Jeremiah 4:22

For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

Cross-reference

Jeremiah 8:7-9 expands on the people's foolishness — they claim wisdom but reject God's word, unlike even the stork.

Jeremiah 5:21 directly echoes the accusation — 'foolish and senseless' — and adds eyes/ears that do not perceive.

Jeremiah 5:4 continues the theme — the poor are foolish and do not know God's way, just as the people are called foolish here.

Jeremiah 9:3 repeats the charge that they 'know not me' and proceed from evil to evil, reinforcing the same indictment of ignorance and persistent sin.

Jeremiah 2:13 accuses the people of forsaking God for broken cisterns, directly echoing the foolishness and rejection of God in Jeremiah 4:22.

Isaiah 29:10-12 portrays a spirit of deep sleep sealing their understanding, aligning with their foolishness.

Luke 16:8 Parallel

In Luke 16:8, the 'sons of this world' are shrewd in evil — mirroring Jeremiah's people wise in evil but not good.

Hosea 5:4 Parallel

Hosea 5:4 describes a spirit of whoredom preventing return to God, echoing Jeremiah's people who don't know Him.

Hosea 4:6 Parallel

Hosea 4:6 warns that my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, the core issue here.

Hosea 4:1 Parallel

Hosea 4:1 laments no knowledge of God in the land, directly matching 'they know me not' in this verse.

John 16:3 Parallel

John 16:3 links evil deeds to not knowing the Father, paralleling Jeremiah's 'they know me not' leading to evil.

Isaiah 42:20 says they see much but do not observe, hearing but not hearing — the same senselessness.

Isaiah 42:19 asks who is blind but God's servant — Israel, who lacks spiritual sight as described here.

Romans 1:22 Parallel

Romans 1:22 echoes the same irony: those claiming wisdom become fools, matching Jeremiah's 'wise to do evil'.

Isaiah 27:11 calls Israel 'a people without discernment,' the same condition condemned here.

Isaiah 6:10 Related theme

Isaiah 6:10 reveals God's hardening that causes dull hearts and closed eyes, explaining why they lack understanding.

Isaiah 6:9 Related theme

Isaiah 6:9 describes a people who hear but do not understand, echoing the 'no understanding' of the main verse.

Isaiah 1:3 Parallel

In Isaiah 1:3, the same complaint: even animals know their masters, but Israel does not know God — directly paralleling the lack of understanding here.

Romans 1:28 Parallel

Romans 1:28 shows God giving up those who reject Him to debased minds, paralleling Jeremiah's people wise to evil.

Romans 3:11 Parallel

Romans 3:11 declares no one understands or seeks God, mirroring Jeremiah's charge that his people do not know God.

In Romans 16:19, Paul urges being wise in good and innocent in evil — the opposite of Jeremiah's people who are wise in evil.

1 Corinthians 1:21 states the world did not know God through wisdom, directly matching Jeremiah's people who lack knowledge.

In 1 Corinthians 14:20, Paul says be infants in evil but mature in thinking — contrasting Jeremiah's stupid children wise in evil.

Deuteronomy 32:28 describes Israel as 'without sense' — the same assessment of foolishness and lack of discernment found here.

Deuteronomy 32:6 similarly calls Israel 'foolish and unwise' — a foundational accusation that Jeremiah echoes here.

Romans 1:31 Parallel

Romans 1:31 lists 'without understanding' among sins of those who reject God, matching Jeremiah's description of people lacking understanding.

Psalm 14:2 Parallel

In Psalm 14:2, God looks for anyone who understands — but none do, directly paralleling Jeremiah's claim that his people lack understanding.

Amos 3:10 Parallel

Amos 3:10 states they 'know not to do right' while storing up violence—directly parallel to being wise in evil but lacking knowledge of good.

John 8:55 Allusion

John 8:55 has Jesus telling Pharisees they have not known God—directly echoing Jeremiah's accusation 'they know me not' against God's people.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 says God made man upright but they sought schemes, paralleling Jeremiah 4:22's portrait of people wise in evil.

Genesis 6:7 Parallel

In Genesis 6:7, God judges mankind for total wickedness — similar to Jeremiah's indictment of foolishness leading to judgment.

Ephesians 5:17 exhorts believers not to be unwise but to understand the Lord's will—contrasting with Jeremiah's people who are foolish and lack understanding.

Matthew 6:23 warns that darkness within makes the whole body dark, illustrating the spiritual blindness behind being wise to evil but ignorant of good.

Micah 2:1 Parallel

Micah 2:1 condemns those who devise and perform evil, matching Jeremiah's people skillful at doing evil.

Ezekiel 16:30 describes Israel's 'weak heart' and shameless harlotry, echoing the stubborn folly of a people wise in evil but blind to good.

Isaiah 40:28 declares God's understanding unsearchable, contrasting with Jeremiah 4:22 where the people have no understanding.

Proverbs 28:5 states evil men do not understand justice, echoing Jeremiah 4:22's point that the people are wise in evil but know not good.

Psalm 53:4 Parallel

Psalm 53:4 asks if evildoers have no knowledge, echoing Jeremiah 4:22's statement that they know not God and have no understanding.

Psalm 52:3 Parallel

Psalm 52:3 describes loving evil more than good, paralleling Jeremiah 4:22's claim that they are wise in evil but ignorant of good.

Psalm 32:9 Parallel

Psalm 32:9 compares those without understanding to animals needing restraint, echoing Jeremiah 4:22's charge that the people have no understanding.

In Genesis 7:21, all flesh dies in the flood — the judgment outcome for wickedness, echoing the consequence Jeremiah warns about.

Proverbs 7:7 describes a young man lacking sense, similar to Jeremiah 4:22's depiction of foolish children with no understanding.

Psalm 119:144 prays for understanding, while Jeremiah 4:22 laments the people lack it — a thematic link on understanding.