Jeremiah 2:5

Jeremiah 2:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?
• New International Version (NIV)This is what the Lord says: “What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Thus says the Lord: "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Thus says the Lord: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters?

Context of Jeremiah 2:5

3At that time, Israel belonged to me as my special people. They were like the first crops that grew on my land. I promised to punish anyone who tried to hurt them. I sent great trouble to those who attacked you. That is what I, the Lord, have said.” ’ 4Listen to what the Lord says, you descendants of Jacob, all you families in Israel. This is the Lord's message to you: ‘I had done nothing wrong against your ancestors, but they turned away from me. Instead, they worshipped useless idols. So they themselves became useless. 6They did not think to themselves, “Where is the Lord? We should ask him to help us. He brought us safely out of Egypt. He led us through the wilderness. It was a place with dry sand and deep holes. There was no water there and it was dangerous. Nobody lives in that desert, and nobody even travels through it.” 7But I, the Lord, brought you to a good land. It was a place where fruit grew on trees. You could eat all those good things, as well as the crops that you grew there. You came into the land that I had promised to give to you. But you spoiled it with your sins. You made it a disgusting place.

Jeremiah 2:5 word by word

כֹּ֣ה׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה מַה־מָּצְא֨וּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֥ם בִּי֙ עָ֔וֶל כִּ֥י רָחֲק֖וּ מֵעָלָ֑י וַיֵּֽלְכ֛וּ אַחֲרֵ֥י הַהֶ֖בֶל וַיֶּהְבָּֽלוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thus saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• What iniquityעָ֫וֶל‛evel ‛âvel ‛avlâh ‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · injusticeH5766
• have your fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• in me, that they are gone farרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368
• from me, and have walkedיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• vanityהֶ֫בֶלhebel hăbêl · vanityH1892
• and are become vainהָבַלhâbal · to become vainH1891

Cross-references for Jeremiah 2:5

• Jeremiah 2:31Listen to the Lord's message, you people who are alive today: ‘People of Israel, why do you not trust me? Have I become like a desert for you? Have I become a dark and dangerous land for you to live in? No! But you say, “We are free to go where we like. We do not need to serve you any more.”
• Isaiah 5:3So now, listen to me, you people who live in Jerusalem and in Judah. You must be the judge! Who did what was right? Was it me or my vineyard? You decide!
• Isaiah 43:22But you Israelites, Jacob's descendants, you did not call to me to help you. You became tired of serving me.
• Micah 6:2Listen, you mountains. Hear this, you strong places that have always been there deep in the earth. The Lord has a quarrel with Israel's people. Hear the reasons why the Lord is angry with you, his people.’
• Jeremiah 12:2They are like trees that you have planted. They have strong roots. They produce good fruits. Those people like to talk about you a lot, but they do not really love you.
• Isaiah 29:13The Lord God says, ‘These people open their mouths to worship me. They use their lips to say that I am great. But they are not really thinking about me. When they worship me, they use rules that people have taught them.
• Ezekiel 11:15‘Son of man, listen to what the people of Jerusalem are saying about you, your brothers and your relatives. They say this about all the people of Israel who are now in Babylon. They are saying, “Those people have gone far away from the Lord. So now this land belongs to us and we can keep it.”
• Matthew 15:8God says, “These people say good things about me, but they do not really want to obey me.
• Jeremiah 10:8The people of those nations are stupid and foolish. They think that wooden idols can teach them something!
• Jeremiah 14:22The idols of other nations are useless. None of them can cause rain to fall. And the sky itself does not make rain. No, it is you, Lord, our God, who sends rain. You alone do all these things, so we trust you to help us.’
• Deuteronomy 32:21They have made me jealous as they serve false gods. They have made me angry as they worship useless idols. So I will make them jealous as I help a useless nation. I will make them angry as I bless a foolish nation.
• 1 Samuel 12:21Do not worship idols. They are useless things. They cannot help you. They will never save you.
• 2 Kings 17:15They did not obey God's rules. They did not accept the covenant that he had made with their ancestors. They did not listen when he warned them. Instead, they worshipped useless idols, which caused them to become useless themselves. The Lord had commanded them not to live in the same way that the nations around them did. But they did that anyway.
• Jonah 2:8Idols cannot help. People who worship them have turned away from a faithful God.
• Acts 14:15and they shouted, ‘Stop! You people should not do this. We are only men like you. We are not gods. We came here to tell you some good news about the great God. You must stop worshipping these gods who are really nothing. Instead worship the God who lives. He made the sky, the earth and the sea. He also made everything that is in them.
• Jeremiah 51:17People who worship idols are stupid. They do not understand what they are doing. The men who make idols will be ashamed. They make images of gods that are false. None of their idols have the breath of life in them.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 2:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5What iniquity have your fathers found in me - Have they ever discovered any thing cruel, unjust, oppressive in my laws? Any thing unkind or tyrannical in my government? Why then have they become idolaters?Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The Israelites worshiped worthless idols, so delusions controlled their lives.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. iniquity--wrong done to them (Is 5:4; Mi 6:3; compare De 32:4). walked after vanity--contrasted with "walkest after me in the wilderness" (Jr 2:2): then I was their guide in the barren desert; now they take idols as their guides. vanity ... vain--An idol is not only vain (impotent and empty), but vanity itself. Its worshippers acquire its character, becoming vain as it is (De 7:26; Psa 115:8). A people's character never rises above that of its gods…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 2:5

• Backsliders
• Church
• God Continued...
• Vanity

In the dictionaries

• Attire
• Bitter
• Cry
• Degenerate
• Handle
• Hold
• Holiness
• Noble
• Arabah

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