Jeremiah 2:23

Bishops' Bible (1568)

Howe sayest thou nowe, I am not vncleane, and I haue not folowed Baalim? Loke vpon thine owne wayes in the valleys what thou hast done? Thou art like a swift dromedarie that goeth easyly her way.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אֵ֣יךְ תֹּאמְרִ֞י לֹ֣א נִטְמֵ֗אתִי אַחֲרֵ֤י הַבְּעָלִים֙ לֹ֣א הָלַ֔כְתִּי רְאִ֤י דַרְכֵּךְ֙ בַּגַּ֔יְא דְּעִ֖י מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑ית בִּכְרָ֥ה קַלָּ֖ה מְשָׂרֶ֥כֶת דְּרָכֶֽיהָ׃

Transliteration

ʾêk tōʾmərî lōʾ niṭmēʾtî ʾaḥărê habbəʿālîm lōʾ hālaktî rəʾî darkēk baggayʾ dəʿî meh ʿāśît bikrāh qallāh məśāreket dərākêhā

Grammar Details

• *ʾêk*: interrogative - how
• *tōʾmərî*: imperfect Qal, 2nd feminine singular - you say
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *niṭmēʾtî*: perfect Niphal, 1st singular - I am defiled
• *ʾaḥărê*: preposition - after
• *habbəʿālîm*: definite article + masculine plural noun - the Baals
• *hālaktî*: perfect Qal, 1st singular - I have gone/walked
• *rəʾî*: imperative Qal, feminine singular - see
• *darkēk*: feminine singular noun with 2nd feminine singular suffix - your way
• *baggayʾ*: preposition + definite article + masculine singular noun - in the valley
• *dəʿî*: imperative Qal, feminine singular - know
• *meh*: interrogative - what
• *ʿāśît*: perfect Qal, 2nd feminine singular - you have done
• *bikrāh*: feminine singular noun - young female camel
• *qallāh*: adjective, feminine singular - swift/light
• *məśāreket*: participle Piel, feminine singular - entangling/interlacing
• *dərākêhā*: feminine plural noun with 3rd feminine singular suffix - her ways

Word Meanings

• *tōʾmərî*: you say/claim/assert
• *niṭmēʾtî*: I am defiled/polluted/unclean
• *bəʿālîm*: Baals/lords/masters (pagan deities)
• *hālaktî*: I have gone/walked/followed
• *darkēk*: your way/path/conduct
• *gayʾ*: valley/ravine (possibly referring to valley of Hinnom where child sacrifices occurred)
• *ʿāśît*: you have done/made/committed
• *bikrāh*: young female camel/young dromedary
• *qallāh*: swift/light/nimble
• *məśāreket*: entangling/interlacing/crisscrossing/traversing rapidly

