Jeremiah 2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 2:4

Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. The Lord, by the prophet, having observed his great kindness to this people, what they were unto him, and what a regard he had for them, proceeds to upbraid them with their ingratitude, and requires an attention to what he was about to say; all are called upon, because, all were guilty. This respects the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the several families in them. The ten tribes had been long... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 2:6

Neither said they, where is the Lord ?.... They did not ask after him, nor seek his face and favour, nor worship him, nor took any notice of the blessings he bestowed upon them: that brought us up out of the land of Egypt ? by means of Moses the deliverer, with a mighty hand, and outstretched arm; for, though Moses was the instrument, God was the efficient cause of the deliverance; the favour was his, and the glory of it ought to have been given to him: that led us through the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 2:7

And I brought you into a plentiful country ,.... "Into the land of Carmel", as in the Hebrew text; that is, "into the land of Israel, which was planted as Carmel,' as the Targum paraphrases it; with wheat, barley, vines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olives; a land flowing with milk and honey, Deuteronomy 8:8 , so Ben Melech: to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof ; of vineyards and oliveyards, which they had not planted, and for which they had never laboured, Joshua... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 2:8

The priests said not, where is the Lord ?.... Whose business it was to draw nigh to God, and offer the sacrifices of the people, and inquire of God for them; whose lips should keep knowledge, and at whose mouth the law should be sought, they being the messengers of the Lord of hosts, Malachi 2:7 , and they that handle the law knew me not ; the sanhedrim, according to Jarchi; or the lawyers and scribes, the Rabbins and doctors of the law, whose business it was to read and explain it;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 2:9

Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord ,.... Either verbally, by reasoning with them, and reproving them for their ignorance, stupidity, and idolatry; or by deeds, inflicting punishment upon them; so the Targum, "therefore I will take vengeance on you, or punish you, saith the Lord:' and with your children's children will I plead ; who imitate their parents, and do the same evil things as they, which the Lord knew they would; and was particularly true of the Jews in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 2:10

For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see ,.... Or, "to the isles of Chittim" F26 עברו איי כתיים εις νησους Sept. "transite ad insulas Cethim", V. L. "ad insulas Cypriorum"; so some in Vatablus; "in insulas", Schmidt. ; so called from Kittim the son of Javan, Genesis 10:4 who, as Josephus says F1 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 1. , possessed the island of Chethima, now called Cyprus; and, from that, all islands, and most maritime places, are, by the Hebrews, called... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 2:11

Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods ?.... Though they are not by nature gods which they worship, only nominal and fictitious deities, yet they did not change them for others; but when they once embraced the worship of them, continued therein; so did the Chittim, the inhabitants of the isles, who though they traded to distant countries, from place to place; and so the Kedarenes, who dwelt in tents, and fed cattle, and moved from one desert to another, and from one pasture... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 2:12

Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this ,.... Meaning either the angels in heaven, or the heavens themselves, by a personification: and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord ; all which may be signified by storms and tempests, by thunder and lightning, and by the sun's withdrawing its light. This is said to aggravate the wickedness committed, as if the heavens blushed and were ashamed, and were confounded and amazed at it; and as if, on account of it, the Jews deserved not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 2:13

For my people have committed two evils ,.... Not but that they had committed more, but there were two principal ones they were guilty of, hereafter mentioned; and it was an aggravation of these crimes, that they were the professing people of God who had committed them: and it may be observed, that such sin; they are not without it, nor the commission of it; and may be left to fall into great sins, and yet remain his people; covenant interest cannot be dissolved; this should be considered not... read more

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