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

26“As a thief feels ashamed when he’s caught, so the nation of Israel will feel ashamed. Their kings, princes, priests, and prophets will also feel ashamed. 27You call wood your father. You call stone your mother. You’ve turned your backs, not your faces, to me. But when you’re in trouble, you ask me to come and rescue you. Where are the gods that you made for yourselves? Let them come and rescue you when you’re in trouble. You have as many gods as you have cities, Judah! 29“Why do you complain about me? All of you have rebelled against me,” declares the Lord. 30“I have punished your children without results. They didn’t respond to correction. You killed my prophets like a raging 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 he will ask, “Where are their gods? Where is the rock they took refuge in?
• Judges 10:14Cry out for help to the gods you chose. Let them rescue you when you’re in trouble.”
• 2 Kings 3:13Elisha asked the king of Israel, “Why did you come to me? Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets.” The king of Israel answered him, “No. The Lord has called the three of us in order to put us at Moab’s mercy.”
• Isaiah 45:20Come here, you refugees from the nations. Ignorant people carry wooden idols and pray to gods that cannot save ⌞anyone⌟.
• Isaiah 46:2These gods stoop low and bow down together. They aren’t able to escape with heavy loads. They go away into captivity.
• Jeremiah 11:13Judah, you have as many gods as you have cities. You have set up many altars ⌞in Jerusalem⌟ to sacrifice to Baal. You have as many altars as there are streets in Jerusalem.
• 2 Kings 17:30The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth. The people from Cuth made Nergal. The people from Hamath made Ashima.
• Hosea 10:1The people of Israel are like vines that used to produce fruit. The more fruit they produced, the more altars they built. The more their land produced, the more stone markers they set up ⌞to honor other gods⌟.

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