Whereas the poor
are the ordinary citizens, the great
are the leading class of Jerusalem. They are the ones who do know the way of the Lord, the justice of their God.
Given their greater privilege and background, surely they would show greater commitment to the Lord and his covenant?1 But they too had broken the yoke; they had burst the bonds.
The image here is of an ox who is normally yoked to a plough to pull it. The leaders of Jerusalem are not willing to serve the Lord and have in fact rebelled against him.2 The search for faithfulness to the Lord, not just in external religion, but in daily living has proven fruitless at every level of society in Jerusalem. The reality is that there is no one who does justice
or seeks truth
among the Lord’s people (Jeremiah 5:1). There is no hope of pardon and judgment is inevitable.
5 I will go to the great and will speak to them, for they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they all alike had broken the yoke; they had burst the bonds.