Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 2:27
27say to a tree, “You are my father,” and to a stone, “You gave birth to me.” For they have turned their back to me and not their face, yet in their time of disaster they beg, “Rise up and save us!”
Jeremiah 2:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
- New International Version (NIV)They 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!’
- English Standard Version (ESV)who say to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave me birth.' For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, 'Arise and save us!'
- New King James Version (NKJV)Saying to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’ For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’
Context of Jeremiah 2:27
25Keep your feet from going bare and your throat from thirst. But you say, “It’s hopeless; I love strangers, and I will continue to follow them.” 26Like the shame of a thief when he is caught, so the house of Israel has been put to shame. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets say to a tree, “You are my father,” and to a stone, “You gave birth to me.” For they have turned their back to me and not their face, yet in their time of disaster they beg, “Rise up and save us!” 28But where are your gods you made for yourself? Let them rise up and save you in your time of disaster if they can, for your gods are as numerous as your cities, Judah. 29Why do you bring a case against me? All of you have rebelled against me. This is the Lord’s declaration.
Read all of Jeremiah 2Jeremiah 2:27 word by word
אֹמְרִ֨ים לָעֵ֜ץ אָ֣בִי אַ֗תָּה וְלָאֶ֙בֶן֙ אַ֣תְּ יְלִדְתָּ֔נוּ כִּֽי־פָנ֥וּ אֵלַ֛י עֹ֖רֶף וְלֹ֣א פָנִ֑ים וּבְעֵ֤ת רָֽעָתָם֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ ק֖וּמָה וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- to a stockעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
- my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- and to a stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- Thou hast brought me forthיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
- for they have turnedפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
- backעֹ֫רֶף‛ôreph · neckH6203
- faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- but in the timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
- of their troubleרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
- Ariseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- and saveיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
Cross-references for Jeremiah 2:27
- Jeremiah 10:8They are both stupid and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.
- Isaiah 44:9All who make idols are nothing, and what they treasure benefits no one. Their witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame.
- Isaiah 46:6Those who pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales — they hire a goldsmith and he makes it into a god. Then they kneel and bow down to it.
- Habakkuk 2:18What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes worthless idols that cannot speak.
- Ezekiel 8:16So he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house, and there were about twenty-five men at the entrance of the Lord’s temple, between the portico and the altar, with their backs to the Lord’s temple and their faces turned to the east. They were bowing to the east in worship of the sun.
- Ezekiel 23:35Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: “Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you must bear the consequences of your indecency and promiscuity.”
- Jeremiah 2:24a wild donkey at home in the wilderness. She sniffs the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can control her passion? All who look for her will not become weary; they will find her in her mating season.
- Jeremiah 22:23You residents of Lebanon, nestled among the cedars, how you will groan when pains come on you, agony like a woman in labor.
- Judges 10:8They shattered and crushed the Israelites that year, and for eighteen years they did the same to all the Israelites who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites in Gilead.
- Psalms 78:34When he killed some of them, the rest began to seek him; they repented and searched for God.
- Isaiah 26:16Lord, they went to you in their distress; they poured out whispered prayers because your discipline fell on them.
- Hosea 5:15I will depart and return to my place until they recognize their guilt and seek my face; they will search for me in their distress.
- Hosea 7:14They do not cry to me from their hearts; rather, they wail on their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine; they turn away from me.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 2:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27Thou art my father - By thee we have been produced, and by thee we are sustained. This was the property of the true God; for he is the Author and Supporter of being. How deeply fallen and brutishly ignorant must they be when they could attribute this to the stock of a tree!Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27“Stone” being feminine in Hebrew is here represented as the mother. Arise, and save us - Whether it be idolatry or infidelity, it satisfies only in tranquil and prosperous times. No sooner does trouble come, than the deep conviction of the existence of a God, which is the witness for Him in our heart, resumes its authority, and man prays.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-28Verses 20-28 Notwithstanding all their advantages, Israel had become like the wild vine that bears poisonous fruit. Men are often as much under the power of their unbridled desires and their sinful lusts, as the brute beasts. But the Lord here warns them not to weary themselves in pursuits which could only bring distress and misery. As we must not despair of the mercy of God, but believe that to be sufficient for the pardon of our sins, so neither must we…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 27These idols of a father and mother likely represented Baal and Asherah. in the time of trouble, they say: See, for example, Judges 10:10; Isaiah 26:16; Hosea 5:15.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. Thou art my father--(Contrast Jr 3:4; Is 64:8). in ... trouble they will say--namely, to God (Psa 78:34; Is 26:16). Trouble often brings men to their senses (Lu 15:16-18).Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 2:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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