Yirmeyah 2:8

8 The Kohanim asked not, Where is Hashem? And they that handle the Torah had no da’as of Me; the ro’im also rebelled against Me, and the nevi’im prophesied by Ba’al, and walked after worthless things.

Yirmeyah 2:8 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 2:8

The priests said not, where is the Lord?
&c.] Whose business it was to draw nigh to God, and offer the sacrifices of the people, and inquire of God for them; whose lips should keep knowledge, and at whose mouth the law should be sought, they being the messengers of the Lord of hosts, ( Malachi 2:7 ) : and they that handle the law knew me not;
the sanhedrim, according to Jarchi; or the lawyers and scribes, the Rabbins and doctors of the law, whose business it was to read and explain it; these did not understand it, nor the mind of God in it; and much less did they know him in a spiritual and evangelical manner; or as he is in Christ, and revealed in the Gospel: the pastors also transgressed against me;
kings, as the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi interpret it, who were pastors or shepherds in a civil sense; whose business it was to feed the people as the shepherd does his flock; that is, to guide and govern them by wholesome laws, by the laws of God; but, instead of this, they rebelled against the Lord, and transgressed his commands: and the prophets prophesied by Baal;
in his name; pretending to be inspired by that idol, and to receive the spirit of prophecy from him: and walked after things that do not profit;
the gods of the Gentiles, which could not supply them with the least temporal blessing, and much less give them spiritual and eternal ones; see ( Jeremiah 14:22 ) . This is to be understood of false prophets, as Ben Melech.

Yirmeyah 2:8 In-Context

6 Neither did they ask, Where is Hashem that brought us up out of Eretz Mitzrayim, that led us through the midbar, through an eretz of deserts and pits, through an eretz tziyyah (land of drought) and tzalmavet, through eretz that no ish passed through, where no adam dwelt?

7 And I brought you into an eretz hacarmel, to eat the pri thereof and the tovah thereof; but when ye entered, ye made My land tameh, and made My nachalah a to’evah.

8 The Kohanim asked not, Where is Hashem? And they that handle the Torah had no da’as of Me; the ro’im also rebelled against Me, and the nevi’im prophesied by Ba’al, and walked after worthless things.

9 Therefore I will yet bring lawsuit against you, saith Hashem, and against bnei beneichem will I bring lawsuit.

10 For pass over to the isles of Kittim, and look; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there has ever been anything like this.