Jeremiah 2:29

¶ Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD.

Wherefore will ye plead {H7378} with me? ye all have transgressed {H6586} against me, saith {H5002} the LORD {H3068}.

Why argue with me? You have all rebelled against me!" says ADONAI.

Why do you bring a case against Me? You have all rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD.

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

Jeremiah 2:29 captures a pivotal moment in God's discourse with ancient Israel, specifically the southern kingdom of Judah, through the prophet Jeremiah. This verse comes as a direct challenge from the LORD, exposing the nation's hypocrisy and undeniable guilt.

Context

The second chapter of Jeremiah is a powerful lament and indictment from God against His people. He begins by recalling their initial devotion after the Exodus, likening Israel to a bride in the wilderness (Jeremiah 2:2). However, He quickly shifts to their subsequent spiritual decline, detailing how they abandoned Him, the "fountain of living waters," for broken cisterns that could hold no water – a vivid metaphor for their pursuit of idols and foreign alliances (Jeremiah 2:13). The LORD has systematically laid out their transgressions, making their attempt to "plead" or justify themselves utterly baseless.

Key Themes

  • Divine Accusation and Challenge: God directly confronts Israel, asking why they would even attempt to defend themselves. This rhetorical question highlights the undeniable evidence of their unfaithfulness.
  • Universal Guilt: The phrase "ye all have transgressed against me" emphasizes that the rebellion was not isolated but widespread throughout the nation, from leaders to common people. This collective sin brought collective consequences.
  • Futility of Self-Justification: The verse underscores the impossibility of arguing one's innocence before an omniscient God who sees all actions and motives. Any plea would be hollow in the face of their blatant disobedience.
  • Covenant Breach: Israel's actions constituted a direct violation of the covenant relationship established at Mount Sinai. Their transgressions were not merely mistakes but deliberate acts of rebellion against their sovereign God.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "plead" is riv (רִיב), which means to contend, strive, or engage in a legal dispute. God is essentially asking, "What case do you have to present in your defense?" It implies an attempt to argue their innocence or justify their actions, which God dismisses outright.

The term "transgressed" comes from the Hebrew pasha (פָּשַׁע), signifying rebellion, revolt, or breaking away from authority. It's stronger than simply "sin" and denotes a deliberate act of defiance against a rightful ruler or an established agreement. This highlights the severity of Israel's actions as a willful breach of their covenant with the LORD.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 2:29 serves as a timeless reminder of human accountability before God. It challenges us to examine our own lives and motivations. When confronted with our failings, do we attempt to justify ourselves, make excuses, or shift blame? Or do we acknowledge our sin and seek God's mercy?

This verse reminds us that true repentance begins with admitting our guilt without reservation. Just as Israel could not plead their case before the LORD, neither can we. Instead, we are called to confess our transgressions and turn to God's grace, which is abundantly available through confession and the forgiveness offered in Christ. It also emphasizes the importance of a sincere, obedient relationship with God, rather than a superficial or rebellious one.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 6:13

    For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one [is] given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

  • Daniel 9:11

    Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.

  • Jeremiah 5:1

    ¶ Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be [any] that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

  • Jeremiah 2:23

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

  • Jeremiah 3:2

    Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

  • Jeremiah 2:35

    Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

  • Jeremiah 9:2

    Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they [be] all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

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