Jeremiah 7:5 to Exodus 20:16

Text: Jeremiah 7:5

OT Text Referred to: Exodus 20:16

Subject: false witness and truthful practice

Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Reference Type: Echo

Connection Method(s): None

Anchor Text: Exod 20 — The Decalogue

Significance: Exodus 20:16 forbids bearing false witness against one's neighbor, and Jeremiah 7:5 demands its positive counterpart: "truly practice justice" (עָשׂוֹ תַעֲשׂוּ מִשְׁפָּט, aso ta'asu mishpat). The doubled Hebrew verb form (infinitive absolute + finite verb) in Jeremiah intensifies the demand—justice must be genuinely and actually practiced, not merely claimed. The prophet's use of emphatic verbal forms contrasts with the Decalogue's concise prohibition, suggesting that truth-telling is not merely about avoiding falsehood but about actively establishing just social relationships within the covenant community.

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