Jeremiah 17:2

2 When the sons of them bethink on their altars, and [maumet] woods, and on the trees full of boughs, (While their sons and daughters worship at their altars, and in their sacred woods, by the trees full of branches, in the high mountains,)

Jeremiah 17:2 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 17:2

Whilst their children remember their altars
Which is a further proof of their long continuance in idolatrous practices, and a fresh witness against them; they trained up their children in them; who, when grown up, could not forget them, but imitated them, and went on in the same evil ways. Some render the words, "as they remember their children, so they remember their altars ^F9, and their groves, by the green trees upon the high hills"; they had the same love to their idols, and the worship of them, as they had to their children. This sense is received by Kimchi ^F11; yea, they had a greater affection for their idols than for their children; since they made their children pass through the fire to Moloch, and burnt their sons and their daughters to Baal. The Targum renders it, "their groves under every green tree": see ( Jeremiah 2:20 ) ( 3:6 ) . Kimchi and Ben Melech connect green trees not with groves but with altars; and take the sense to be, that their altars were by green trees; since groves and green trees were the same, and which altars also were upon high hills.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (Mtwxbzm Mhynb rkzk) "sicut recordantur filiorum suorum, ita recordantur ararum suarum"; so some in Vatablus.
F11 So in T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 63. 2. & Gloss in ib.

Jeremiah 17:2 In-Context

1 The sin of Judah is written with an iron pointel, in a nail of adamant; it is written on the breadth of the heart of them, and in the horns of the altars of them. (The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, with an adamant point; it is written on the breadth of their hearts, and on the corners of their altars.)

2 When the sons of them bethink on their altars, and [maumet] woods, and on the trees full of boughs, (While their sons and daughters worship at their altars, and in their sacred woods, by the trees full of branches, in the high mountains,)

3 making sacrifice in the field in high mountains, I shall give thy strength and all thy treasures into ravishing, thine high things for sins in all thine ends. (and make sacrifice in the fields, I shall give thy wealth and all thy treasures to robbing, or for spoils, and thy high places, or thy hill shrines, for more sins, in all thy terms, or in all thy land.)

4 And thou shalt be left alone from thine heritage which I gave to thee (And thou shalt be taken away from thy inheritance which I gave thee); and I shall make thee to serve thine enemies, in the land which thou knowest not; for thou hast kindled (a) fire in my strong vengeance, it shall burn till into without end.

5 The Lord saith these things, Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and setteth flesh his arm, and his heart goeth away from the Lord. (The Lord saith these things, Cursed is the person who trusteth in people, and maketh any flesh his source of power and security, and his heart goeth away from the Lord.)