Referenced Verses

• Jer 7:31 : 31 They haue also buylded an aulter at Topheth, whiche is in the valley of the chyldren of Hennom, that they might burne their sonnes and daughters in fire: whiche I neuer commaunded them, neither came it euer in my thought.
• Prov 30:12 : 12 There is a generation that thynke them selues cleane, and yet is not cleansed from their filthinesse.
• Prov 30:20 : 20 Such is the way also of a wyfe that breaketh wedlocke, which wypeth her mouth lyke as when she hath eaten, and sayth, as for me I haue done no wickednesse.
• Isa 57:5-6 : 5 Ye make your fire vnder the okes, and vnder all greene trees, and ye offer children in the valleys and dennes of stone. 6 Thy part shalbe with the stony rockes by the riuer, yea euen these shalbe thy part: For there thou hast powred meate & drynke offeryng vnto them: Shoulde I delyght in that?
• Jer 2:33-35 : 33 Why beautifiest thou thy wayes so hyely, to obteyne fauour therthrough? therfore also hast thou taught wickednesse through thy wayes. 34 Upon thy wynges is found the blood of poore and innocent people, whom thou didst not fynde in corners & holes: but thou sluest the prophetes for reprouyng all these thynges. 35 Yet darest thou say, I am without sinne and giltlesse, Tushe, his wrath can not come vpon me: Beholde, I wyll reason with thee, because thou darest say, I haue not offended.
• Jer 3:2 : 2 Lift vp thine eyes to the hygh places, and loke where thou hast not ben defiled: Thou hast wayted for them in the streetes, and as a murtherer in the wildernesse, through thy whoredome and shamefull blasphemies is the lande defiled.
• Gen 3:12-13 : 12 And Adam said: The woman whom thou gauest to be with me, she gaue me of the tree, and I dyd eate. 13 And the Lord God sayd vnto the woman: Why hast thou done this? And the woman sayde: the serpent begyled me, and I dyd eate.
• 1 Sam 15:13-14 : 13 And Samuel came to Saul, & Saul said vnto him, Blessed be thou in the Lorde: I haue fulfilled the comaundement of the Lord. 14 Samuel sayde: What meaneth then the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares and the lowing of the oxen which I heare?
• Esth 8:16 : 16 And vnto the Iewes there was come light and gladnesse, ioy and worship.
• Ps 36:2 : 2 For he flattereth him selfe in his owne sight: so that his iniquitie is found worthy of hatred.
• Ps 50:21 : 21 These thynges hast thou done and I helde my tongue, thou thoughtest that I am euen such a one as thou thy selfe art: but I wyll reproue thee, and I wyll set foorth in order before thine eyes all that thou hast done.
• Prov 28:13 : 13 He that hydeth his sinnes, shall not prosper: but whoso knowledgeth them and forsaketh them, shall haue mercy.
• Jer 9:14 : 14 But folowed the wickednesse of their owne heartes, & serued straunge gods as their forefathers taught them.
• Jer 31:22 : 22 Howe long wilt thou go astray O thou shrinkyng daughter? for the Lorde wyll worke a newe thyng vpon earth: A woman shall compasse a man.
• Ezek 16:1-9 : 1 Agayne the word of the Lorde came vnto me, saying: 2 Thou sonne of man, shewe Hierusale their abhominations, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lorde God vnto Hierusalem: thy habitation and kinred is of the lande of Chanaan, thy father was an Amorite, thy mother an Hittite. 4 In the day of thy byrth when thou wast borne, the string of thy nauell was not cut of, thou wast not bathed in water to make thee cleane, thou wast not salted with salt, nor swadled in cloutes. 5 No eye pitied thee to do any of these thinges for thee, for to haue compassion vpon thee: but thou wast vtterly cast out vpon the fielde in contempt of thy person in the day of thy byrth. 6 Then came I by thee, and sawe thee defiled in thyne owne blood, and I said vnto thee when thou wast in thy blood, liue: euen when thou wast in thy blood, I sayde vnto thee, liue. 7 I caused thee to multiplie as the bud of the fielde, thou art growen vp, and waxen great, thou hast gotten a marueylous pleasaunt beautie, thy brestes are fashioned, thy heere is goodly growen, whereas thou wast naked & bare. 8 Nowe when I went by thee and looked vpon thee, beholde, thy tyme was come, yea euen the time to woo thee: then spread I my clothes ouer thee to couer thy dishonestie, yea I made an othe vnto thee, and contracted my selfe with thee (saith the Lorde God) and so thou becamest myne owne. 9 Then washed I thee with water, and purged thy blood from thee, and I annointed thee with oyle. 10 I clothed thee with broidred worke, and shod thee with badgers skin, and I gyrded thee about with fine linnen, and couered thee with silke. 11 I decked thee with costly apparell, I put braselets vpon thy hands, a chayne about thy necke. 12 And I put a frontlet vpon thy face, and eareringes vpon thyne eares, and a beautifull crowne vpon thyne head. 13 Thus wast thou deckt with golde and siluer, and thy rayment was of fine linnen, and of silke, and of broidred worke: thou didst eate fine floure, honye and oyle, marueylous beautifull wast thou, and thou dydst luckyly prosper into a kingdome. 14 And thy name was spread among the heathen for thy beautie: for it was perfite through thy beautie whiche I put vpon thee, saith the Lorde God. 15 But thou hast put thy confidence in thyne owne beautie, and played the harlot because of thy renowne, and hast powred out thy fornications with euery one that went by, thou wast his. 16 Thou didst take thy garmentes, and deckt thy hye places with diuers colours, and played the harlot thervpon, they come not, and it shall not be. 17 The goodly iewels whiche I gaue thee of mine owne golde and siluer, hast thou taken and made thee mens images therof, and committed whordome with them. 18 Thy broidred garmentes hast thou taken, and deckt them therewith: myne oyle and incense hast thou set before them. 19 My meate whiche I gaue thee, as fine floure, oyle and hony to feede the withall, that hast thou set before them for a sweete sauour: and thus it was saith the Lorde God. 20 Thou hast taken thyne owne sonnes and daughters whom thou hast begotten vnto me, and these hast thou offred vp vnto them to be deuoured: is this but a small whordome of thyne? 21 And thou hast slayne my chyldren, and deliuered them, to cause them to passe through the fire for them. 22 And yet in all thyne abhominations and whordomes, thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, howe naked and bare thou wast at that tyme, and wast defiled in thyne owne blood. 