20 For of old time H5769 I have broken H7665 thy yoke, H5923 and burst H5423 thy bands; H4147 and thou saidst, H559 I will not transgress; H5674 H5647 when upon every high H1364 hill H1389 and under every green H7488 tree H6086 thou wanderest, H6808 playing the harlot. H2181
Ye shall utterly H6 destroy H6 all the places, H4725 wherein the nations H1471 which H834 ye shall possess H3423 served H5647 their gods, H430 upon the high H7311 mountains, H2022 and upon the hills, H1389 and under every green H7488 tree: H6086
For it shall come to pass in that day, H3117 saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 that I will break H7665 his yoke H5923 from off thy neck, H6677 and will burst H5423 thy bonds, H4147 and strangers H2114 shall no more serve H5647 themselves of him:
They say, H559 If a man H376 put away H7971 his wife, H802 and she go H1980 from him, and become another H312 man's, H376 shall he return unto her again? H7725 shall not that land H776 be greatly H2610 polluted? H2610 but thou hast played the harlot H2181 with many H7227 lovers; H7453 yet return again H7725 to me, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068 Lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 unto the high places, H8205 and see H7200 where H375 thou hast not been lien H7693 H7901 with. In the ways H1870 hast thou sat H3427 for them, as the Arabian H6163 in the wilderness; H4057 and thou hast polluted H2610 the land H776 with thy whoredoms H2184 and with thy wickedness. H7451
Enflaming H2552 yourselves with idols H410 under every green H7488 tree, H6086 slaying H7819 the children H3206 in the valleys H5158 under the clifts H5585 of the rocks? H5553 Among the smooth H2511 stones of the stream H5158 is thy portion; H2506 they, they are thy lot: H1486 even to them hast thou poured H8210 a drink offering, H5262 thou hast offered H5927 a meat offering. H4503 Should I receive comfort H5162 in these? Upon a lofty H1364 and high H5375 mountain H2022 hast thou set H7760 thy bed: H4904 even thither wentest thou up H5927 to offer H2076 sacrifice. H2077
The LORD H3068 said H559 also unto me in the days H3117 of Josiah H2977 the king, H4428 Hast thou seen H7200 that which backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 hath done? H6213 she is gone up H1980 upon every high H1364 mountain H2022 and under H8478 every green H7488 tree, H6086 and there hath played the harlot. H2181 And I said H559 after H310 she had done H6213 all these things, Turn H7725 thou unto me. But she returned H7725 not. And her treacherous H901 sister H269 Judah H3063 saw H7200 it. And I saw, H7200 when for all the causes H182 whereby backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 committed adultery H5003 I had put her away, H7971 and given H5414 her a bill H5612 of divorce; H3748 yet her treacherous H898 sister H269 Judah H3063 feared H3372 not, but went H3212 and played the harlot H2181 also.
But thou didst trust H982 in thine own beauty, H3308 and playedst the harlot H2181 because of thy renown, H8034 and pouredst out H8210 thy fornications H8457 on every one that passed by; H5674 his it was. And of thy garments H899 thou didst take, H3947 and deckedst H6213 thy high places H1116 with divers colours, H2921 and playedst the harlot H2181 thereupon: the like things shall not come, H935 neither shall it be so.
That thou hast also built H1129 unto thee an eminent place, H1354 and hast made H6213 thee an high place H7413 in every street. H7339 Thou hast built H1129 thy high place H7413 at every head H7218 of the way, H1870 and hast made thy beauty H3308 to be abhorred, H8581 and hast opened H6589 thy feet H7272 to every one that passed by, H5674 and multiplied H7235 thy whoredoms. H8457
In that thou buildest H1129 thine eminent place H1354 in the head H7218 of every way, H1870 and makest H6213 thine high place H7413 in every street; H7339 and hast not been as an harlot, H2181 in that thou scornest H7046 hire; H868
And they shall burn H8313 thine houses H1004 with fire, H784 and execute H6213 judgments H8201 upon thee in the sight H5869 of many H7227 women: H802 and I will cause thee to cease H7673 from playing the harlot, H2181 and thou also shalt give H5414 no hire H868 any more.
