New King James Version
Jeremiah 2:13
13“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Jeremiah 2:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
- New International Version (NIV)“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
- English Standard Version (ESV)for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!
Context of Jeremiah 2:13
11Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit. 12Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the Lord. “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. 14“Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he plundered? 15The young lions roared at him, and growled; They made his land waste; His cities are burned, without inhabitant.
Read all of Jeremiah 2Jeremiah 2:13 word by word
כִּֽי־שְׁתַּ֥יִם רָע֖וֹת עָשָׂ֣ה עַמִּ֑י אֹתִ֨י עָזְב֜וּ מְק֣וֹר׀ מַ֣יִם חַיִּ֗ים לַחְצֹ֤ב לָהֶם֙ בֹּאר֔וֹת בֹּארֹת֙ נִשְׁבָּרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָכִ֖לוּ הַמָּֽיִם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For my peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- have committedעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- evilsרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
- they have forsakenעָזַב‛âzab · to leave: forsakeH5800
- me the fountainמָקוֹרmâqôr mâqôr · fountainH4726
- of livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
- watersמַיmayim · waterH4325
- hewed them outחָצַבchâtsab châtsêb · to hewH2672
- cisternsבֹּארbô'r · cisternH877
- brokenשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
- that can holdכּוּלkûl · to sustainH3557
Cross-references for Jeremiah 2:13
- Jeremiah 2:31“O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; We will come no more to You’?
- Jeremiah 4:22“For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.”
- Jeremiah 5:26‘For among My people are found wicked men; They lie in wait as one who sets snares; They set a trap; They catch men.
- Psalms 81:11“But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me.
- Isaiah 1:3The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.”
- Isaiah 5:13Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst.
- Isaiah 63:8For He said, “Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie.” So He became their Savior.
- Micah 2:8“Lately My people have risen up as an enemy— You pull off the robe with the garment From those who trust you, as they pass by, Like men returned from war.
- Micah 6:3“O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you? Testify against Me.
- Jeremiah 2:17Have you not brought this on yourself, In that you have forsaken the Lord your God When He led you in the way?
- Jeremiah 1:16I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.
- Jeremiah 15:6You have forsaken Me,” says the Lord, “You have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting!
- Judges 10:13Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more.
- 1 Samuel 12:10Then they cried out to the Lord, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’
- Jeremiah 17:13O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters.”
- Jeremiah 18:14Will a man leave the snow water of Lebanon, Which comes from the rock of the field? Will the cold flowing waters be forsaken for strange waters?
Commentaries on Jeremiah 2:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Two evils - First, they forsook God, the Fountain of life, light, prosperity, and happiness. Secondly, they hewed out broken cisterns; they joined themselves to idols, from whom they could receive neither temporal nor spiritual good! Their conduct was the excess of folly and blindness. What we call here broken cisterns, means more properly such vessels as were ill made, not staunch, ill put together, so that the water leaked through them.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13The pagan are guilty of but one sin - idolatry; the covenant-people commit two - they abandon the true God; they serve idols. Fountain - Not a spring or natural fountain, but a tank or reservoir dug in the ground (see Jeremiah 6:7), and chiefly intended for storing living waters, i. e., those of springs and rivulets. The cistern was used for storing up rain-water only, and therefore the quantity it contained was limited.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-13Verses 9-13 Before God punishes sinners, he pleads with them, to bring them to repentance. He pleads with us, what we should plead with ourselves. Be afraid to think of the wrath and curse which will be the portion of those who throw themselves out of God's grace and favour. Grace in Christ is compared to water from a fountain, it being cooling and refreshing, cleansing and making fruitful: to living water, because it quickens dead sinners, revives…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13The Israelites made two unwise choices: They left the Lord, their true source of life Thet started worshipping false gods that could not help them A fountain of living (running) water that flows all year, even during droughts, is a rare treasure (Psalm 36:9; John 4:14). The cisterns the Israelites built after entering Canaan were holes in the ground lined with plaster. These simple tanks collected rainwater from roofs during wet weather and provided water…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. two evils--not merely one evil, like the idolaters who know no better; besides simple idolatry, My people add the sin of forsaking the true God whom they have known; the heathen, though having the sin of idolatry, are free from the further sin of changing the true God for idols (Jr 2:11). forsaken me--The Hebrew collocation brings out the only living God into more prominent contrast with idol nonentities. "Me they have forsaken, the Fountain," &c. (Jr…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 2:13
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries