. Leaders and people unite in disaffection.
Read Cambridge on Jeremiah 5 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.
“An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.
“Something horrible and shocking is going on in the land of Judah:
Tyndale line
¶ A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the land:
A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the land;
A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
An horrible and filthie thing is committed in the land.
Strictly literal
An appalling and horrible thing is committed in the land:
An astonishing and horrible thing hath been in the land.
An astonishing and horrible thing has been in the land:
An astonishing and horrible thing is committed in the land;
Atrocities and horrors have occurred in the land.
From the Latin
Astonishing and wonderful things have been done in the land.
Simplified
Something horrible, something terrible has happened here in this country.
A thing of wonder and fear has come about in the land;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text reads שַׁמָּה֙ וְשַׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה נִהְיְתָ֖ה בָּאָֽרֶץ׃, and the Septuagint matches all four words, confirming the core message of horror and shock in the land.
שַׁמָּה֙ וְשַׁ֣עֲרוּרָ֔ה נִהְיְתָ֖ה בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
4 of the 4 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Jeremiah 5:30
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
שַׁמָּה (shammah) refers to concepts of waste and horror, indicating destruction or desolation. It encompasses meanings such as appalment and ruin, often related to land or cities. The word is derived from another Hebrew root, שָׁמַם (shamam), which also conveys similar themes of devastation.
שַׁמָּה n.f. waste, appalment
base
H8047 שַׁמָּה waste, appalment
8047 shammah sham-maw'
from 8074; ruin; by implication,
consternation:--astonishment, desolate(-ion), waste,
wonderful thing.
see HEBREW for 08074
שַׁמָּה (sham.mah) — horror: destroyed.
: destroyed/waste
1) waste, horror, appalment
1a) a waste (of land, city, etc)
1b) appalment, horror
Also means: sham.mah (שַׁמָּה ": appalled" H8047H)
שַׁמָּה (sham.mah) — horror: appalled.
: appalled
1) waste, horror, appalment
1a) a waste (of land, city, etc)
1b) appalment, horror
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
e-vent':
In Ec 2:14; 9:2,3, the translation of miqreh, "what happens," "lot," "fate." The English word bore this sense at the time of the King James Version. The meaning of "result," "outcome" ekbaseis, attaches to it in The Wisdom of Solomon 8:8, "events of seasons," the Revised Version (British and American) "issues."
שַׁעֲרוּרָה (sha`aruwrah) refers to a 'horror' or 'horrible thing.' It is a feminine noun derived from the root meaning something fearful. There are alternative forms, such as שַׁעֲרִירִיָּה (sha`ariryiyah), which carry the same meaning. The entries consistently emphasize the sense of fear associated with this word.
שַׁעֲרוּרָה n.f. horror = horrible thing
base
שַׁעֲרִירִיָּה, שַׁעֲרֻרִית n.f. id. [v.fc.ac]
base
H8186a שַׁעֲרוּרָה horror = horrible thing H8186b שַׁעֲרִירִיָּה, שַׁעֲרֻרִית id. [8186a]
8186 sha`aruwrah shah-ar-oo-raw'
or shanariyriyah {shah-ar-ee-ree-yaw'}; or shaparurith
{shah-ar-oo-reeth'}; feminine from 8176 in the sense of 8175;
something fearful:--horrible thing.
see HEBREW for 08176
see HEBREW for 08175
שַׁעֲרוּרָה (sha.a.ru.rah) — horror.
horrible thing
Also means: sha.a.ri.riy.yah (שַׁעֲרִירִיָּה "horror" H8186B)
שַׁעֲרִירִיָּה (sha.a.ri.riy.yah) — horror.
horrible thing
Another spelling of sha.a.ru.rah (שַׁעֲרוּרָה "horror" H8186A)
Conj | N-fs — ConjunctionHC/Aafsa
The Hebrew word הָיָה (hayah) is a primitive root meaning to exist or become, and it encompasses a range of meanings including to happen, occur, and come to pass. It is often used in narrative contexts, particularly in phrases like "and it came to pass." The word can also denote a state of being or existence, and it appears frequently in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be
Qal
Fall out, happen
occur, take place, come about, come to pass
esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass
וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
Come into being, become
abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
sq. prep.
become
sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
sq. pred. adj.
become like
sq. pred. לְ pers.
sq. לְ pred.
oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.
with עַל and לְ
sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)
exist, be in existence
abide, remain, continue
with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie
as copula, joining subj. & pred.
