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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 2:1–8. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. A command given to Jeremiah to go and carry a message from God to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He was charged in general (Jer 1:17) to go and speak to them; here he is particularly charged to go and speak this to them. Note, It is good for ministers by faith and prayer to take out a fresh commission when they address themselves solemnly to any part of their work. Let a minister carefully compare what he has to deliver with the word of God, and see that it agrees with it, that he may be able to say, not only, The Lord sent me, but, He sent me to speak this. He must go from Anathoth, where he lived in a pleasant retirement, spending his time (it is likely) among a few friends and in the study of the law, and must make his appearance at Jerusalem, that noisy tumultuous city, and cry in their ears, as a man in earnest and that would be heard: "Cry aloud, that all may hear, and none may plead ignorance. Go close to them, and cry in the ears of those that have stopped their ears."
II.The message he was commanded to deliver.
He must upbraid them with their horrid ingratitude in forsaking a God who had been of old so kind to them, that this might either make them ashamed and bring them to repentance, or might justify God in turning his hand against them.
1.God here puts them in mind of the favours he had of old bestowed upon them, when they were first formed into a people (Jer 2:2): "I remember for thy sake, and I would have thee to remember it, and improve the remembrance of it for thy good; I cannot forget the kindness of thy youth and the love of thy espousals."
(1.)This may be understood of the kindness they had for God; it was not such indeed as they had any reason to boast of, or to plead with God for favour to be shown them (for many of them were very unkind and provoking, and, when they did return and enquire early after God, they did but flatter him), yet God is pleased to mention it, and plead it with them; for, though it was but little love that they showed him, he took it kindly. When they believed the Lord and his servant Moses, when they sang God's praise at the Red Sea, when at the foot of Mount Sinai they promised, All that the Lord shall say unto us we will do and will be obedient, then was the kindness of their youth and the love of their espousals. When they seemed so forward for God he said, Surely they are my people, and will be faithful to me, children that will not lie. Note, Those that begin well and promise fair, but do not perform and persevere, will justly be upbraided with their hopeful and promising beginnings. God remembers the kindness of our youth and the love of our espousals, the zeal we then seemed to have for him and the affection wherewith we made our covenants with him, the buds and blossoms that never came to perfection; and it is good for us to remember them, that we may remember whence we have fallen, and return to our first love, Rev 2:4, Rev 2:5; Gal 4:15. In two things appeared the kindness of their youth: - [1.] That they followed the direction of the pillar of cloud and fire in the wilderness; and though sometimes they spoke of returning into Egypt, or pushing forward into Canaan, yet they did neither, but for forty years together went after God in the wilderness, and trusted him to provide for them, though it was a land that was not sown. This God took kindly, and took notice of it to their praise long after, that, though much was amiss among them, yet they never forsook the guidance they were under. Thus, though Christ often chid his disciples, yet he commended them, at parting, for continuing with him, Luk 22:28. It must be the strong affection of the youth, and the espousals, that will carry us on to follow God in a wilderness, with an implicit faith and an entire resignation; and it is a pity that those who have so followed him should ever leave him. [2.] That they entertained divine institutions, set up the tabernacle among them, and attended the service of it. Israel was then holiness to the Lord; they joined themselves to him in covenant as a peculiar people. Thus they began in the spirit, and God puts them in mind of it, that they might be ashamed of ending in the flesh.
(2.)Or it may be understood of God's kindness to them; of that he afterwards speaks largely. When Israel was a child, then I loved him, Hos 11:1. He then espoused that people to himself with all the affection with which a young man marries a virgin (Isa 62:5), for the time was a time of love, Eze 16:8.
[1.]God appropriated them to himself. Though they were a sinful people, yet, by virtue of the covenant made with them and the church set up among them, they were holiness to the Lord, dedicated to his honour and taken under his special tuition; they were the first fruits of his increase, the first constituted church he had in the world; they were the first-fruits, but the full harvest was to be gathered from among the Gentiles. The first-fruits of the increase were God's part of it, were offered to him, and he was honoured with them; so were the people of the Jews; what little tribute, rent, and homage, God had from the world, he had it chiefly from them; and it was their honour to be thus set apart for God. This honour have all the saints; they are the first-fruits of his creatures, Jam 1:18.
[2.]Having espoused them, he espoused their cause, and became an enemy to their enemies, Exo 23:22. Being the first-fruits of his increase, all that devoured him (so it should be read) did offend; they trespassed, they contracted guilt, and evil befel them, as those were reckoned offenders that devoured the first-fruits, or any thing else that was holy to the Lord, that embezzled them, or converted them to their own use, Lev 5:15. Whoever offered any injury to the people of God did so at their peril; their God was ready to avenge their quarrel, and said to the proudest of kings, Touch not my anointed, Psa 105:14, Psa 105:15; Exo 17:14. He had in a special manner a controversy with those that attempted to debauch them and draw them off from being holiness to the Lord; witness his quarrel with the Midianites about the matter of Peor, Num 25:17, Num 25:18.
[3.]He brought them out of Egypt with a high hand and great terror (Deu 4:34), and yet with a kind hand and great tenderness led them through a vast howling wilderness (Jer 2:6), a land of deserts and pits, or of graves, terram sepulchralem - a sepulchral land, where there was ground, not to feed them, but to bury them, where there was no good to be expected, for it was a land of drought, but all manner of evil to be feared, for it was the shadow of death. In that darksome valley they walked forty years; but God was with them; his rod, in Moses's hand, and his staff, comforted them, and even there God prepared a table for them (Psa 23:4, Psa 23:5), gave them bread out of the clouds and drink out of the rocks. It was a land abandoned by all mankind, as yielding neither road nor rest. It was no thoroughfare, for no man passed through it - no settlement, for no man dwelt there. For God will teach his people to tread untrodden paths, to dwell alone, and to be singular. The difficulties of the journey are thus insisted on, to magnify the power and goodness of God in bringing them, through all, safely to their journey's end at last. All God's spiritual Israel must own their obligations to him for a safe conduct through the wilderness of this world, no less dangerous to the soul than that was to the body.
[4.]At length he settled them in Canaan (Jer 2:7): I brought you into a plentiful country, which would be the more acceptable after they had been for so many years in a land of drought. They did eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof, and were allowed so to do. I brought you into a land of Carmel (so the word is); Carmel was a place of extraordinary fruitfulness, and Canaan was as one great fruitful field, Deu 8:7.
[5.]God gave them the means of knowledge and grace, and communion with him; this is implied, Jer 2:8. They had priests that handled the law, read it, and expounded it to them; that was part of their business, Deu 33:8. They had pastors, to guide them and take care of their affairs, magistrates and judges; they had prophets to consult God for them and to make known his mind to them.
2.He upbraids them with their horrid ingratitude, and the ill returns they had made him for these favours; let them all come and answer to this charge (Jer 2:4); it is exhibited in the name of God against all the families of the house of Israel, for they can none of them plead, Not guilty.
(1.)He challenges them to produce any instance of his being unjust and unkind to them. Though he had conferred favours upon them in some things, yet, if in other things he had dealt hardly with them, they would not have been altogether without excuse. He therefore puts it fairly to them to show cause for their deserting him (Jer 2:5): "What iniquity have your fathers found in me, or you either? Have you, upon trial, found God a hard master? Have his commands put any hardship upon you or obliged you to any thing unfit, unfair, or unbecoming you? Have his promises put any cheats upon you, or raised your expectations of things which you were afterwards disappointed of? You that have renounced your covenant with God, can you say that it was a hard bargain and that which you could not live upon? You that have forsaken the ordinances of God, can you say that it was because they were a wearisome service, or work that there was nothing to be got by? No; the disappointments you have met with were owing to yourselves, not to God. The yoke of his commandments if easy, and in the keeping of them there is great reward." Note, Those that forsake God cannot say that he has ever given them any provocation to do so: for this we may safely appeal to the consciences of sinners; the slothful servant that offered such a plea as this had it overruled out of his own mouth, Luk 19:22. Though he afflicts us, we cannot say that there is iniquity in him; he does us no wrong. The ways of the Lord are undoubtedly equal; all the iniquity is in our ways.
(2.)He charges them with being very unjust and unkind to him notwithstanding.
[1.]They had quitted his service: "They have gone from me, nay, they have gone far from me." They studied how to estrange themselves from God and their duty, and got as far as they could out of the reach of his commandments and their own convictions. Those that have deserted religion commonly set themselves at a greater distance from it, and in a greater opposition to it, than those that never knew it.
[2.]They had quitted it for the service of idols, which was so much the greater reproach to God and his service; they went from him, not to better themselves, but to cheat themselves: They have walked after vanity, that is, idolatry; for an idol is a vain thing; it is nothing in the world, Co1 8:4; Deu 32:21; Jer 14:22. Idolatrous worships are vanities, Act 14:15. Idolaters are vain, for those that make idols are like unto them (Psa 115:8), as much stocks and stones as the images they worship, and good for as little.
[3.]They had with idolatry introduced all manner of wickedness. When they entered into the good land which God gave them they defiled it (Jer 2:7), by defiling themselves and disfitting themselves for the service of God. It was God's land; they were but tenants to him, sojourners in it, Lev 25:23. It was his heritage, for it was a holy land, Immanuel's land; but they made it an abomination, even to God himself, who was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel.
[4.]Having forsaken God, though they soon found that they had changed for the worse, yet they had no thoughts of returning to him again, nor took any steps towards it. Neither the people nor the priests made any enquiry after him, took any thought about their duty to him, nor expressed any desire to recover his favour. First, The people said not, Where is the Lord? Jer 2:6. Though they were trained up in an observance of him as their God, and had been often told that he brought them out of the land of Egypt, to be a people peculiar to himself, yet they never asked after him nor desired the knowledge of his ways. Secondly, The priests said not, Where is the Lord? Jer 2:8. Those whose office it was to attend immediately upon him were in no concern to acquaint themselves with him, or approve themselves to him. Those who should have instructed the people in the knowledge of God took no care to get the knowledge of him themselves. The scribes, who handled the law, did not know God nor his will, could not expound the scriptures at all, or not aright. The pastors, who should have kept the flock from transgressing, were themselves ringleaders in transgression: They have transgressed against me. The pretenders to prophecy prophesied by Baal, in his name, to his honour, being backed and supported by the wicked kings to confront the Lord's prophets. Baal's prophets joined with Baal's priests, and walked after the things which do not profit, that is, after the idols which can be no way helpful to their worshippers. See how the best characters are usurped, and the best offices liable to corruption; and wonder not at the sin and ruin of a people when the blind are leaders of the blind.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
God has also entrusted a deposit to us: the brothers’ way of life. While laboring on their behalf, we look forward to future rewards, lest this be said of us as well, “Let this people go,” and lest, if we forsake the traditions of our ancestors, this be hurled at us: “Those who have my law do not know me; the shepherds have rebelled against me.”
Jeremiah was known before he was formed, and sanctified from the womb. … He longs for water over his head and a fountain of tears for his eyes that he may adequately weep for Israel. No less does he lament the depravity of its rulers. God speaks to him to rebuke the priests: “The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me.” Again he says to him, “The shepherds are stupid, and do not inquire of the LORD; therefore they have not prospered, and all their flock is scattered.” Again, “Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trampled down my portion, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.” He further attacks the pastors again: “ ‘Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!’ says the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: ‘You have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD.’ ”
(Verse 8.) The priests did not say, 'Where is the Lord?' and those who held my Law did not know me, and the shepherds transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied in Baal and followed idols. After so many benefits, they turned the privileges of dignity into contempt, so that the priests would not seek the Lord, so that the teachers of the Law would ignore him whom they should teach, and the shepherds (or rather, preachers) would become transgressors through negligence, and the prophets who dispute among the people would not speak to God, but to idols, and would worship their own creations. But we must use words against the masters of our order, who devour the people of God like bread, and by their evil deeds do not invoke the Lord.
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Summary
Jeremiah 2:8 delivers a powerful divine indictment against the spiritual and civic leadership of Judah, laying bare their profound apostasy and dereliction of duty. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God reveals how the priests, those entrusted with the law, the nation's shepherds (rulers), and the prophets had all utterly failed to seek Him, to know Him intimately, or to uphold His sacred covenant. Instead, they led the people into rampant idolatry and the futile pursuit of worthless things, encapsulating the widespread spiritual decay that permeated every level of authority and set the stage for God's impending judgment on an unfaithful nation.
CONTEXT
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term signifies more than mere intellectual acquaintance; it implies an intimate, experiential, and covenantal knowledge. For the "handlers of the law" to "know me not" means they lacked a true, personal relationship with God that should have informed their interpretation and application of His commands. Their knowledge of the Law was tragically detached from the Law-Giver, indicating a profound spiritual void at the heart of their religious practice.
A prominent Phoenician and Canaanite deity, often associated with fertility, storm, and kingship. Prophesying "by Baal" meant the prophets were channeling or legitimizing pagan deities, directly contravening their divine calling to speak for Yahweh alone. This was a direct act of spiritual adultery and a leading cause of Israel's downfall, demonstrating a complete abandonment of their prophetic mandate and a profound betrayal of God.
This term, often used sarcastically in prophetic literature, highlights the utter futility and worthlessness of idols. Unlike the true God, who is the source of all life, provision, and sustenance, these false gods offer no real benefit, help, or salvation. Their pursuit leads only to emptiness, disappointment, and ultimately, destruction, standing in stark contrast to the divine abundance and the life-giving nature of Yahweh.
Verse Breakdown
"The priests said not, Where is the LORD?"
This clause indicts the priestly class for their spiritual apathy and profound lack of inquiry. They, who were meant to mediate God's presence, teach His ways, and guide the people in worship, failed to even seek Him or acknowledge His active presence among His people. This suggests a deep disinterest in God's will and a severe neglect of their most fundamental duty, leading to a spiritual vacuum in the nation's worship and a disconnect from divine guidance.
"and they that handle the law knew me not"
This refers to those who were experts in the Torah, likely scribes, legal interpreters, or teachers of the Law. Their failure to "know" God implies a lack of intimate, covenantal relationship, despite their intellectual familiarity and professional engagement with His commands. They possessed the text but lacked a living, transformative connection to its Author, rendering their "handling" of the law ineffective, hypocritical, or even perverse, as their knowledge was devoid of true spiritual understanding.
"the pastors also transgressed against me"
"Pastors" here translates the Hebrew ro'im, meaning "shepherds," a term encompassing both spiritual and civil leaders (e.g., kings, rulers, tribal heads) responsible for guiding and caring for the people. Their "transgression" (Hebrew pâshaʻ - to break away, rebel, revolt) indicates a deliberate breaking of covenant with God. They led the flock astray through their own disobedience, rebellion against divine authority, and failure to fulfill their protective and guiding roles.
"and the prophets prophesied by Baal"
This is a direct and severe accusation of idolatry and spiritual prostitution against the prophetic class. Instead of delivering Yahweh's true word, they became mouthpieces for Baal, legitimizing pagan practices and leading the people further into apostasy. This was a profound betrayal of their divine calling, a direct affront to God's exclusive claim on His people, and a catastrophic perversion of their sacred office.
"and walked after [things that] do not profit."
This final clause summarizes the consequence and nature of their comprehensive apostasy. Their entire way of life, their direction, and their ultimate allegiance were oriented towards idols and false gods, which are inherently worthless and offer no genuine benefit, help, or salvation. This pursuit led to futility, emptiness, and ultimately, spiritual and national destruction, demonstrating a complete misdirection of their lives and the lives of those they led.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 2:8 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its scathing indictment against Judah's leadership. The most prominent is Parallelism, where different clauses or lines express similar ideas or structures, here systematically listing various leadership groups and their respective failures. This cumulative listing emphasizes the pervasive and comprehensive nature of the spiritual corruption, demonstrating that no segment of leadership was exempt from the charge of apostasy. Metonymy is present in "they that handle the law," where "handling the law" stands for the entire practice of interpreting, teaching, and living by the Torah. The phrase "things that do not profit" is a sharp example of Sarcasm or Irony, as it deliberately understates the profound worthlessness and destructive power of idols, which promised gain but delivered only emptiness and and spiritual decay. Finally, the entire verse functions as a powerful Indictment, a legal-style accusation against the spiritual and civic leaders, setting the tone for God's divine lawsuit (rib) against the unfaithful nation of Judah.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 2:8 profoundly underscores the critical importance of faithful leadership in maintaining a people's covenant relationship with God. It reveals that when those entrusted with spiritual and civic guidance abandon their divine mandate and their intimate relationship with the Lord, the entire nation is led into apostasy, idolatry, and ultimately, judgment. The leaders' failure to "know" God intimately, to seek His presence, and to speak His truth, directly resulted in the people "walking after things that do not profit," highlighting the direct link between leadership integrity and national spiritual health. This passage serves as a timeless warning against spiritual negligence, the insidious dangers of syncretism, and the utter futility of pursuing anything other than the one true God, who alone is the source of life and true profit.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 2:8 serves as a powerful mirror for contemporary spiritual communities, urging us to critically examine the state of our leadership and, indeed, our own hearts. It is a stark reminder that true spiritual authority stems not primarily from position, intellectual prowess, or charismatic appeal, but from a vibrant, intimate, and obedient relationship with the Lord. For those in positions of leadership, it is a solemn call to constant self-examination: Do I genuinely seek the Lord's presence and His perfect will in all matters? Does my life reflect a deep, relational knowledge of Him, or merely an academic understanding of His Word and theological concepts? Am I truly leading people towards the living God, or subtly, perhaps even unknowingly, towards "things that do not profit"—whether they be worldly philosophies, personal agendas, institutional prestige, or even seemingly good but ultimately empty pursuits? For congregants, this verse encourages discerning engagement with leadership, praying fervently for them, and holding them accountable to the biblical standard of faithfulness and integrity. Ultimately, it calls every believer to prioritize a personal, transformative knowledge of God above all else, ensuring that our "walk" is truly after Him, and not after the fleeting, unprofitable idols of our age.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "pastors also transgressed against me" mean in this context?
In Jeremiah 2:8, the term "pastors" (Hebrew: ro'im) literally means "shepherds." While this can denote spiritual leaders, in the broader prophetic context, it often encompasses both religious and civil leaders—kings, rulers, and spiritual guides—who were responsible for "shepherding" or governing the people. Their "transgression" (Hebrew: pâshaʻ, meaning to break away, rebel, or revolt) signifies a deliberate act of breaking covenant with God. They failed in their duty to lead the people in righteousness and obedience, instead guiding them into disobedience and idolatry, thereby rebelling against God's established order and His direct commands. This failure is a recurring theme in Jeremiah, where God pronounces woe upon the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of His pasture because of their negligence and corruption.
What are "things that do not profit"?
The phrase "things that do not profit" (Hebrew: lo' yo'ilu) is a sarcastic and dismissive descriptor primarily for idols and false gods. It emphasizes their utter worthlessness and inability to provide any genuine benefit, help, or salvation to those who worship them. Unlike the true God, Yahweh, who is the source of life, provision, and deliverance, these pagan deities and the practices associated with them are empty, futile, and ultimately lead to destruction. This concept is a common theme in prophetic literature, highlighting the folly of idolatry, as seen in Isaiah 44:9-20 where the prophet vividly mocks those who make and worship idols that cannot save. In a broader sense, it can refer to any pursuit, philosophy, or object of devotion that replaces God and offers no true spiritual or eternal value, leading only to emptiness and spiritual barrenness.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah 2:8, with its stark indictment of unfaithful leadership, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. The Old Testament leaders—priests, law-handlers, shepherds, and prophets—failed to "know the LORD" and "walked after things that do not profit," tragically leading the people astray. In striking contrast, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who perfectly embodies faithful leadership, not only knowing the Father intimately but also making Him fully known. He is the one who truly "knows" God in an unparalleled way, declaring, "No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him". Unlike the prophets who prophesied by Baal, Jesus is the Prophet par excellence, speaking only the very words of the Father and perfectly revealing God's will and character, as promised in Deuteronomy 18:18. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29), offering the ultimate, truly "profitable" sacrifice that brings humanity eternal life, unlike the worthless idols that offer nothing. Where the Old Testament priests and law-handlers failed to mediate God's presence or uphold His law, Jesus is our Great High Priest, who perfectly intercedes for us (Hebrews 4:14-16) and perfectly fulfilled the Law, becoming the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). He is the true and profitable pursuit, the one who declares, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me". Thus, Jeremiah's lament over failed leadership ultimately points to Christ as the faithful, all-sufficient leader who perfectly fulfills God's will and brings true profit, salvation, and an intimate knowledge of God to His people.