For when I had brought H935 them into the land, H776 for the which I lifted up H5375 mine hand H3027 to give H5414 it to them, then they saw H7200 every high H7311 hill, H1389 and all the thick H5687 trees, H6086 and they offered H2076 there their sacrifices, H2077 and there they presented H5414 the provocation H3708 of their offering: H7133 there also they made H7760 their sweet H5207 savour, H7381 and poured out H5258 there their drink offerings. H5262
And Aholah H170 played the harlot H2181 when she was mine; H8478 and she doted H5689 on her lovers, H157 on the Assyrians H804 her neighbours, H7138
For their mother H517 hath played the harlot: H2181 she that conceived H2029 them hath done shamefully: H3001 for she said, H559 I will go H3212 after H310 my lovers, H157 that give H5414 me my bread H3899 and my water, H4325 my wool H6785 and my flax, H6593 mine oil H8081 and my drink. H8250
And they answered H6030 Joshua, H3091 saying, H559 All that thou commandest H6680 us we will do, H6213 and whithersoever H834 thou sendest H7971 us, we will go. H3212
And all the people H5971 answered H6030 together, H3162 and said, H559 All that the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 we will do. H6213 And Moses H4872 returned H7725 the words H1697 of the people H5971 unto the LORD. H3068
And Moses H4872 came H935 and told H5608 the people H5971 all the words H1697 of the LORD, H3068 and all the judgments: H4941 and all the people H5971 answered H6030 with one H259 voice, H6963 and said, H559 All the words H1697 which the LORD H3068 hath said H1696 will we do. H6213
For thou shalt worship H7812 no other H312 god: H410 for the LORD, H3068 whose name H8034 is Jealous, H7067 is a jealous H7067 God: H410 Lest thou make H3772 a covenant H1285 with the inhabitants H3427 of the land, H776 and they go a whoring H2181 after H310 their gods, H430 and do sacrifice H2076 unto their gods, H430 and one call H7121 thee, and thou eat H398 of his sacrifice; H2077 And thou take H3947 of their daughters H1323 unto thy sons, H1121 and their daughters H1323 go a whoring H2181 after H310 their gods, H430 and make H2181 thy sons H1121 go a whoring H2181 after H310 their gods. H430
But the LORD H3068 hath taken H3947 you, and brought you forth H3318 out of the iron H1270 furnace, H3564 even out of Egypt, H4714 to be unto him a people H5971 of inheritance, H5159 as ye are this day. H3117
Or hath God H430 assayed H5254 to go H935 and take H3947 him a nation H1471 from the midst H7130 of another nation, H1471 by temptations, H4531 by signs, H226 and by wonders, H4159 and by war, H4421 and by a mighty H2389 hand, H3027 and by a stretched out H5186 arm, H2220 and by great H1419 terrors, H4172 according to all that the LORD H3068 your God H430 did H6213 for you in Egypt H4714 before your eyes? H5869
Go thou near, H7126 and hear H8085 all that the LORD H3068 our God H430 shall say: H559 and speak H1696 thou unto us all that the LORD H3068 our God H430 shall speak H1696 unto thee; and we will hear H8085 it, and do H6213 it.
And I am come down H3381 to deliver H5337 them out of the hand H3027 of the Egyptians, H4714 and to bring H5927 them up out of that land H776 unto a good H2896 land H776 and a large, H7342 unto a land H776 flowing H2100 with milk H2461 and honey; H1706 unto the place H4725 of the Canaanites, H3669 and the Hittites, H2850 and the Amorites, H567 and the Perizzites, H6522 and the Hivites, H2340 and the Jebusites. H2983
And they cried H2199 unto the LORD, H3068 and said, H559 We have sinned, H2398 because we have forsaken H5800 the LORD, H3068 and have served H5647 Baalim H1168 and Ashtaroth: H6252 but now deliver H5337 us out of the hand H3027 of our enemies, H341 and we will serve H5647 thee.
And Jeroboam H3379 ordained H6213 a feast H2282 in the eighth H8066 month, H2320 on the fifteenth H2568 H6240 day H3117 of the month, H2320 like unto the feast H2282 that is in Judah, H3063 and he offered H5927 upon the altar. H4196 So did H6213 he in Bethel, H1008 sacrificing H2076 unto the calves H5695 that he had made: H6213 and he placed H5975 in Bethel H1008 the priests H3548 of the high places H1116 which he had made. H6213
For thou hast broken H2865 the yoke H5923 of his burden, H5448 and the staff H4294 of his shoulder, H7926 the rod H7626 of his oppressor, H5065 as in the day H3117 of Midian. H4080
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 2
Commentary on Jeremiah 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
It is probable that this chapter was Jeremiah's first sermon after his ordination; and a most lively pathetic sermon it is as any we have is all the books of the prophets. Let him not say, "I cannot speak, for I am a child;' for, God having touched his mouth and put his words into it, none can speak better. The scope of the chapter is to show God's people their transgressions, even the house of Jacob their sins; it is all by way of reproof and conviction, that they might be brought to repent of their sins and so prevent the ruin that was coming upon them. The charge drawn up against them is very high, the aggravations are black, the arguments used for their conviction very close and pressing, and the expostulations very pungent and affecting. The sin which they are most particularly charged with here is idolatry, forsaking the true God, their own God, for other false gods. Now they are told,
Those hearts were hard indeed that were untouched and unhumbled when their sins were thus set in order before them. O that by meditating on this chapter we might be brought to repent of our spiritual idolatries, giving that place in our souls to the world and the flesh which should have been reserved for God only!
Jer 2:1-8
Here is,
Jer 2:9-13
The prophet, having shown their base ingratitude in forsaking God, here shows their unparalleled fickleness and folly (v. 9): I will yet plead with you. Note, Before God punishes sinners he pleads with them, to bring them to repentance. Note, further, When much has been said of the evil of sin, still there is more to be said; when one article of the charge is made good, there is another to be urged; when we have said a great deal, still we have yet to speak on God's behalf, Job 36:2. Those that deal with sinners, for their conviction, must urge a variety of arguments and follow their blow. God had before pleaded with their fathers, and asked why they walked after vanity and became vain, v. 5. Now he pleads with those who persisted in that vain conversation received by tradition from their fathers, and with their children's children, that is, with all that in every age tread in their steps. Let those that forsake God know that he is willing to argue the case fairly with them, that he may be justified when he speaks. He pleads that with us which we should plead with ourselves.
Jer 2:14-19
The prophet, further to evince the folly of their forsaking God, shows them what mischiefs they had already brought upon themselves by so doing; it had already cost them dear, for to this were owing all the calamities their country was now groaning under, which were but an earnest of more and greater if they repented not. See how they smarted for their folly.
Jer 2:20-28
In these verses the prophet goes on with his charge against this backsliding people. Observe here,
Jer 2:29-37
The prophet here goes on in the same strain, aiming to bring a sinful people to repentance, that their destruction might be prevented.