H1961 הָיָה fall out, come to pass, become, be .. . . Fall out, happen
. occur, take place, come about, come to pass
. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass . . וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)
. rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה
. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)
. Come into being, become . . abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come
. sq. prep.
. become . sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)
. sq. pred. adj.
. become like
. sq. pred. + לְ pers.
. sq. לְ pred.
. oft. c. לְ pred. + לְ pers.
. with עַל and לְ
. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of
. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming) . exist, be in existence
. abide, remain, continue
1961 hayah haw-yaw
a primitive root (compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become,
come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or
auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished,
committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint,
fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit
(one-)self, require, X use.
see HEBREW for 01933
הָיָה (ha.yah) — to be.
1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out
1a) (Qal)
1a1) ---
1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass
1a1b) to come about, come to pass
1a2) to come into being, become
1a2a) to arise, appear, come
1a2b) to become
1a2b1) to become
1a2b2) to become like
1a2b3) to be instituted, be established
1a3) to be
1a3a) to exist, be in existence
1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time)
1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality)
1a3d) to accompany, be with
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about
1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
V-Niphal-Perf-3fs — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person feminine singularHVNp3fs
אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
earth, opp. to heaven, sky
earth = inhabitants of earth
land =
country, territory
district, region
trial territory
piece of ground
specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
= inhabitants of land
used even of Shᵉʼôl
ground, surface of ground
soil, as productive
אֶרֶץ in phrases
people of the land
in measurements of distance
the country of the plain, level or plain country
land of the living
end(s) of the earth
pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
base
H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
. earth = inhabitants of earth
. land = . country, territory
. district, region
. trial territory
. piece of ground
. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
. = inhabitants of land
. used even of Shᵉʼôl
. . ground, surface of ground
. soil, as productive
. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land
. in measurements of distance
. the country of the plain, level or plain country
. land of the living
. end(s) of the earth
. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
776 'erets eh'-rets
from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth
(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,
field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.
: country/field
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
1b2) district, region
1b3) tribal territory
1b4) piece of ground
1b5) land of Canaan, Israel
1b6) inhabitants of land
1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
1b8) city (-state)
1c) ground, surface of the earth
1c1) ground
1c2) soil
1d) (in phrases)
1d1) people of the land
1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
1d3) level or plain country
1d4) land of the living
1d5) end(s) of the earth
1e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1e1) lands, countries
1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.
: soil
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
Prep | N-cs — Preposition · noun common feminine singular absoluteHRd/Ncfsa
((1) 'erets;
(2) 'adhamah;
(3) sadheh,
"a piece of land";
(4) ge, "earth";
(5) agros, "field";
(6) chora, "region";
(7) chorion, diminutive of chora;
(8) xeros, "dry land";
(9) 'ezrach, "native" the King James Version "born in the land," "born among you," the Revised Version (British and American) "home-born" (Le 19:34; 14:16; Nu 15:30); "like a green tree in its native soil" (Ps 37:35)):
→ Appeared on the third creative day Ge 1:9
→ Original title to, from God Ge 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex 23:31; Le 25:23
→ Bought and sold Ge 23:3-18; 33:19; Ac 4:34; 5:1-8
→ Sale and redemption of, laws concerning Le 25:15,16,23-33; 27:17-24; Nu 36:4; Jer 32:7-16,25,44; Eze 46:18