Jeremiah 2:2-12

2 "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the LORD, "I remember the devotion of 1your youth, your love 2as a bride, 3how you followed me in the wilderness, 4in a land not sown.
3 5Israel was holy to the LORD, 6the firstfruits of his harvest. 7All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the LORD."
4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the clans of the house of Israel.
5 Thus says the LORD: 8"What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, 9and went after 10worthlessness, and became worthless?
6 They did not say, 11'Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us 12in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?'
7 13And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, 14you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.
8 The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' 15Those who handle the law did not know me; 16the shepherds[a] transgressed against me; 17the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after 18things that do not profit.
9 "Therefore 19I still contend with you, declares the LORD, and 20with your children's children I will contend.
10 For cross to the coasts of 21Cyprus and see, or send to 22Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing.
11 23Has a nation changed its gods, 24even though they are no gods? But my people 25have changed their glory for 26that which does not profit.
12 Be appalled, 27O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD,

Jeremiah 2:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 2

This chapter contains the prophet's message from the Lord to the people of the Jews; in which they are reminded of their former favours, in order to aggravate their sins and transgressions they were chargeable with; to show their ingratitude and unkindness, and to bring them to a conviction and acknowledgment of their iniquities, without which punishment would be inflicted on them. The preface to this message is in Jer 2:1,2, and the discourse begins with an account of their former state and condition when they came out of Egypt; what kindness was shown them by the Lord, and what was returned to him by them; what they were to him, and how much regarded by him, Jer 2:2,3 and so far were they from being injured by him, that might cause them to depart from him, which they are desired to give attention to, that they were followed with various instances of goodness, which are particularly enumerated; and yet no notice was taken of them, neither by people, priests, pastors, and prophets, who were guilty of the grossest ignorance and wickedness, Jer 2:4-8, wherefore the Lord determines to plead with them and theirs; and charges them with such idolatry as was not to be found among the Gentiles, Jer 1:9-11 the heavens are called upon to be astonished at it; and the reason given for it, the ingratitude and folly of this people, Jer 2:12,13 in order to reclaim them, the Lord by the prophet proceeds to observe to them the corrections and chastisement they had already endured, being brought into bondage, their land wasted, cities burnt, and their glory taken from them; all which were owing to their revoltings and backslidings, and by which they might see what an evil and bitter thing sin is in its effects, Jer 2:14-19 and again reminds them of former favours; how that he loosed them from their yoke and bonds, when they promised to transgress no more, and yet did more and more; how he had raised them from a right seed, and planted them a noble vine, and yet they were sadly degenerated, and were guilty of such crimes as were not to be removed by anything done by them, Jer 2:20-22, and notwithstanding all this, they had the impudence to deny that they were tainted with idolatry, when they had been so guilty of it in the valley of Hinnom, and elsewhere; and were comparable to the lustful dromedary and wild ass, and so fond of strange gods, that they thirsted after them, and were resolved to follow them, Jer 2:23-25 and yet the time would come when all ranks of men among them would be ashamed of their worship of stocks and stones, and in the time of their trouble call upon the Lord to save them, when they would be sent to their gods, who were as numerous as their cities, Jer 2:26-28 wherefore it was in vain to plead their innocence, when they were all so guilty, and had received correction without amendment, and had even slain the prophets of the Lord, Jer 2:29,30 and then the Lord again upbraids them with their ingratitude to him, who had been so good and kind to them; with their forgetfulness of him, illustrated by a maid's not forgetting her ornaments, and a bride her attire; with their artful methods to entice others to idolatry, and with their shedding of innocent blood; and yet, after all this, they asserted their innocence, and affirmed they had never sinned, Jer 2:31-35, for all which sentence is pronounced against them, and punishment is threatened them, Jer 2:36,37.

Cross References 27

  • 1. Jeremiah 3:4
  • 2. Ezek. 16:8, 43, 60; [Revelation 2:4]
  • 3. Deuteronomy 2:7
  • 4. Deuteronomy 8:2, 3
  • 5. Exodus 28:36; [Exodus 19:5, 6]
  • 6. James 1:18; [Exodus 4:22]
  • 7. Jeremiah 12:14; Ezekiel 25:12, 13; [Genesis 12:3]
  • 8. ver. 31; Isaiah 5:4; Micah 6:3
  • 9. 2 Kings 17:15
  • 10. Jeremiah 10:15; Jeremiah 14:22; Jeremiah 16:19
  • 11. [Isaiah 63:11-13; Hosea 13:4, 5]
  • 12. Deuteronomy 8:15; Deuteronomy 32:10
  • 13. See Deuteronomy 8:7-10
  • 14. Psalms 106:38; [Leviticus 18:24, 25]
  • 15. Jeremiah 18:18; [Malachi 2:7; Romans 2:20]
  • 16. [Jeremiah 5:5]
  • 17. Jeremiah 23:13; [Jeremiah 5:31]
  • 18. [Habakkuk 2:18]
  • 19. ver. 35; Ezekiel 17:20; Ezekiel 20:35, 36
  • 20. Exodus 20:5, 6
  • 21. See Genesis 10:4
  • 22. See Isaiah 21:16
  • 23. [Micah 4:5]; See Jeremiah 18:13-15
  • 24. Jeremiah 16:20; Isaiah 37:19; Galatians 4:8
  • 25. Psalms 106:20
  • 26. [See ver. 8 above]
  • 27. Isaiah 1:2

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.