Why Jesus Apologetics

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

Isaiah 40:8

Critics, particularly some Muslim apologists, frequently misinterpret Jeremiah 8:8 to claim that the Bible admits its own textual corruption, citing the phrase “the lying pen of the scribes” as evidence of tampering with the Torah. However, it is not at all obvious, nor supported by the text that this phrase refers to altering the Torah’s physical text. Instead, the context of Jeremiah 8:7–12, the broader narrative of Jeremiah, the consistent testimony of other biblical prophets, and Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 15:1–9 clearly show that the scribes falsified the Torah’s meaning through greed-driven teachings and traditions, not by corrupting its text.

We will now delve in to challenge these claims and decisively refute the allegation of biblical corruption.

Before we dive in, check out some other interesting posts like these:

Can We Trust the Bible?

Debunking Bible Contradictions: The Truth Revealed

Why Do Muslim Critics Cite This Verse?

Muslims often cite this text to claim that the Bible is corrupt because, for the Qur’an to be upheld as the true word of God, the Bible must first be discredited and deemed corrupted. In their argument, Allah then sent the Qur’an to “correct” these alleged corruptions, making it the only true word of God. In this post, we aim to refute the misuse of the Jeremiah passage. And while we could turn the tables on our Muslim friends here, we will let that pass for now—reserving a future post to address the claims they use to promote the Qur’an as a correction of the Bible.

The Text And Its Immediate Context: Jeremiah 8:7–12

The text of Jeremiah 8 provides the foundation:

“Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord. How can you say, ‘We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,’ when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? … Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 8:7–8, 10–12, NIV)

Verse 7 makes it clear that Judah possesses the Torah yet fails to ‘know the requirements of the Lord’ (mishpat YHWH), revealing either ignorance or disobedience to its ethical and legal demands. Verse 8 then rebukes their boast, “We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord” (torat YHWH), exposing their false sense of security. Crucially, the phrase “the lying pen of the scribes” (sheqer sōpherīm) here does not automatically suggest textual corruption. Instead, the context shows the scribes misrepresented the Torah’s meaning through false teachings, likely driven by greed.

Verses 10–12 clarify this. The scribes’ greed (kol betsā‘o, “all are greedy for gain”) motivated them to prioritize profit, as the people rewarded comforting messages. Verse 11 specifies their deception:

“They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”

Rather than confronting Judah’s idolatry and disobedience, the sins condemned by the Torah (e.g., Deuteronomy 6:14–15, 28:15–68), the scribes proclaimed false peace, contradicting the Torah’s warnings of judgment, which Jeremiah himself announced in chapter 7 (e.g., Jeremiah 7:8–15). Verse 12 condemns their shamelessness, ensuring their punishment. The Torah remains intact; the issue is its misapplication.

Grammatical and Linguistic Analysis

The Hebrew text of Jeremiah 8:8 clarifies its meaning:

“’Eykh tō’mĕrû ḥăkāmîm ’ănāḥnû wĕtôrat YHWH ’ittānû ’ākēn hinnēh lashsheqer ‘āśāh ‘ēt sōphĕrîm.”

How can you say, ‘We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,’ when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?

The key terms include:

i. “Torat YHWH” (“the law of the Lord”): The authoritative Torah, consistently upheld as reliable (e.g., Joshua 1:8).

ii. “Sheqer” (“lying” or “falsehood”): Denotes deception, often used for false teachings (e.g., Jeremiah 14:14, “lying visions”).

iii. “Sōpherīm” (“scribes”): Scholars or exegetes, akin to rabbis, who interpreted and taught the Torah.

iv.  “‘Āśāh” (“handled” or “made”): With lashsheqer (“to falsehood”), it suggests producing misleading interpretations.

The phrase “lashsheqer ‘āśāh ‘ēt sōphĕrîm” (literally, “to falsehood the scribes have made [it]”) is metaphorical, a hallmark of prophetic rhetoric. It does not obviously or inherently imply textual corruption but rather false teachings or traditions that obscure the Torah’s call to repentance.
Biblical scholars affirm this. Walter Brueggemann, a renowned Bible scholar and commentator, writes:

“The phrase ‘the lying pen of the scribes’ does not suggest that the text of the Torah has been altered but that the scribes, as teachers of the law, have falsified its interpretation… Their ‘pen’—their teaching authority—has produced falsehood by misrepresenting the Torah’s demands, leading the people to false security.”

Walter Brueggemann (A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming, 1998, p. 91)

Brueggemann’s analysis directly undermines the claim that Jeremiah 8:8 admits textual corruption. Critics who assume “lying pen” means altering the text ignore the scholarly consensus that it refers to false teaching, rendering their interpretation baseless and disconnected from the verse’s context.

John Bright commented on this:

“The ‘lying pen’ (sheqer sōpherīm) refers to the scribes’ role as interpreters, not as tamperers with the text. The accusation is that they have distorted the Torah’s meaning, perhaps through legal rulings or traditions that obscure its call to covenant obedience.”

