Jeremiah 2:5

5 The Lord saith these things, What of wickedness found your fathers in me, for they went far away from me, and went after vanity, and were made vain? (The Lord saith these things, What wickedness did your forefathers find in me? for they went far away from me, and went after what was empty and futile.)

Jeremiah 2:5 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 2:5

Thus saith the Lord, what iniquity have your fathers found in
me
What injustice or injury has been done them? there is no unrighteousness in God, nor can any be done by him; or what unfaithfulness, or want of truth and integrity in performing promises, had they found in him? he never suffers his faithfulness to fail, or any of the good things he has promised. So the Targum,

``what falsehood have your fathers found in my word?''

none at all; God is a covenant keeping God: that they are gone far from me;
from my fear, as the Chaldee paraphrase; from the word and worship, and ways of God: and have walked after vanity;
after idols, the vanities of the Gentiles, ( Jeremiah 14:22 ) : and are become vain?
in their imaginations and in their actions, in their knowledge and in their practice, worshipping idols, as well as guilty of many other sins.

Jeremiah 2:5 In-Context

3 Israel was holy to the Lord, the first of fruits of him; men that devour that Israel, trespass; evils shall come on them, saith the Lord. (Israel was holy to the Lord, his first fruits; all who devour that Israel, trespass, or greatly sin; evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.)

4 The house of Jacob, and all the lineages of the house of Israel (and all the tribes of the house of Israel), hear ye the word of the Lord.

5 The Lord saith these things, What of wickedness found your fathers in me, for they went far away from me, and went after vanity, and were made vain? (The Lord saith these things, What wickedness did your forefathers find in me? for they went far away from me, and went after what was empty and futile.)

6 And they said not, Where is the Lord, that made us to go up from the land of Egypt, that led us over through desert, by the land unhabitable and without (a) way, by the land of thirst, and by the image of death, by the land in which a man went not, neither a man dwelled. (And they did not ask, Where is the Lord, who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us over through the wilderness, by the land that was uninhabited and without a way, by the land of thirst, and with portents of death, by the land in which no one went, nor in which anyone lived?)

7 And I brought you into the land of Carmel, that ye should eat the fruit thereof, and the goods thereof; and ye entered, and defouled my land, and setted mine heritage into abomination. (And I brought you into a plentiful land, so that ye could enjoy its fruit, and its goodness; and ye entered, and defiled my land, and made my inheritance into an abomination.)