Yirmeyah 2:27

27 Saying to Etz (wood), Thou art Avi; and to Even (stone), Thou hast brought me forth; for they have turned their back unto Me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and hoshi’einu (save us).

Yirmeyah 2:27 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 2:27

Saying to a stock
"To a tree" F6; to a piece of wood; that is, to an image made of it; so the Targum,

``they say to an image of wood;''
what follows: thou art my father;
ascribing that to the idol which belongs to God, who was their Father that made them, and upheld them, was the author of their beings, and the God of their mercies: and to a stone;
an image of stone: thou hast brought me forth:
into being; affirming it to be his former and maker; so the Targum,
``to that which is made of stone, thou hast created me:''
for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face;
they turned their faces to images of wood and stone, and worshipped them; and they turned their backs upon the Lord, his worship and ordinances, and apostatized from him; which the Targum thus expresses,
``for they turned their backs on my worship, and did not put my fear before their faces:''
but in the time of their trouble;
when any calamity befalls them, as famine, pestilence, sword, captivity, and the like: they will say, arise, and save us;
not that they will say so to their idols, but they will say so to the true God; for notwithstanding they worshipped idols in time of prosperity, forgetting God their Saviour; yet in adversity they are brought to their senses, and find that none but God can save them, and therefore apply to him; to which agrees the Targum,
``and in the time that evil comes upon them, they deny their idols, and confess before me, and say, have mercy on us, and save us.''

FOOTNOTES:

F6 (Uel) "ligno", V. L. Pagnanius, Montanus, Schmidt.

Yirmeyah 2:27 In-Context

25 Withhold thy regel from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst; but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved zarim, and after them will I go.
26 As the ganav is ashamed when he is caught, so is the Bais Yisroel ashamed; they, their melachim, their sarim, and their kohanim, and their nevi’im.
27 Saying to Etz (wood), Thou art Avi; and to Even (stone), Thou hast brought me forth; for they have turned their back unto Me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and hoshi’einu (save us).
28 But where are thy elohim that thou hast made for thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble; for as many as are the mispar (number) of thy towns are thy elohim, O Yehudah.
29 Why will ye bring lawsuit against Me? Ye all have rebelled against Me, saith Hashem.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.