Jeremiah 2:15

15 Lions have roared. They have growled at you. They have destroyed your land. Your towns are burned and deserted.

Jeremiah 2:15 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 2:15

The young lions roared upon him, and yelled
Or, "gave out their voice" ^F5; meaning the kings of the nations, as the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi explain it; and are to be understood of the kings of Assyria and Babylon, and particularly of Nebuchadnezzar; see ( Jeremiah 50:17 ) compared to lions for their strength and cruelty; their "roaring" and "yelling design" the bringing forth of their armies against Israel, the noise of the battle, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war, and the voice of the warrior: and they made his land waste;
all this is said as past, when it was yet to come, because of the certainty of it, and the sure accomplishment of these prophecies; for this respects the future desolation of the land of Israel at the Babylonish captivity: his cities are burnt without inhabitant;
not only Jerusalem was burnt with fire, ( Jeremiah 52:13 ) , but other cities in the land of Israel, so that they were not inhabited: or, "they were desolate or destroyed" ^F6 as the Septuagint version, so that none could dwell in them; and so the Targum,

``her cities are desolate, without inhabitant.''

Kimchi's father explains the word by (wxmu) , "budded", or brought forth herbs or plants; for desolate places bring up plants; where there is no inhabitant, grass grows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (Mlwq wntn) "dederunt vocem suam", Montanus, Pagninus; "edunt rocem suam", Schmidt.
F6 (htun) , (kateskafhsan) , "desolatae sunt, [sive] destructae", Vatablus.

Jeremiah 2:15 In-Context

13 "My people have sinned twice. They have deserted me, even though I am the spring of water that gives life. And they have dug their own wells. But those wells are broken. They can't hold any water.

14 Are you people of Israel servants? You were not born as slaves, were you? Then why have you been carried off like stolen goods?

15 Lions have roared. They have growled at you. They have destroyed your land. Your towns are burned and deserted.

16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved your heads to dishonor you.

17 Haven't you brought that on yourselves? I am the LORD your God, but you deserted me. You left me even while I was leading you.