New Living Translation
Jeremiah 2:27
27To an image carved from a piece of wood they say, ‘You are my father.’ To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say, ‘You are my mother.’ They turn their backs on me, but in times of trouble they cry out to me, ‘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
25When will you stop running? When will you stop panting after other gods? But you say, ‘Save your breath. I’m in love with these foreign gods, and I can’t stop loving them now!’ 26“Israel is like a thief who feels shame only when he gets caught. They, their kings, officials, priests, and prophets— all are alike in this. To an image carved from a piece of wood they say, ‘You are my father.’ To an idol chiseled from a block of stone they say, ‘You are my mother.’ They turn their backs on me, but in times of trouble they cry out to me, ‘Come and save us!’ 28But why not call on these gods you have made? When trouble comes, let them save you if they can! For you have as many gods as there are towns in Judah. 29Why do you accuse me of doing wrong? You are the ones who have rebelled,” 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 10:8People who worship idols are stupid and foolish. The things they worship are made of wood!
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.
- Isaiah 44:9How foolish are those who manufacture idols. These prized objects are really worthless. The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put to shame.
- Isaiah 46:6Some people pour out their silver and gold and hire a craftsman to make a god from it. Then they bow down and worship it!
- Habakkuk 2:18“What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk!
- Ezekiel 8:16Then he brought me into the inner courtyard of the Lord’s Temple. At the entrance to the sanctuary, between the entry room and the bronze altar, there were about twenty-five men with their backs to the sanctuary of the Lord. They were facing east, bowing low to the ground, worshiping the sun!
- Ezekiel 23:35“And because you have forgotten me and turned your back on me, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You must bear the consequences of all your lewdness and prostitution.”
- Jeremiah 2:24You are like a wild donkey, sniffing the wind at mating time. Who can restrain her lust? Those who desire her don’t need to search, for she goes running to them!
- Jeremiah 22:23It may be nice to live in a beautiful palace paneled with wood from the cedars of Lebanon, but soon you will groan with pangs of anguish— anguish like that of a woman in labor.
- Judges 10:8who began to oppress them that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites east of the Jordan River in the land of the Amorites (that is, in Gilead).
- Psalms 78:34When God began killing them, they finally sought him. They repented and took God seriously.
- Isaiah 26:16Lord, in distress we searched for you. We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline.
- Hosea 5:15Then I will return to my place until they admit their guilt and turn to me. For as soon as trouble comes, they will earnestly search for me.”
- Hosea 7:14They do not cry out to me with sincere hearts. Instead, they sit on their couches and wail. They cut themselves, begging foreign gods for grain and new wine, and they 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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