Jeremiah 2:10

10 Go ye to the isles of Chittim, and see ye; and send ye into Kedar, and behold ye greatly (and send ye to Kedar, and greatly consider ye); and see ye, if such a thing is (ever) done,

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 Priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that held the law, knew not me; and shepherds trespassed against me, and prophets prophesied in Baal, and followed idols. (The priests did not ask, Where is the Lord? yea, they who handled the Law, did not know me; and the shepherds of the people trespassed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and followed idols.)

9 Therefore yet I shall strive with you in doom, saith the Lord, and I shall dispute with your sons. (And so I shall contend, or argue, with you in judgement, saith the Lord, and I shall dispute with your sons.)

10 Go ye to the isles of Chittim, and see ye; and send ye into Kedar, and behold ye greatly (and send ye to Kedar, and greatly consider ye); and see ye, if such a thing is (ever) done,

11 if a folk changed his gods; and certainly they be no gods; but my people changed his glory into an idol. (if a nation ever changed their gods? and certainly they be no gods; but my people exchanged their glory for an idol.)

12 Heavens, be ye astonied on this thing, and, ye gates of heaven, be ye desolate greatly, saith the Lord. (Ye heavens, be ye astonished by this, and, ye gates of heaven, be ye greatly desolate, or in great despair, saith the Lord.)