Jeremiah 5:22
Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
הערת לימוד
Study Note
YHWH's rhetorical question — 'Fear ye not me... which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea?' — grounds the call to covenantal fear in the cosmic creative order itself, making the sea's obedience to divine decree a rebuke of Israel's disobedience. The 'perpetual decree' (choq olam) by which the sea is contained echoes Proverbs 8:29's wisdom-creation narrative and Job 38:10–11, situating Jeremiah's covenant theology within a broader creation theology. The contrast — inanimate sea observes divine limits; sentient Israel does not — reverses the expected hierarchy of nature and covenant community, intensifying Israel's culpability. The verse anticipates Mark 4:39 (Jesus rebuking the sea) where the creator's authority over cosmic chaos is re-enacted as a christological sign.
תרגומים נוספים
Fear ye not me? saith Jehovah: will ye not tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it? and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.
Me do ye not fear, an affirmation of Jehovah? From My presence are ye not pained? Who hath made sand the border of the sea, A limit age-during, and it passeth not over it, They shake themselves, and they are not able, Yea, sounded have its billows, and they pass not over.
Have you no fear of me? says the Lord; will you not be shaking with fear before me, who have put the sand as a limit for the sea, by an eternal order, so that it may not go past it? and though it is ever in motion, it is not able to have its way; though the sound of its waves is loud, they are not able to go past it.
הפניות צולבות
If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that …
He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.
And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.
The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.