John Bright (Jeremiah: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, Anchor Bible, 1965, p. 60)

Bright’s focus on interpretation over textual tampering challenges critics to provide evidence of corruption, which the text does not support. Their claim misreads the metaphorical language and overlooks the scribes’ role as teachers.

Also, J.A. Thompson:

“The expression ‘the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie’ is figurative, pointing to false teaching or exegesis. The scribes, responsible for expounding the Torah, have misled the people by offering interpretations that contradict its clear warnings of judgment.”

J.A. Thompson (The Book of Jeremiah, NICOT, 1980, p. 287)

Thompson’s explanation shows that the “lying pen” is about misleading exegesis, not textual changes. Critics’ reliance on this verse to prove corruption fails, as it contradicts the clear figurative intent and scholarly understanding.

To provide more scholarly clarity, we turn to William L. Holladay, a preeminent Jeremiah scholar and authority on Hebrew language and interpretation:

“The phrase sheqer sōpherīm (‘falsehood of the scribes’) in Jeremiah 8:8 likely refers to the scribes’ production of teachings or rulings that misrepresent the Torah’s intent. The verb ‘āśāh suggests an act of making or producing, here applied to false interpretations, not to altering the written text.”

William L. Holladay (Jeremiah 1: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah Chapters 1–25, Hermeneia, 1986, p. 282)

Holladay’s focus on sheqer as false teachings directly refutes the idea that Jeremiah 8:8 implies textual corruption. Critics must explain why they assume textual changes when the Hebrew points to interpretive errors.

The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (BDB), a standard reference for Biblical Hebrew has this to say on the Hebrew word “Sheqer”:

“Sheqer denotes falsehood, deceit, or lying, often in the context of false prophecy or teaching (e.g., Jeremiah 14:14, 23:26). In Jeremiah 8:8, paired with sōpherīm (‘scribes’), it suggests deceptive exposition or instruction, not necessarily textual falsification.”

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (BDB) (A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1906, p. 1055, entry for sheqer)

The BDB’s definition of sheqer as deceit in teaching challenges critics’ claims of textual corruption. They must provide evidence beyond the term’s typical use, which aligns with false instruction, not altered texts.
As you can see, These scholars confirm that “lying pen” refers to false teaching, or misinterpretation not textual changes or corruption, aligning with the context of greed and false peace in verses 10–12. The verb ‘āśāh (“made”) paired with lashsheqer (“to falsehood”) suggests the scribes’ actions produced deceptive teachings, not a corrupted text. The context of verses 10–12, where the scribes proclaim “peace” (shalom shalom) to downplay Judah’s sins, supports this, as it contradicts the Torah’s clear warnings (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:15–68).

To claim that Jeremiah 8:8 admits the Bible’s corruption is as absurd as an apple declaring itself rotten when its condition proves otherwise. A perfectly good apple doesn’t need to be altered to be misrepresented; someone can falsely claim it’s spoiled to serve their agenda. Critics who assume “lying pen” means corruption impose an external narrative unsupported by the text, with no evidence in Jeremiah 8 to suggest textual tampering.

Biblical Metaphors Similar to “Lying Pen”

To show that “the lying pen of the scribes” in Jeremiah 8:8 is metaphorical and not literal, we give examples of similar metaphors in Scripture where the object of the metaphor is not meant to be read literally.

“Their tongue is a sharp sword” (Psalm 57:4) – Speech that wounds others. No one has a literal sword for a tongue

“Their throat is an open grave” (Romans 3:13) – Corrupt speech that leads to death. Human throats are not literal graves

“The tongue is a fire” (James 3:6) – The destructive potential of words. No one’s tongue burns with literal flames.

“The pen of a ready writer” – (Psalm 45:1). Skillful communication. The psalmist is not literally holding a pen in this imagery.

“A deceitful bow” (Hosea 7:16). Someone unreliable in carrying out purpose. A “bow” refers to a person, not literal archery equipment.

“Broken cisterns” (Jeremiah 2:13). Spiritual unfaithfulness. Not about literal water containers but failed spiritual trust.

These examples showing that tools, organs, or professions are often used metaphorically in Scripture to describe moral character or spiritual behavior, not literal function.

In Jeremiah 8:8, “the lying pen” is the same, a symbolic way to describe false teaching or misapplication of the Law, not literal ink edits to God’s Word.

Broader Historical Context in Jeremiah

In Jeremiah’s day, access to the Torah was extremely limited. They did not have printing presses to mass-produce the Law of Moses so that every household could own a personal copy like we all have it today. Before the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, every book had to be copied by hand, a slow, labor-intensive process. This made books rare and expensive, affordable mainly to the wealthy or to institutions like the temple or royal court.

A Torah scroll was even more costly, because:

It had to be written on parchment or leather, not cheap papyrus. Every letter had to be copied with extreme accuracy under strict scribal rules. Any major copying error could require the entire sheet to be redone.

According to the Law itself, only certain groups were required to have a copy:

Kings, (Deuteronomy 17:14–20), Priests and Levites (Deuteronomy 31:9–13) and the Temple (Deuteronomy 31:24–26).

For the average Israelite, hearing the Law read aloud, especially at public gatherings, was the normal way to know God’s commands.

