Jeremiah 2:28

Jeremiah 2:28 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.
• New International Version (NIV)Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you, in your time of trouble; for as many as your cities are your gods, O Judah.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, If they can save you in the time of your trouble; For according to the number of your cities Are your gods, O Judah.

Context of Jeremiah 2:28

26A robber is ashamed when people catch him. The people of Israel will become ashamed like that. They will all be ashamed of their sins. Their kings, their officers, their priests and their prophets are all guilty. 27They worship a piece of wood, and they say, “You are my father.” They say to a stone, “You gave birth to me.” They have not turned to come to me. Instead, they have turned away from me. But when trouble comes to them, they call out to me to rescue them. But where are the gods that you made for yourselves? Ask them to save you when trouble comes! You have enough gods to give you help. Yes, people of Judah, your gods are as many as your towns! 29You cannot argue against me. You have all turned against me.’ That is what the Lord says. 30‘When I punished your people, they did not change how they lived. When I sent my prophets to you, you killed them as if you were a hungry lion.’

Jeremiah 2:28 word by word

וְאַיֵּ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֣יתָ לָּ֔ךְ יָק֕וּמוּ אִם־יוֹשִׁיע֖וּךָ בְּעֵ֣ת רָעָתֶ֑ךָ כִּ֚י מִסְפַּ֣ר עָרֶ֔יךָ הָי֥וּ אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ יְהוּדָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• thy godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• that thou hast madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• thee? let them ariseקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• if they can saveיָשַׁעyâsha‛ · to saveH3467
• thee in the timeעֵת‛êth · timeH6256
• of thy troubleרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
• the numberמִסְפָּרmispâr · numberH4557
• of thy citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• O Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063

Cross-references for Jeremiah 2:28

• Deuteronomy 32:37Then the Lord will ask his people, ‘Why could your gods not help you? Those were the gods that you thought would keep you safe.
• Judges 10:14Go and ask those other gods to help you! They are the gods that you have chosen, so let them rescue you from your trouble!’
• 2 Kings 3:13Elisha said to the king of Israel, ‘We have nothing to say to each other! Instead, go to the prophets that your father and your mother liked to listen to.’ The king of Israel replied, ‘No! The Lord told us three kings to come here together. Now he is putting us under Moab's power.’
• Isaiah 45:20So come, you people of the nations, you who have escaped from war. Bring yourselves in front of me together! People who carry wooden idols are fools! They pray to gods who cannot rescue them.
• Isaiah 46:2Those gods fall down and they lie together on the ground! They have no power to rescue their images. The gods themselves go as prisoners to a foreign land, together with their images.
• Jeremiah 11:13You people of Judah have as many gods as you have towns! You have built many altars to offer sacrifices to that disgusting god, Baal. You have built as many of those altars as there are streets in Jerusalem!”
• 2 Kings 17:30The people from Babylon made idols of the god called Succoth-Benoth. The people from Cuthah made idols of the god called Nergal. The people from Hamath made idols of the god called Ashima.
• Hosea 10:1Israel was like a healthy vine that had lots of grapes. But as the Israelites became more and more rich, they built more and more altars. As their land gave more crops, they made the pillars that they worshipped more beautiful.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 2:28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28According to the number of thy cities are thy gods - Among heathen nations every city had its tutelary deity. Judah, far sunk in idolatry, had adopted this custom. The Church of Rome has refined it a little: every city has its tutelary saint, and this saint has a procession and worship peculiar to himself. So here; not much of the old idolatry is lost.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28A question of bitter irony. Things are made for some use. Now is the time for thy deities to prove themselves real by being useful. When every city has its special deity, surely among so many there might be found one able to help his worshippers. O Judah - Hereto the argument had been addressed to Israel: suddenly the prophet charges Judah with the habitual practice of idolatry, and points to the conclusion, that as Jerusalem has been guilty of Samaria‘s…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. 28The Israelites unwisely worshipped many gods (Jeremiah 11:13; Deuteronomy 32:37; Judges 10:14; 2 Kings 17:30–31), who could not help them. Jeremiah spoke to the tribe of Judah, the people standing before him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. But--God sends them to the gods for whom they forsook Him, to see if they can help them (De 32:37, 38; Jud 10:14). according to the number of thy cities--Besides national deities, each city had its tutelary god (Jr 11:13).Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 2:28

• Church
• Idolatry
• Polytheism

In the dictionaries

• Judah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Attire
• Bitter
• Cry
• Degenerate
• Handle
• Hold
• Holiness

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