Jeremiah2

The LORD recalls Israel's initial devotion and faithfulness in the wilderness, contrasting it sharply with their subsequent apostasy. He laments that His people have committed two evils: forsaking Him, the fountain of living waters, and hewing out broken cisterns of idolatry. Despite His past deliverance and provision, Israel has become degenerate, pursuing foreign gods and alliances, which will ultimately lead to shame and desolation.

Listen to this chapter

God Recalls Israel's Early Love

And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying,

Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, I remember for thee the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; how thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

Israel was holiness unto Jehovah, the first-fruits of his increase: all that devour him shall be held guilty; evil shall come upon them, saith Jehovah.

Israel Has Forsaken the Lord

Hear ye the word of Jehovah, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:

Thus saith Jehovah, What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?

Neither said they, Where is Jehovah that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that none passed through, and where no man dwelt?

And I brought you into a plentiful land, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.

The priests said not, Where is Jehovah? and they that handle the law knew me not: the rulers also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

The Uniqueness of Israel's Sin

Wherefore I will yet contend with you, saith Jehovah, and with your children’s children will I contend.

For pass over to the isles of Kittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently; and see if there hath been such a thing.

Hath a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith Jehovah.

For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Sin Brings Its Own Punishment

Is Israel a servant? is he a home-born slave? why is he become a prey?

The young lions have roared upon him, and yelled; and they have made his land waste: his cities are burned up, without inhabitant.

The children also of Memphis and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of thy head.

Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, when he led thee by the way?

And now what hast thou to do in the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of the Shihor? or what hast thou to do in the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River?

Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and a bitter, that thou hast forsaken Jehovah thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.

Shameful and Stubborn Idolatry

For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bonds; and thou saidst, I will not serve; for upon every high hill and under every green tree thou didst bow thyself, playing the harlot.

Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine unto me?

For though thou wash thee with lye, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord Jehovah.

How canst thou say, I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

a wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind in her desire; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst, It is in vain; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets;

who say to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

Denial of Guilt and Final Warning

Wherefore will ye contend with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith Jehovah.

In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? or a land of thick darkness? wherefore say my people, We are broken loose; we will come no more unto thee?

Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

How trimmest thou thy way to seek love! therefore even the wicked women hast thou taught thy ways.

Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor: thou didst not find them breaking in; but it is because of all these things.

Yet thou saidst, I am innocent; surely his anger is turned away from me. Behold, I will enter into judgment with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt also, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

From thence also shalt thou go forth, with thy hands upon thy head: for Jehovah hath rejected those in whom thou trustest, and thou shalt not prosper with them.

Study Notes for Jeremiah 2

Verse 1

This chapter begins Jeremiah’s first major oracle, delivered early in his ministry, structured as a covenant lawsuit (a *rib*) brought by God against Israel.

Verse 2

The imagery of 'youth' and 'espousals' uses the metaphor of marriage (established later by Hosea) to describe the covenant relationship forged during the Exodus and wilderness period, where Israel was uniquely devoted to God.

Verse 3

Israel was consecrated to the LORD, protected like the first portion of a harvest; this holiness meant that any nation that tried to harm Israel would face divine judgment.

Verse 5

God challenges Israel to state what fault they found in Him that led them to pursue 'vanity' (idols, false gods). This rhetorical question emphasizes God’s faithfulness versus Israel’s ingratitude.

Verse 6

The detailed description of the wilderness highlights God’s miraculous guidance through a hostile environment, underscoring the depth of Israel's forgetfulness and ingratitude.

Verse 7

God brought them into a fertile land, but Israel defiled it through idolatry and immoral practices, violating the terms of the covenant and desecrating God’s inheritance.

Verse 8

The indictment falls heavily on the religious leadership: priests, teachers of the Law, rulers ('pastors'), and prophets all failed in their duties, leading the people into apostasy.

Verse 9

'Plead' (Heb. *rib*) indicates that God is formally initiating a legal case against Israel, extending the indictment to future generations.

Verse 10

Chittim (the West, associated with the Mediterranean) and Kedar (the East, associated with Arabia) represent the known world. God challenges Israel to find any other nation so foolish as to abandon its ancestral deities.

