Jeremiah 2

19. correct . . . reprove--rather, in the severer sense, "chastise . . . punish" [MAURER].
backslidings--"apostasies"; plural, to express the number and variety of their defections. The very confederacies they entered into were the occasion of their overthrow ( Proverbs 1:31 , Isaiah 3:9 , Hosea 5:5 ).
know . . . see--imperative for futures: Thou shalt know and see to thy cost.
my fear--rather, "the fear of Me."

20. I--the Hebrew should be pointed as the second person feminine, a form common in Jeremiah: "Thou hast broken," &c. So the Septuagint, and the sense requires it.
thy yoke . . . bands--the yoke and bands which I laid on thee, My laws ( Jeremiah 5:5 ).
transgress--so the Keri, and many manuscripts read. But the Septuagint and most authorities read, "I will not serve," that is, obey. The sense of English Version is, "I broke thy yoke (in Egypt)," &c., "and (at that time) thou saidst, I will not transgress; whereas thou hast (since then) wandered (from Me)" ( Exodus 19:8 ).
hill . . . green tree--the scene of idolatries ( Deuteronomy 12:2 , Isaiah 57:5 Isaiah 57:7 ).
wanderest--rather, "thou hast bowed down thyself" (for the act of adultery: figurative of shameless idolatry, Exodus 34:15 Exodus 34:16 ; compare Job 31:10 ).

21. The same image as in Deuteronomy 32:32 , Psalms 80:8 Psalms 80:9 , Isaiah 5:1 , &c.
unto me--with respect to Me.

22. nitre--not what is now so called, namely, saltpeter; but the natron of Egypt, a mineral alkali, an incrustation at the bottom of the lakes, after the summer heat has evaporated the water: used for washing (compare Job 9:30 , Proverbs 25:20 ).
soap--potash, the carbonate of which is obtained impure from burning different plants, especially the kali of Egypt and Arabia. Mixed with oil it was used for washing.
marked--deeply ingrained, indelibly marked; the Hebrew, catham, being equivalent to cathab. Others translate, "is treasured up," from the Arabic. MAURER from a Syriac root, "is polluted."

23. ( Proverbs 30:12 ).
Baalim--plural, to express manifold excellency: compare Elohim.
see--consider.
the valley--namely, of Hinnom, or Tophet, south and east of Jerusalem: rendered infamous by the human sacrifices to Moloch in it (compare Jeremiah 19:2 Jeremiah 19:6 Jeremiah 19:13 Jeremiah 19:14 , 32:35 ;
thou art--omit. The substantive that follows in this verse (and also that in Jeremiah 2:24 ) is in apposition with the preceding "thou."
dromedary--rather, a "young she-camel."
traversing--literally, "enfolding"; making its ways complicated by wandering hither and thither, lusting after the male. Compare as to the Jews' spiritual lust, Hosea 2:6 Hosea 2:7 .

24. ( Jeremiah 14:6 , Job 39:5 ). "A wild ass," agreeing with "thou" ( Jeremiah 2:23 ).
at her pleasure--rather, "in her ardor," namely, in pursuit of a male, sniffing the wind to ascertain where one is to be found [MAURER].
occasion--either from a Hebrew root, "to meet"; "her meeting (with the male for sexual intercourse), who can avert it?" Or better from an Arabic root: "her heat (sexual impulse), who can allay it?" [MAURER].
all they--whichever of the males desire her company [HORSLEY].
will not weary themselves--have no need to weary themselves in searching for her.
her month--in the season of the year when her sexual impulse is strongest, she puts herself in the way of the males, so that they have no difficulty in finding her.

25. Withhold, &c.--that is, abstain from incontinence; figuratively for idolatry [HOUBIGANT].
unshod, &c.--do not run so violently in pursuing lovers, as to wear out thy shoes: do not "thirst" so incontinently after sexual intercourse. HITZIG thinks the reference is to penances performed barefoot to idols, and the thirst occasioned by loud and continued invocations to them.
no hope--( Jeremiah 18:12 , Isaiah 57:10 ). "It is hopeless," that is, I am desperately resolved to go on in my own course.
strangers--that is, laying aside the metaphor, "strange gods" ( Jeremiah 3:13 , Deuteronomy 32:16 ).

