New English Translation
Jeremiah 2:27
27They say to a wooden idol, ‘You are my father.’ They say to a stone image, ‘You gave birth to me.’ Yes, they have turned away from me instead of turning to me. Yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come 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
25Do not chase after other gods until your shoes wear out and your throats become dry. But you say, ‘It is useless for you to try and stop me because I love those foreign gods and want to pursue them!’ 26Just as a thief has to suffer dishonor when he is caught, so the people of Israel will suffer dishonor for what they have done. So will their kings and officials, their priests and their prophets. They say to a wooden idol, ‘You are my father.’ They say to a stone image, ‘You gave birth to me.’ Yes, they have turned away from me instead of turning to me. Yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’ 28But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them save you when you are in trouble. The sad fact is that you have as many gods as you have towns, Judah. 29“Why do you try to refute me? All of you have rebelled against me,” says the Lord.
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 10:8The people of those nations are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless!
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are made of silver and gold – they are man-made.
- Isaiah 44:9All who form idols are nothing; the things in which they delight are worthless. Their witnesses cannot see; they recognize nothing, so they are put to shame.
- Isaiah 46:6Those who empty out gold from a purse and weigh out silver on the scale hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god. They then bow down and worship it.
- Habakkuk 2:18What good is an idol? Why would a craftsman make it? What good is a metal image that gives misleading oracles? Why would its creator place his trust in it and make such mute, worthless things?
- Ezekiel 8:16Then he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house. Right there at the entrance to the Lord’s temple, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the Lord’s temple, facing east – they were worshiping the sun toward the east!
- Ezekiel 23:35“Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you have forgotten me and completely disregarded me, you must bear now the punishment for your obscene conduct and prostitution.”
- Jeremiah 2:24You are like a wild female donkey brought up in the wilderness. In her lust she sniffs the wind to get the scent of a male. No one can hold her back when she is in heat. None of the males need wear themselves out chasing after her. At mating time she is easy to find.
- Jeremiah 22:23You may feel as secure as a bird nesting in the cedars of Lebanon. But oh how you will groan when the pains of judgment come on you. They will be like those of a woman giving birth to a baby.
- Judges 10:8They ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites that eighteenth year – that is, all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Amorite country in Gilead.
- Psalms 78:34When he struck them down, they sought his favor; they turned back and longed for God.
- Isaiah 26:16O Lord, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline.
- Hosea 5:15Then I will return again to my lair until they have suffered their punishment. Then they will seek me; in their distress they will earnestly seek me.
- Hosea 7:14They do not pray to me, but howl in distress on their beds; They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but 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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