Explore the Bible Online

Jeremiah 8:17

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which [will] not [be] charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 8:17 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Jeremiah 8:17

Theological / Devotional

Cockatrices. Heb. ṣiph‘onim. The species of snake referred to is uncertain, but it was doubtless a poisonous variety. The LXX has “deadly serpents” rather than “serpents, cockatrices.”

Charmed. Snake charming goes back to very ancient times (see on Ex. 7:11), and is still practiced, notably in India and Egypt. Some serpents presumably do not respond to charming (see Ps. 58:4, 5; see on Eccl. 10:11). The prophet used the figure of such a serpent to represent the implacable nature of the invader. The fury of the enemy could not be appeased or allayed by any art or method.

By SdaBc