Jeremiah 2:13

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 King James Version (NKJV)“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.

Context of Jeremiah 2:13

11Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! 12The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says the Lord. “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! 14“Why has Israel become a slave? Why has he been carried away as plunder? 15Strong lions have roared against him, and the land has been destroyed. The towns are now in ruins, and no one lives in them anymore.

Jeremiah 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 my people, listen to the words of the Lord! Have I been like a desert to Israel? Have I been to them a land of darkness? Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God! We don’t need him anymore!’
• Jeremiah 4:22“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”
• Jeremiah 5:26“Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind. They continually set traps to catch people.
• Psalms 81:11“But no, my people wouldn’t listen. Israel did not want me around.
• Isaiah 1:3Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s care— but Israel doesn’t know its master. My people don’t recognize my care for them.”
• Isaiah 5:13So my people will go into exile far away because they do not know me. Those who are great and honored will starve, and the common people will die of thirst.
• Isaiah 63:8He said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again.” And he became their Savior.
• Micah 2:8Yet to this very hour my people rise against me like an enemy! You steal the shirts right off the backs of those who trusted you, making them as ragged as men returning from battle.
• Micah 6:3“O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!
• Jeremiah 2:17And you have brought this upon yourselves by rebelling against the Lord your God, even though he was leading you on the way!
• Jeremiah 1:16I will pronounce judgment on my people for all their evil— for deserting me and burning incense to other gods. Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands!
• Jeremiah 15:6You have abandoned me and turned your back on me,” says the Lord. “Therefore, I will raise my fist to destroy you. I am tired of always giving you another chance.
• Judges 10:13Yet you have abandoned me and served other gods. So I will not rescue you anymore.
• 1 Samuel 12:10“Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’
• Jeremiah 17:13O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who turn away from you will be disgraced. They will be buried in the dust of the earth, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.
• Jeremiah 18:14Does the snow ever disappear from the mountaintops of Lebanon? Do the cold streams flowing from those distant mountains ever run dry?

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

• Backsliders
• Church
• Cistern
• Confidence
• Fountain
• Self-Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Attire
• Bitter
• Cistern
• Cry
• Degenerate
• Handle
• Hold
• Holiness
• Noble
• Atheism

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