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Jeremiah 2:5

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

Thus saith {H559} the LORD {H3068}, What iniquity {H5766} have your fathers {H1} found {H4672} in me, that they are gone far {H7368} from me, and have walked {H3212} after {H310} vanity {H1892}, and are become vain {H1891}?

here is what ADONAI says: "What did your ancestors find wrong with me to make them go so far away from me, to make them go after nothings and become themselves nothings?

This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me, and followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves?

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?

Commentary

Jeremiah 2:5 introduces a powerful and poignant rhetorical question from the LORD to His people, Israel (represented by "your fathers"). It marks the beginning of God's "lawsuit" or indictment against Judah for their spiritual infidelity and abandonment of Him.

Context

This verse is set in the early years of the prophet Jeremiah’s ministry, during the reign of King Josiah in Judah, a period preceding the Babylonian exile. God addresses the nation through Jeremiah, recalling their historical relationship and highlighting their unprovoked departure from Him. The entire chapter 2 of Jeremiah serves as a divine lament and accusation, where God contrasts His unwavering faithfulness with Israel's inexplicable rebellion and pursuit of foreign gods. It underscores the covenant relationship established at the Exodus, where God had delivered them and cared for them, yet they had turned away without any fault on His part.

Key Themes

  • God's Blamelessness and Faithfulness: The rhetorical question, "What iniquity have your fathers found in me?", emphasizes God's perfect character and His consistent goodness towards Israel. He challenges them to identify any flaw in His dealings or any reason for their defection. This highlights God's justice and His righteous nature. Deuteronomy 32:4 affirms His perfect work and righteous ways.
  • Israel's Unprovoked Apostasy: The core accusation is that Israel "gone far from me" and "walked after vanity." Their turning away was not a reaction to divine injustice or failure, but a deliberate choice to abandon the source of life and truth. This is a profound statement on spiritual ingratitude and rebellion.
  • The Futility of Idolatry: To "walk after vanity" means to pursue worthless things, particularly idols and false gods. The verse asserts that these pursuits not only offer nothing substantial but also transform the pursuer: "and are become vain." This speaks to the transformative power of what one worships; ultimately, those who worship emptiness become empty themselves.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word translated "vanity" (often rendered as hebel or a related term) carries the sense of emptiness, breath, vapor, or futility. It is famously used throughout the book of Ecclesiastes to describe the transient and meaningless nature of life apart from God. In Jeremiah 2:5, it vividly portrays the worthlessness of the idols and practices Israel embraced. These were not merely alternative deities but non-entities, unable to provide life, sustenance, or salvation, and pursuing them led to spiritual barrenness and futility, a stark contrast to the "fountain of living waters" that is the LORD Himself.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 2:5 serves as a timeless self-examination for believers today. It prompts us to consider:

  • Our Own Loyalty: Have we, like ancient Israel, allowed "vanities" of the world—materialism, fleeting pleasures, worldly philosophies, or even self-reliance—to draw us away from God?
  • God's Unchanging Character: The verse reminds us that God remains faithful and just. Any distance in our relationship with Him is due to our turning away, not His.
  • The Consequences of "Vanity": What we pursue shapes us. If we chase after empty things, we too risk becoming spiritually empty and unfulfilled. True satisfaction and purpose are found only in Him. This calls us to set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

This verse is a call to remember God's goodness and to return to Him, the only source of true life and meaning, rather than chasing after the fleeting and ultimately unsatisfying "vanities" of the world.

Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash (May 20, 2025) using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • 2 Kings 17:15 (8 votes)

    And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that [were] round about them, [concerning] whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.

  • Romans 1:21 (6 votes)

    Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

  • Jonah 2:8 (5 votes)

    They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

  • Jeremiah 10:14 (5 votes)

    Every man is brutish in [his] knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image [is] falsehood, and [there is] no breath in them.

  • Jeremiah 10:15 (5 votes)

    They [are] vanity, [and] the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

  • Psalms 115:8 (5 votes)

    They that make them are like unto them; [so is] every one that trusteth in them.

  • Isaiah 44:9 (4 votes)

    ¶ They that make a graven image [are] all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they [are] their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.