Verse 11

Pagan nations remain loyal to their false gods, but Israel exchanged the true God (their 'glory') for worthless idols, a profound act of theological betrayal.

Verse 12

This dramatic call for the heavens to witness the event emphasizes the shocking and unnatural nature of Israel’s apostasy in the cosmic order.

Verse 13

This verse summarizes the great offense: 1) forsaking the Lord, the ultimate source of life and blessing ('living waters'), and 2) replacing Him with unreliable, man-made idols ('broken cisterns').

Verse 14

This rhetorical question asks why Israel, who was meant to be God’s free son and heir, is now being treated like a plundered slave.

Verse 16

Noph (Memphis) and Tahapanes (Daphnae) were major Egyptian cities. This refers to the military damage inflicted upon Judah by the very Egyptian allies Israel sought for security.

Verse 17

The resulting suffering is not arbitrary punishment but the inevitable, self-inflicted consequence of abandoning God’s guidance and protection.

Verse 18

Sihor (a branch of the Nile) and 'the river' (the Euphrates, associated with Assyria) symbolize the political alliances Israel pursued with superpowers instead of trusting the covenant God.

Verse 19

God declares that Israel’s own moral failure and 'backslidings' will serve as the punishing agent, proving how bitter and evil it is to live without the fear of the Lord.

Verse 20

The 'yoke' and 'bands' refer to the bondage of Egypt. Israel, freed from slavery, immediately returned to spiritual adultery, worshipping Baal in the traditional Canaanite high places.

Verse 21

The 'noble vine' image (cf. Isaiah 5) underscores God’s careful cultivation of Israel, contrasting sharply with their current degenerate state as a 'strange vine' producing only bitter fruit.

Verse 22

Nitre and soap were strong cleansing agents. Jeremiah emphasizes that even the most rigorous human efforts at purification cannot erase the deep, indelible stain of their sin before God.

Verse 23

Israel hypocritically denies its idolatry, despite the clear evidence of their rituals conducted in the valley (likely the Valley of Hinnom, where child sacrifices were sometimes offered).

Verse 24

The vivid image of the 'wild ass' in heat symbolizes Israel’s uncontrollable, instinctual lust for foreign gods and alliances, driven by desperate desire.

Verse 25

God warns them to stop their destructive course, but Israel defiantly states that their love for 'strangers' (idols/nations) is too strong to resist.

Verse 27

The height of folly is revealed: worshipping inanimate objects ('stock' and 'stone') while turning their back on the living God, only to cry out to Him in times of crisis.

Verse 28

A sarcastic challenge: if the idols are real, let them save you. The fact that Judah has as many gods as cities illustrates the widespread nature of their polytheism.

Verse 29

God counters Israel’s repeated claims of innocence (v. 23, 35) by reaffirming their guilt and rejecting their attempts at self-justification.

Verse 30

God’s disciplinary actions (smitten) failed to produce repentance. Furthermore, Israel demonstrated their violence by killing the prophets God sent to deliver correction.

Verse 31

God asks if He has failed to provide for them, contrasting His perfect provision with Israel’s arrogant assertion of autonomy ('We are lords; we will come no more unto thee').

Verse 32

The comparison emphasizes the unnatural nature of Israel’s spiritual amnesia; their forgetfulness of God is a fundamental failure of identity and relationship.

Verse 34

The indictment escalates from religious sin to social injustice and violence: the murder of the poor and innocent. This crime is not hidden but openly visible on their garments ('skirts').

Verse 35

Despite overwhelming evidence of religious and social sin, Israel maintains its innocence, forcing God to proceed with the full judgment of the covenant lawsuit.

Verse 36

Israel’s constant changing of political alliances—seeking Egypt after Assyria had failed them—shows a lack of faith and theological learning, resulting in pointless effort.

Verse 37

The image of 'hands upon thine head' signifies utter public shame, defeat, and mourning. God will reject all the foreign alliances (confidences) Israel relied upon for security.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Jeremiah2

God Recalls Israel's Early Love

Israel Has Forsaken the Lord

The Uniqueness of Israel's Sin

Sin Brings Its Own Punishment

Shameful and Stubborn Idolatry

Denial of Guilt and Final Warning

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options