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

11Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. 12Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith Yhwh. 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. 14Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? 15The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant.

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

• 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 2:31O generation, see ye the word of Yhwh. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?
• Jeremiah 4:22For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
• Jeremiah 5:26For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.
• Psalms 81:11But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
• Isaiah 1:3The ox knoweth his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
• Isaiah 5:13Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
• Isaiah 63:8For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour.
• Micah 2:8Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.
• Micah 6:3O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me.
• Jeremiah 2:17Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken Yhwh thy God, when he led thee by the way?
• Jeremiah 1:16And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
• Jeremiah 15:6Thou hast forsaken me, saith Yhwh, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.
• Judges 10:13Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
• 1 Samuel 12:10And they cried unto Yhwh, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yhwh, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
• Jeremiah 17:13O Yhwh, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Yhwh, the fountain of living waters.
• Jeremiah 18:14Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?

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