Jeremiah 2:10

10 Look around. Have you ever seen anything quite like this? Sail to the western islands and look. Travel to the Kedar wilderness and look. Look closely. Has this ever happened before,

Jeremiah 2:10 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 2:10

For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see
Or, "to the isles of Chittim" F26; so called from Kittim the son of Javan, ( Genesis 10:4 ) who, as Josephus says F1, possessed the island of Chethima, now called Cyprus; and, from that, all islands, and most maritime places, are, by the Hebrews, called Chittim, he observes: it may regard all the islands in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas: and send unto Kedar;
which was in Arabia, and lay to the east, as Chittim to the west; and so the Targum paraphrases it,

``send to the provinces of the Arabians:''
and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing;
as what is inquired about in the following verse, a change of deities. All this is to be understood of the contemplation of the mind, and not of any corporeal journey to be taken, to inquire into this matter.
FOOTNOTES:

F26 (Myytk yya wrbe) (eiv nhsouv) Sept. "transite ad insulas Cethim", V. L. "ad insulas Cypriorum"; so some in Vatablus; "in insulas", Schmidt.
F1 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 1.

Jeremiah 2:10 In-Context

8 The priests never thought to ask, 'Where's God?' The religion experts knew nothing of me. The rulers defied me. The prophets preached god Baal And chased empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes.
9 Because of all this, I'm bringing charges against you" - God's Decree - "charging you and your children and your grandchildren.
10 Look around. Have you ever seen anything quite like this? Sail to the western islands and look. Travel to the Kedar wilderness and look. Look closely. Has this ever happened before,
11 That a nation has traded in its gods for gods that aren't even close to gods? But my people have traded my Glory for empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes.
12 "Stand in shock, heavens, at what you see! Throw up your hands in disbelief - this can't be!" God's Decree.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.