Jeremiah 2

2. The kindness of thy youth. This probably means “thy piety and love towards Me”; and may refer to that faithful generation who, after being led through the wilderness, took possession of Canaan: see Joshua, especially Josh. xxii. 1.

3. Israel [was] holiness unto the Lord. Rather, “Israel was holy to Jehovah, [being] the first-fruit of His (i.e., God’s) produce: all who eat him will [therefore] be held guilty,” etc. God regarded Israel as consecrated, like the first-fruits, to Himself (see Exod. xxiii. 19). No stranger was allowed to partake of the first-fruits (Lev. xxii. 10, 16). So God would severely punish all who attempted to injure Israel, as in the cases of the Amalekites and the Amorites: see Exod. xvii. 14-16; Deut. ii. 30, etc.

5 and have walked after vanity, etc. Or, “after emptiness and become empty themselves.” These words are quoted from 2 Kings xvii. 15. Men assimilate themselves to the object of their worship.

6 a land of deserts. See Numb. xi. 1; xxi. 4, and notes.

8. The pastors. Or, “shepherds.” This may mean kings or rulers (so R.V.), as distinguished from priests and prophets: see I Kings xxii. 17.

9 will I plead. “The Hebrew word is that of the plaintiff setting forth his accusation in a law-court” (Dean Payne-Smith).

10 over. Or, “over to” (R.V.). “Chittim” (Cyprus) and “Kedar” (Arabia Deserta) are put for west and east.

11. Hath a nation changed [their] gods? While the heathen cling to their idols, though they obtain from them no good, Israel has exchanged truth for error—the ever fresh, full, accessible fountain of life for the “cistern,” laboriously excavated, which would become stagnant, if it were not “broken,” and therefore dry (13). So to the one evil which the heathen commit—that of idolatry, the Jews have added a second—that of apostasy.

16. Noph and Tahapanes. See note on Isa. xix. 13. Noph is Memphis. Tahapanes was called by the Greeks Daphne, near Pelusium; see xliii. The prophetic vision was fulfilled when Josiah was defeated and slain by the Egyptians at Megiddo (2 Kings xxiii. 29).

have broken the crown of thy head. Or, “have stripped thee.”

17. Hast thou not procured this, etc.? More exactly, “Is not this (thy present calamitous state) what thy forsaking Jehovah, even while He guided thee in the way, has brought about?”

18 to drink the waters of Sihor. The same figure as in ver. 13. Instead of seeking supply from Me, you have gone to the Nile or the Euphrates—to Egypt or Assyria. “Sihor” is the Nile: see Isa. xxiii. 3.

19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee. The alliances with foreign powers, into which the Jews had been led by their mistrust of God and disobedience to Him, were both the cause and the means of their punishment: see ver. 36.

20. I have broken. The ancient versions, followed by Luther, read, “Thou hast broken thy yoke, and hast burst thy bonds; and hast said, I will not serve (or obey); for upon every high hill,” etc. This agrees better with the latter clause.

22 nitre. R.V., “lye,” in which “natron” or carbonate of soda was used.

soap. Or, “potash”; an alkali obtained from the ashes of plants.

marked. With a stain.

23. See thy way in the valley. “Way,” for “conduct.” Alluding to the worship of Moloch in the valley of Hinnon: see note on 2 Kings xxiii. 10. dromedary. Or, young she-camel.

traversing her ways. That is, running hither and thither.

24 at her pleasure. Or, as R.V., “in her desire,” in her occasion . . . in her month. At the pairing season.

25. Withhold thy foot from being unshod, etc. “Do not so recklessly follow thy wicked ways; do not so thirst after idols.”

There is no hope, etc. That is, It is useless to oppose me: I say “No” to all thine entreaties, for I have loved strange gods, etc.

26. So is the house of Israel ashamed. The suggestion is, that where there is shame there may yet (notwithstanding ver. 25) be repentance.

29. Wherefore will ye plead with Me? i.e., Why do you complain of Me as if I had wronged you?

33. Therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones (fem.) thy ways. Or, “Thou hast taught thy ways wickednesses:” i.e., Thou hast made sin a study and an art, in which thou hast attained such proficiency that thou canst openly practise the most atrocious cruelties (34), and yet call them innocent or venial (35).

34. I have not found it, etc. “I have not found it by digging through, i.e., by laborious search, but everywhere.” The sin is open, flagrant. Some ancient versions read, “but upon every oak” or “terebinth,” an allusion to idolatrous practices.

36 to change thy way. The description of a vacillating policy in seeking alliances.

37 thine hands upon thine head. As one in the deepest shame and grief: see 2 Sam. xiii. 19.

thy confidences. Thy supports, those in whom you trust: formerly Assyria, and now Egypt.