New American Standard Bible 1995
Jeremiah 2:8
8The 1priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who handle the law 2did not know Me; The 3rulers also transgressed against Me, And the 4prophets prophesied by Baal And walked after 5things that did not profit.
Jeremiah 2:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
- New International Version (NIV)The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The priests did not say, 'Where is the Lord?' Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit.
Context of Jeremiah 2:8
6They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and of pits, Through a land of drought and of deep darkness, Through a land that no one crossed And where no man dwelt?’ 7I brought you into the fruitful land To eat its fruit and its good things. But you came and defiled My land, And My inheritance you made an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me, And the prophets prophesied by Baal And walked after things that did not profit. 9“Therefore I will yet contend with you,” declares the Lord, “And with your sons’ sons I will contend. 10For cross to the coastlands of Kittim and see, And send to Kedar and observe closely And see if there has been such a thing as this!
Read all of Jeremiah 2Jeremiah 2:8 word by word
הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים לֹ֤א אָֽמְרוּ֙ אַיֵּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה וְתֹפְשֵׂ֤י הַתּוֹרָה֙ לֹ֣א יְדָע֔וּנִי וְהָרֹעִ֖ים פָּ֣שְׁעוּ בִ֑י וְהַנְּבִיאִים֙ נִבְּא֣וּ בַבַּ֔עַל וְאַחֲרֵ֥י לֹֽא־יוֹעִ֖לוּ הָלָֽכוּ׃Read the interlinear
- priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- did not sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Whereאַיֵּה'ayêh · where?H346
- is the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- And those who handleתָּפַשׂtâphaώ · to captureH8610
- the lawתּוֹרָהtôrâh tôrâh · instructionH8451
- did not knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- rulersרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
- also transgressedפָּשַׁעpâsha‛ · to transgressH6586
- prophetsנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- prophesiedנָבָאnâbâ' · to prophesyH5012
- by Baalבַּעַלba‛al · BaalH1168
- And walkedהָלַךְhâlak · to go: followH1980
- afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- things that did not profitיָעַלya‛al · to gainH3276
Cross-references for Jeremiah 2:8
- Jeremiah 2:6They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and of pits, Through a land of drought and of deep darkness, Through a land that no one crossed And where no man dwelt?’
- Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?
- Jeremiah 8:10Therefore I will give their wives to others, Their fields to new owners; Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is greedy for gain; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone practices deceit.
- Jeremiah 2:9“Therefore I will yet contend with you,” declares the Lord, “And with your sons’ sons I will contend.
- 1 Samuel 2:12Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord
- Isaiah 28:7And these also reel with wine and stagger from strong drink: The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from strong drink; They reel while having visions, They totter when rendering judgment.
- Isaiah 29:10For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep, He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers.
- Isaiah 56:9All you beasts of the field, All you beasts in the forest, Come to eat.
- Hosea 4:6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
- Jeremiah 8:8“How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the Lord is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes Has made it into a lie.
- Deuteronomy 33:10They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, And Your law to Israel. They shall put incense before You, And whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
- Malachi 2:6True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity.
- Luke 11:52Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.”
- John 8:55and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word.
- John 16:3These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.
- Romans 2:17But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God,
Commentaries on Jeremiah 2:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8They that handle the law - ותפשי vethophe shey, they that draw out the law; they whose office it is to explain it, draw out its spiritual meanings, and show to what its testimonies refer. The pastors also - Kings, political and civil rulers. Prophesied by Baal - Became his prophets, and were inspired with the words of lying spirits.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The guilt of this idolatry is ascribed to the four ruling classes: (a) The accusation brought against the priests is indifference. (b) “They that handle the law” belonged also to the priestly class Deuteronomy 33:10. Their offence was that “they knew not God.” Compare Micah 3:11. (c) The third class are “the pastors” or shepherds, that is the temporal rulers. Their crime is disobedience. (d) The fourth class are “the prophets.” It was their business to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The leaders taught the people about Baal instead of teaching them about the Lord.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. The three leading classes, whose very office under the theocracy was to lead the people to God, disowned Him in the same language as the nation at large, "Where is the Lord?" (See Jr 2:6). priests--whose office it was to expound the law (Mal 2:6, 7). handle--are occupied with the law as the subject of their profession. pastors--civil, not religious: princes (Jr 3:15), whose duty it was to tend their people. prophets--who should have reclaimed the…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 2:8
In the dictionaries
Notes
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
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries