THE WORD OF the LORD came to me: 2“Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem:
“‘I remember the devotion of your youth,
how as a bride you loved me
and followed me through the desert,
through a land not sown.
3Israel was holy to the LORD,
the firstfruits of his harvest;
all who devoured her were held guilty,
and disaster overtook them,’”
declares the LORD.
4Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob,
all you clans of the house of Israel.
5This is what the LORD says:
“What fault did your fathers find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and rifts,
a land of drought and darkness,
a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
7I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the LORD?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
9“Therefore I bring charges against you again,”
declares the LORD.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10Cross over to the coasts of Kittim and look,
send to Kedar and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their Glory
for worthless idols.
12Be appalled at this, O heavens,
and shudder with great horror,”
declares the LORD.
13“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
14Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth?
Why then has he become plunder?
15Lions have roared;
they have growled at him.
They have laid waste his land;
his towns are burned and deserted.
16Also, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have shaved the crown of your head.
17Have you not brought this on yourselves
by forsaking the LORD your God
when he led you in the way?
18Now why go to Egypt
to drink water from the Shihor?
And why go to Assyria
to drink water from the River?
19Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding will rebuke you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the LORD your God
and have no awe of me,”
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.
20“Long ago you broke off your yoke
and tore off your bonds;
you said, ‘I will not serve you!’
Indeed, on every high hill
and under every spreading tree
you lay down as a prostitute.
21I had planted you like a choice vine
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt, wild vine?
22Although you wash yourself with soda
and use an abundance of soap,
the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign LORD.
23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;
I have not run after the Baals’?
See how you behaved in the valley;
consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
running here and there,
24a wild donkey accustomed to the desert,
sniffing the wind in her craving—
in her heat who can restrain her?
Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves;
at mating time they will find her.
25Do not run until your feet are bare
and your throat is dry.
But you said, ‘It’s no use!
I love foreign gods,
and I must go after them.’
26“As a thief is disgraced when he is caught,
so the house of Israel is disgraced—
they, their kings and their officials,
their priests and their prophets.
27They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’
and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
They have turned their backs to me
and not their faces;
yet when they are in trouble, they say,
‘Come and save us!’
28Where then are the gods you made for yourselves?
Let them come if they can save you
when you are in trouble!
For you have as many gods
as you have towns, O Judah.
29“Why do you bring charges against me?
You have all rebelled against me,”
declares the LORD.
30“In vain I punished your people;
they did not respond to correction.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
like a ravening lion.
31You of this generation, consider the word of the LORD:
“Have I been a desert to Israel
or a land of great darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
we will come to you no more’?
32Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
33How skilled you are at pursuing love!
Even the worst of women can learn from your ways.
34On your clothes men find
the lifeblood of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.
Yet in spite of all this
35you say, ‘I am innocent;
he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment on you
because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36Why do you go about so much,
changing your ways?
You will be disappointed by Egypt
as you were by Assyria.
37You will also leave that place
with your hands on your head,
for the LORD has rejected those you trust;
you will not be helped by them.
Original Meaning
CHAPTER 2 IS a collection of Jeremiah’s undated poetic utterances, and as the first collection of oracles presented in the book, it also serves as an introduction to his public speaking. (Jeremiah 1:4–19, though intended ultimately for readers as well, is addressed directly to Jeremiah.) Perhaps it is helpful to think of these oracles in chapter 2 as a “sampler,” since the topics taken up reappear time and again in his book. The primary themes are about Judah’s defection from following the Lord and the importance of maintaining obedience to his revealed will. The same basic themes continue into chapter 3.
It is clear from the Hebrew text that chapter 2 alternates the manner in which the audience is addressed. Unfortunately English words do not offer a similar kind of specificity in translation because the English pronoun “you” can refer to masculine singular, feminine singular, and corporate entities, whereas these are all differentiated in Hebrew. As a result, at some points readers cannot tell from the translation of the NIV when the identity of the addressee has shifted. In fact, the NIV does not always render the different Hebrew pronouns literally, as the following outline will show. It is important to recall, however, that the change in addressee used by the prophet is for poetic effect. The people of Judah and Jerusalem are the real audience, regardless of the poetry or metaphor being used by the prophet.
A. 2:1–2 address Jerusalem (cities are personified as female in Hebrew) as the bride of the Lord.
B. 2:3 refers to Israel. To keep the continuity with the address to Jerusalem as bride, the NIV refers to Israel as “her” in verse 3, even though the Hebrew text follows the grammatical shift to masculine Israel and uses “him.”
