1. Jeremiah 8:8–9 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Whom does Jeremiah specifically address in verses 8-9, and for what does he blame them?

Jeremiah 8:8–9 (ESV)

8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.

Jeremiah addresses the writers who considered themselves wise men. It is probably a group of priests who copied the law and also made laws themselves. Priests were to show the people the way of God. But these men are liars. They prescribe laws that favour themselves and allow injustice. They also reject the very Word of the Lord. That is why they are foolish and stubborn. They lead people astray. But they will not escape their punishment.