Jérémie 2:14

14 Israël est-il un esclave, ou est-il né dans la maison? Pourquoi donc a-t-il été mis au pillage?

Jérémie 2:14 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 2:14

Is Israel a servant?
&c.] That he does not abide in the house, in his own land, but is carried captive, becomes subject to others, and is used as a slave; so the Targum,

``as a servant;''
is he not the Lord's first born? are not the people of Israel called the children of the living God? how come they then to be treated not as children, as free men, but as servants? this cannot be owing to any breach of covenant or promise on God's part, or to the failure of the blessing of national adoption bestowed on them; but to some sin or sins of theirs, which have brought them into this miserable condition: is he a home born slave?
or born in the house, of the handmaid, and so in the power of the master of the family in whose house he was born, ( Exodus 21:4 ) or the sense is, either Israel is a servant, or a son of the family
F4, as some render the words; not the former, being not only the son of a free woman, but Jehovah's firstborn; if the latter, why is he spoiled?
why is he delivered up to the spoilers? as the Targum; why should he be given up into the hands of the Babylonians, and become their prey? is it usual for fathers to suffer their children, or those born in their house, to be so used? some reason must be given for it.
FOOTNOTES:

F4 (tyb dyly) "filius familias", Munster.

Jérémie 2:14 In-Context

12 Cieux, soyez étonnés de ceci, frémissez d'horreur et soyez stupéfaits! dit l'Éternel.
13 Car mon peuple a fait doublement mal: ils m'ont abandonné, moi qui suis la source des eaux vives, pour se creuser des citernes, des citernes crevassées qui ne retiennent point l'eau.
14 Israël est-il un esclave, ou est-il né dans la maison? Pourquoi donc a-t-il été mis au pillage?
15 Contre lui les lionceaux rugissent, ils ont fait entendre leur voix, ils ont mis son pays en désolation. Ses villes sont brûlées, il n'y a plus d'habitants.
16 Même les enfants de Noph et de Tacphanès te dévoreront le sommet de la tête.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.