C. 2:4–13 is for the people who are addressed with a plural “you.”
D. 2:14–16 continues the address to Israel (cf. B).
E. 2:17–25 shifts the address back to Jerusalem (cf. A). The NIV translates “yourselves” in verse 17, even though the Hebrew text has the feminine singular “you.”
F. 2:26–32 addresses Israel and Judah, both of which are corporate designations of the people.
G. 2:33–37 addresses Jerusalem again (cf. A). The Hebrew text has the feminine singular “you.”
Readers can see from the outline above that the collected oracles in chapter 2 vary the way the people are addressed. Since gender roles in the ancient world influence the way that poetry and metaphor characterize an entity, it is necessary to keep in mind the alternation listed above.
2:2–3. Jerusalem is reminded of her beginnings as the young bride of the Lord. Here the gender role of the poetry is significant. Cities are personified as female in Northwest Semitic cultures (of which Israel was a part). Jerusalem represents the people, just as Washington, D.C., or Beijing represent respectively the Unites States of America and the People’s Republic of China. It is her gender that provides the metaphor of Jerusalem as the bride of the Lord.
Verse 3 switches abruptly to address the people by their covenant name “Israel,” even though Israel is grammatically masculine singular. The combined imagery of 2:2–3 is that of Israel’s devotion to and dependence on the Lord for both identity and sustenance. It recalls by inference the exodus from Egypt into the desert, the covenant ceremony at Mount Sinai, and God’s sustaining of his people in the arid desert. This period of intimacy is contrasted with the estrangement from God depicted for Jeremiah’s contemporaries in the rest of the chapter.
2:4–13. Israel is defined here inclusively (i.e., in covenantal terms, not political terms) as “my people” (2:13; i.e., the people of God). Note the double address as “house of Jacob” and “clans of the house of Israel.” Corporately Israel is accused of having defected from its first love in order to pursue “worthless idols,” that is, other deities. Baal, a popular Canaanite deity, is named specifically in verse 8.1
Also in verse 8 Jeremiah singles out Judah’s leadership for particular criticism (cf. 2:26). It is leadership of a particular kind. “Priests” had the sacred task of interpreting God’s presence and will among the people and having facility with Torah (NIV “law”). The word translated as “leaders” is more literally rendered as “shepherds.” God, who is the great Shepherd of his people, demands that the leadership of the people share in this shepherding role. Finally, the “prophets” are singled out for their perfidy in seeking inspiration from Baal rather than the Lord.
The Lord’s historic faithfulness in the events of Exodus, desert wandering, and entry to the Promised Land (2:6–7) is contrasted with the emptiness of Baal and other idolatries. Succinctly stated: “My people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols” (v. 11) and have committed two evils: They have rejected the Lord and attempted vainly to support themselves (v. 13). The image of broken cisterns in verse 13 is telling, since the care of cisterns was a laborious job in the hill country of Palestine, where earthquake tremors occurred periodically. Jeremiah compares the labor-intensive work of repairing cisterns with the idolatry of following other gods, whereas the Lord is a fountain of living water.
2:14–19. These verses are addressed to two entities, each of whom represents the people. Verses 14–16 speak directly of “Israel,” and the “you” of verses 17–19 is addressed to Jerusalem. The tragic example of Israel (here, the northern kingdom) serves to highlight the precarious position of Jeremiah’s contemporaries in Judah. The defection from Yahweh shows itself institutionally in the political realm as Judah has become entangled with Egypt and Assyria (for historical details, see the introduction). This indictment presupposes a close relationship between an idolatrous and false worship on the one hand, and a disastrous political agenda on the other. Just as Judah seems willing to trust any deity in the Canaanite pantheon, so the state seems willing to grasp at straws in an attempt to save itself by making deals with Egypt and Assyria. Verse 19 predicts that Judah’s wicked acts will also be the measure of its judgment.
2:20–25. Because of their defection from the Lord, the people are depicted through a personification of Jerusalem as a prostitute. By analogy she/they are also like animals in heat who are unrestrained in seeking a mate. The valley mentioned in verse 23—where the people seek the Baals—is likely the Valley of Hinnom, which runs on the southern and western sides of the city of Jerusalem. It is also the probable site of child sacrifice to Molech or Baal (see also 7:30–34).
2:26–32. In matters of religious devotion, Jeremiah describes the people as calling on other gods through the symbols of trees and stones, with Judah having as many gods as towns (vv. 26–28). Perhaps the prophet employs sarcasm in his description of the wood as father and the stone as mother, for he reverses a widespread symbolic understanding in polytheism. In fertility cults, a tree is often the symbol of female fertility and a stone (in the form of a pillar; Heb. maṣṣebot) the symbol of male fertility. The consequences are severe: The Lord has rejected those forces in which Judah has put its trust.