The Role of Priests and Scribes

In biblical Hebrew, the word for scribe (sofer) literally means “one who counts/writes,” but in context it often refers to:

• Officials keeping royal or temple records (2 Samuel 8:17)
• Experts in the Law of Moses (Ezra 7:6, Nehemiah 8:1)
• Legal scholars interpreting Scripture for the people (Matthew 23:2)

For example:

• Ezra 7:6, Ezra is called “a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses”. His role here is teaching and interpreting, not simply copying.
• Matthew 23:2, “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.” This means they occupy a teaching and authority position.

So, when Jeremiah condemns “the lying pen of the scribes,” the target is their corrupt teaching and interpretation, not the physical transcription of the Torah.

Because most people did not have personal copies of the Torah, it was the duty of the priests, Levites, and scribes to read, explain, and apply the Law to the people.

We see this clearly after the return from exile:

“The Levites … helped the people to understand the Law… They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.”

— Nehemiah 8:7–9, cf. vv. 13–14, 18

The scribes’ oral explanations and teaching shaped the people’s understanding of the Law. This is exactly why Jeremiah could condemn “the lying pen of the scribes”: they were misrepresenting the truth through their authoritative role as interpreters, not physically altering the Torah text in every copy across the land.

The corruption claim contradicts Jeremiah’s narrative.

In previous chapter, Jeremiah 7:8–15, the prophet’s temple address warns of judgment for Judah’s sins, presupposing an intact Torah. Jeremiah 26:4–6 reinforces this:

“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets…then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’” (NIV)

If the Torah were corrupted, God’s command to “follow my law” would be absurd. Jeremiah, the author of 8:8, assumes an intact Torah, making him the most qualified interpreter of his own words. Even Jeremiah’s enemies acknowledged the Torah’s endurance in Jeremiah 18:18:

“Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of THE LAW by the priest will not cease, nor will advice from the wise, nor the word from the prophets.” (NIV)

Jesus’ Parallel Critique in Matthew 15:1–9

This issue recurs in Matthew 15:1–9, where Jesus confronts the Pharisees:

“Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!’ Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? … Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”’” (NIV)

Jesus equates nullifying God’s Word with prioritizing human traditions, echoing Jeremiah’s critique. The Pharisees distorted the Torah’s intent without altering its text, reinforcing that the “lying pen” refers to misinterpretation.

Consider the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If someone misrepresents its laws, claiming certain actions are permissible when the text prohibits them, does this mean the original document has been altered? No. The falsification lies in the interpretation, not the text. In Jeremiah 8:8, the scribes falsified the Torah by misrepresenting its requirements (mishpat YHWH), thinking themselves wise for possessing it while ignoring its demands. The Torah remained intact, as evidenced by its use by Jeremiah and later prophets.

In summary, the claim that Jeremiah 8:8 admits textual corruption is untenable when we consider that:

a. The “lying pen” does not obviously mean textual corruption; Jeremiah 8:7–12 and scholarly analysis (Brueggemann, Bright, Thompson) show the scribes falsified the Torah’s meaning through greed-driven teachings.

b. Jeremiah (7, 18:18, 26:4–6), later prophets (Ezra, Daniel, Hosea, Malachi), and Jesus (Matthew 15:1–9) presuppose an intact Torah.

c. Historical evidence affirms the consistency of the Bible’s transmission—many Dead Sea Scroll manuscripts closely match the Masoretic Text, confirming remarkable stability over centuries.

Conclusion

When Jeremiah thundered against the “lying pen of the scribes,” he was not declaring that the Torah had been rewritten or its words erased. He was exposing the moral dishonesty of religious leaders who twisted God’s law in their teaching and application, not in the manuscripts themselves.

The context shows that the Law of the LORD was still present, still read, and still binding but the leaders had falsified its meaning through hypocrisy and false interpretation. The Hebrew grammar supported by scholarly analysis, context of the text in itself and Jesus reactions in Matthew 15:1–9 points and confirms that the “lying pen” refers to figurative speech, a prophetic metaphor, not a literal claim of textual corruption but to the scribes’ false teachings, not textual tampering. And the historical process of Torah preservation in Jeremiah’s day makes mass falsification a logistical impossibility. Claiming that Jeremiah 8:8 admits biblical corruption is as absurd as an apple declaring itself rotten when its condition proves otherwise.

This means that Jeremiah 8:8 cannot serve as evidence for the Muslim claim that the Bible was corrupted. In fact, the opposite is true:

If Jeremiah’s point was that the meaning of God’s law was being twisted not the text then the integrity of the Torah in his day is confirmed. If the Qur’an affirms the Torah and Gospel available in the 7th century (Surah 5:43, 46, 68), then accusing them of corruption contradicts the Qur’an itself.

The Muslim misuse of Jeremiah 8:8 is not merely a misreading; it is a textbook case of wrenching a verse out of context to support a preconceived idea. When we allow the Bible to speak in its own voice, the truth becomes unmistakable:

God’s Word endures but false teachers have always tried to bend it to their will. The problem is not with the Scriptures; the problem is with the sinful human heart.

Shalom!!!