26. is ashamed--is put to shame.
thief--( John 10:1 ).
Israel--that is, Judah ( Jeremiah 2:28 ).

27. Thou art my father--(Contrast Jeremiah 3:4 , Isaiah 64:8 ).
in . . . trouble they will say--namely, to God ( Psalms 78:34 , Isaiah 26:16 ). Trouble often brings men to their senses ( Luke 15:16-18 ).

28. But--God sends them to the gods for whom they forsook Him, to see if they can help them ( Deuteronomy 32:37 Deuteronomy 32:38 , Judges 10:14 ).
according to the number of thy cities--Besides national deities, each city had its tutelary god ( Jeremiah 11:13 ).

29. plead with me--that is, contend with Me for afflicting you ( Jeremiah 2:23 Jeremiah 2:35 ).

30. ( Jeremiah 5:3 , 6:29 , Isaiah 1:5 , 9:13 ).
your children--that is, your people, you.
your . . . sword . . . devoured . . . prophets--( 2 Chronicles 36:16 , Nehemiah 9:26 , Matthew 23:29 Matthew 23:31 ).

31. The Hebrew collocation is, "O, the generation, ye," that is, "O ye who now live." The generation needed only to be named, to call its degeneracy to view, so palpable was it.
wilderness--in which all the necessaries of life are wanting. On the contrary, Jehovah was a never-failing source of supply for all Israel's wants in the wilderness, and afterwards in Canaan.
darkness--literally, "darkness of Jehovah," the strongest Hebrew term for "darkness; the densest darkness"; compare "land of the shadow of death" ( Jeremiah 2:6 ).
We are lords--that is, We are our own masters. We will worship what gods we like ( Psalms 12:4 , 82:6 ). But it is better to translate from a different Hebrew root: "We ramble at large," without restraint pursuing our idolatrous lusts.

32. Oriental women greatly pride themselves on their ornaments (compare Isaiah 61:10 ).
attire--girdles for the breast.
forgotten me--( Jeremiah 13:25 , Hosea 8:14 ).

33. Why trimmest--MAURER translates, "How skilfully thou dost prepare thy way," &c. But see 2 Kings 9:30 . "Trimmest" best suits the image of one decking herself as a harlot.
way--course of life.
therefore--accordingly. Or else, "nay, thou hast even," &c.
also . . . wicked ones--even the wicked harlots, that is, (laying aside the metaphor) even the Gentiles who are wicked, thou teachest to be still more so [GROTIUS].

34. Also--not only art thou polluted with idolatry, but also with the guilt of shedding innocent blood [MAURER]. ROSENMULLER not so well translates, "even in thy skirts," &c.; that is, there is no part of thee (not even thy skirts) that is not stained with innocent blood ( Jeremiah 19:4 , 2 Kings 21:16 , Psalms 106:38 ). See as to innocent blood shed, not as here in honor of idols, but of prophets for having reproved them ( Jeremiah 2:30 , Jeremiah 26:20-23 ).
souls--that is, persons.
search--I did not need to "search deep" to find proof of thy guilt; for it was "upon all these" thy skirts. Not in deep caverns didst thou perpetrate these atrocities, but openly in the vale of Hinnom and within the precincts of the temple.

35. ( Jeremiah 2:23 Jeremiah 2:29 ).

36. gaddest--runnest to and fro, now seeking help from Assyria ( 2 Chronicles 28:16-21 ), now from Egypt ( Jeremiah 37:7 Jeremiah 37:8 , Isaiah 30:3 ).

37. him--Egypt.
hands upon . . . head--expressive of mourning ( 2 Samuel 13:19 ).
in them--in those stays in which thou trustest.