In verses 29–32 the prophet carries on a dialogue or dispute with the people. Apparently some among them have accused God of negligence, while God, through the agency of prophets, has accused the people of defection—which earlier in the chapter was described as prostitution. The people are also accused of forgetting God. Modern readers should not take this charge as implying that memory or recognition of God has faded in Judah. Forgetting is associated with not honoring God or with being disobedient, just as remembering is associated with doing what is expected. If one “remembers,” one will act appropriately; thus, forgetting is tantamount to an inappropriate or nonresponsive act.
2:33–37. Jerusalem is again addressed, now personified as a prostitute or an adulteress. Verse 34 understands the prostitution as more than a defection from the worship of the Lord. The image is that of blood spattered on a garment, blood from innocent people whose lives have been consumed by the adulterous activities of Jerusalem. This adds the element of what can be called social criticism. Injustice and unrighteousness also flow from a defective understanding of who the Lord is and what he desires from his covenant partner.
The final image is that of personified Jerusalem walking away with her hands on her head. This is the posture of mourning and resignation, and it probably refers to the posture used by captives who are being led away. The activities of Jerusalem are leading to unpleasant consequences. Those entities (e.g., Assyria, Egypt) in whom she has trusted will be unable to help her in time of need.
Bridging Contexts
A “SAMPLER” ROLE. The thrust and tenor of these prophetic oracles are common to the book of Jeremiah. They possess two characteristics that define their particular role in the book: their placement at the beginning of Jeremiah’s words to his audience, and their profile as corporate address to the people as a whole. Both characteristics are important for interpretation. Like an introductory paragraph for an essay, Jeremiah’s initial words set the tone and substance of what follows. The fact that dates for the oracles are lacking suggests that the chapter is intended to “paint with a broad brush” and to function as a “sampler,” a term used in the previous section to describe the role of this collection. The overall thrust of the oracles is to paint God’s people in their totality as rebellious against the Lord, who brought them into existence.
The mortal folly of the people is a constant theme of Jeremiah’s public ministry. In keeping with the corporate nature of the address, the critique has to do with social institutions, political choices, and national character—that is, those things that make the audience a particular people. It is also a thoroughly theological analysis, reflecting Jeremiah’s judgmental words to God’s covenant partner. This is not just any state or group of people but those defined by election and covenant. Their fundamental identity is not that of a state but of a community of the Lord’s people, who also have a political shape to their corporate existence.
God’s people yesterday and today. The specifics of Judah’s situation do not need exact replication among God’s people in another time and place for them to be relevant to the faithful. Certainly God’s people today should read the criticisms (and the expectations) of ancient Israel and ask if they apply to them, but the essential point is covenantal and ecclesiological. These oracles question the fitness of Judah to serve as God’s covenant partner; they question the validity of the people’s identity as the beloved bride of the Lord. A congregation, a church body, can hear this text question their own role as God’s people.
In all parts these utterances assume the identity of Jeremiah’s audience to be the people of God. This identity is the common element with Jerusalem (v. 2), the house of Jacob and all the clans of Israel (v. 4), and Judah (v. 28). It takes precedence over the various political forms Israel or Judah might take. God declares the audience to be “my people” (v. 13); through their ancestors they became God’s bride (v. 2), rescued from Egypt (v. 6) and given a place in God’s land (v. 7). They began as holy to the Lord (v. 3), set apart for his service.2 They originated as a choice vine (v. 21), selected for the fruit they would bear (cf. Isa. 5:1–7).
Spurning the Lord from the heart. The text also assumes the faithlessness of God’s people at that time to their formative identity. By their actions they have defiled God’s land (v. 7), ignored his teaching (v. 8), and sought the protection of other deities (vv. 26–28). Instead of acting like a faithful spouse, they have prostituted themselves (vv. 20–25), frantically seeking protection from other gods or a political advantage through diplomatic intrigue (v. 36). This rejection of God is couched in personal terms. The failure to be obedient is also the rejection of an intimate relationship. One sees this in the anguished query of verse 29: “Why do you bring charges against me?” It is the basis of the charge in verse 13, “My people … have forsaken me,” and the incredulity of verse 32, “My people have forgotten me.”
Readers who conclude that Judah is accused only of not following God’s instructions or making unwise political decisions have missed the most important claim here. It is not the failure to maintain an external norm that is at the heart of the criticism—though disobedience to God’s revealed will is primary to the criticism; rather, it is the astounding claim that the Lord himself has been spurned, that the “spring of living water” himself has been rejected by the people in a foolhardy attempt to redefine themselves. One discerns the pain of rejection and anger over infidelity in the divine voice infusing the text. Such is the intensity of emotion where God has lost an intimate partner to the seductions of alien suitors, who will be unable to support her.
Contemporary Significance
THE SHAPE OF LIFE. Such a critique of the life of God’s people invites every generation of his people to reexamine its own commitments. As is common with the prophetic critique, the criticisms in Jeremiah 2 do more than explain what was wrong in Jeremiah’s day; they also intend to ask subsequent generations to examine the corporate nature of their life and witness.
This can be done in various ways. A church or Christian fellowship ought to ask if the shape of its life portrays some of the failings of Judah, perhaps in more subtle forms than a blatant idolatry or overt polytheism. Since the church is not identical with a state, the problem may not be alliances with a modern Egypt or Assyria, but the seeking of security and advantage among social and political forces may be detrimental to the church’s life.
In the United States, for example, churches are often invited (tempted?) to make alliances for gain or influence. Conservative churches may unite with a Republican or a politically conservative figure (e.g., Jerry Falwell) and more liberal churches with a Democrat or a more politically liberal figure (e.g., Jesse Jackson). Thus in political campaigns collections are taken up in congregations. The question here is: Who is using whom? Are not both parties using the other? Is it possible that there will be long-term pain for short-term gain in these alliances? The answer may not be simple or obvious, but it is important to ask the questions of primary identity and covenant loyalty.
Contemporary idolatry. What makes idols worthless? The short answer is that they are not divine and they cannot save! Idols are a substitute for the real thing; they may be attractive and appealing to people with heightened religious longings. Idols offer theological rewards, but they cannot save. One of the fascinating (and scary) things about Jeremiah’s day was the fervor with which his contemporaries sought to be religious, as if more religious activities and devotion to more deities would usher in a more secure future.
Among some non-Western churches, idolatry and animism may be real issues with which to struggle. I have observed this matter firsthand in Africa, where there is much debate about reincorporating indigenous religious customs among churches. Western missionaries who brought the gospel to the continent also taught that many of the indigenous customs (e.g., dancing, polygamy, ancestor veneration, witchcraft) were wrong. In some respects these missionaries were more “Western” than “Christian,” but in other respects they were correct to oppose pagan practices. Among most Western Christians, idolatry is just as pernicious as in Jeremiah’s day, but the objects of attachment are more symbolic and subtle in nature.
It is frequently observed that people in Western society who do not worship the triune God are often not without religious activities and other fundamental commitments. Instead of believing in nothing, they are tempted to believe a little in everything in their search for “solutions.” Technology and individual “do-it-yourself” spirituality are two seductions facing Western Christians.
The stock markets of developed countries are good examples of a kind of secular polytheism in the modern world. Money, fervor, and alliances follow the trail of power and economic productivity. It is a remarkably amoral endeavor. One switches allegiances (i.e., investments) quickly in the search for profit. There are no lasting commitments other than immediate benefit. This can be a similar logic to that of combined polytheism and political machinations castigated by Jeremiah.
The name of modern counterparts to ancient polytheism is legion, for they are many (Mark 5:9). As public acceptance of traditional Judeo-Christian standards continues to erode, the growth of “new” religions and an emphasis on generic spirituality in contemporary society are nothing short of phenomenal. Without a firm foundation from which to proceed in important matters, people are tempted to commit themselves to a variety of ventures. It appears risky to trust all things to one Lord and more prudent to diversify. Monotheism has always appeared risky to some and narrow to others, whether in Jeremiah’s day or ours. Contemporary Christianity faces a genuine threat from cultural forces like generic spirituality, which seeks to water down or dilute orthodox piety. It is now common in certain Christian circles to incorporate prayers to the great spirit or the mother goddess and to downplay the uniqueness of the gospel in favor of a more generic religiosity.
Polytheism in contemporary Western life may manifest itself in subtle ways, as when people compartmentalize fundamental issues, look to experts (theological and otherwise) who advise on their specialties, and refuse to see their lives as interconnected wholes before a sovereign God. Christians are not immune either from the temptations of self-help, which may lead them astray from devotion to their true Lord.
Living water. The New Testament builds on the theme of God as a fountain of living water (Jer. 2:13). Jesus informs the Samaritan woman that he can give her “living water … welling up to eternal life” (John 4:10, 14). To any who believe in him, Jesus declares that “streams of living water” will proceed from them (7:38). To reject his claim is to reject the offer of life that only God can grant. This is the same dynamic of Jeremiah’s own day but put in a Christological context.