23 After all these thy wickednesses, (wo wo vnto thee, saith the Lorde God.) 24 Thou hast buylt vnto thee an hye place, and hast made thee an hye place in euery streete. 25 Thou hast buylt thyne hye plate at euery head of the way, thou hast made thy beautie to be abhorred, thou hast opened thy feete to euery one that came by, and multiplied thy whoredome. 26 Thou hast committed fornication with the Egyptians, thy neighbours whiche were great in fleshe, and thus hast thou increased thyne whordome to anger me. 27 Beholde, I did stretche out my hand ouer thee, and dyd minishe thy store of foode, and deliuered thee ouer into the wylles of them that hate thee, euen the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thyne abhominable wayes. 28 Thou hast plaied the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast insatiable: yea thou hast I say with them played the harlot, and yet hadst thou not inough. 29 Thus hast thou furthermore multiplied thy fornication from the lande of Chanaan vnto the Chaldees, and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. 30 Howe weake is thyne heart saith the Lorde God, seeing thou doest all these workes of a presumptuous whorishe woman? 31 Buylding thy hye places at the head of euery way, and makest thy hye places in euery streete: thou hast not ben as another whore that holdeth scorne of a rewarde. 32 But as a wyfe that breaketh wedlocke, and taketh other in steede of her husbande. 33 Giftes are geuen to all other whores: but thou geuest rewardes vnto all thy louers, & rewardest them to come vnto thee on euery side for thy fornication. 34 It is come to passe with thee in thy whoredomes contrary to the vse of other women, yea there hath no suche fornication ben committed after thee: seeing that thou geuest gyftes vnto other, and no rewarde is geuen thee, therfore thou art contrary. 35 Therefore heare the worde of the Lorde, O thou harlot. 36 Thus saith the Lorde God, Because thou hast powred out thy brasse, and discouered thy filthynes thorowe thy fornications with thy louers, and with all the idols of thyne abhominations, and in the blood of thy chyldren whom thou hast geuen them: 37 Beholde therefore, I wyll gather together all thy louers with whom thou hast taken pleasure, yea and all them whom thou hast loued, and euery one that thou hatest: I wyll I say gather them together rounde about against thee, and wil discouer thy shame before them, that they may see all thy filthynesse. 38 Moreouer, I wyll iudge thee as a breaker of wedlocke and a murtherer, and recompence thee thyne owne blood in wrath and gelousie. 39 I wyll geue thee ouer into their handes, and they shal destroy thy hie place, and breake downe thy hye places, they shall strip thee also out of thy clothes: thy farre iewels shall they take from thee, and so leaue thee naked and bare. 40 Yea they shall bryng a company vpon thee, whiche shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swordes, 41 They shall burne vp thy houses with fire, and punishe thee in the sight of many women: thus wyll I make thee ceasse from playing the harlot, so that thou shalt geue out no more rewardes. 42 So wyll I make my wrath towarde thee to rest, and my ielousie shall depart from thee, and I will ceasse, and be angry no more. 43 Seing thou remembrest not the dayes of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these thinges: beholde therfore, I wyll bryng thyne owne wayes vpon thy head saith the Lord God, so that thou shalt not commit any more mischiefe vpon all thyne abhominations. 44 Beholde, all they that vse common prouerbes, shall vse this prouerbe also against thee, saying: Such a mother, such a daughter. 45 Thou art euen thy mothers owne daughter, that hath cast of her husband and her chyldren: yea thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsoke their husbandes & their chyldren: your mother is an Hittito, & your father an Amorite. 46 Thyne eldest sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell vpon thy left hande: but thy younger sister that dwelleth on thy right hande is Sodoma and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their wayes, nor done after their abhominations, as a litle and a litle: but in all thy wayes thou hast ben more corrupt then they. 48 As truely as I liue, saith the Lorde God, Sodoma thy sister with her daughters, haue not done as thou hast done and thy daughters. 49 Behold, the sinnes of thy sister Sodoma were these: Pryde, fulnesse of meate, and aboundaunce of idlenesse, these thinges had she and her daughters: besides that, they strengthed not the hande of the poore and needie. 50 But they were hautie, and committed abhomination before me, therefore I toke them away as I sawe good. 51 Neither hath Samaria done halfe of thy sinnes, yea thou hast exceeded them in thyne abhominations, and hast iustified thy sisters in all thyne abhominations whiche thou hast done. 52 Therfore thou which didst condemne thy sister, beare thyne owne shame: for thyne owne offences that thou hast comitted more abhominable then they dyd, which in deede are more righteous then thou art, be thou I say ashamed, and beare the shamefull rebuke, seeing that thou hast iustified thy sisters. 53 Therfore I wyll bryng agayne their captiuitie, the captiuitie of Sodom and her daughters, & the captiuitie of Samaria and her daughters, and the captiuitie of thy captiuities among them, 54 That thou mayest take thyne owne confusion vpon thee, and be ashamed of all that thou hast done, in that thou hast comforted them. 55 And thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall returne to their former state, Samaria also and her daughters shall returne to their former state, when thou and thy daughters shall returne to your former state. 56 For thy sister Sodom was not heard of by thy report in the day of thy pryde, 57 Before thy wickednesse was discouered, according to the tyme of the reproche of the daughters of Aram, and of all the daughters of the Philistines rounde about her, whiche depise thee on all sides. 58 Thou hast borne thy wickednesse and thyne abhomination, saith the Lorde. 59 For thus saith the Lorde God, I might by right deale with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the othe in breaking the couenaunt: 60 Neuerthelesse, I wyll remember my couenaunt with thee in the daies of thy youth, and I wyll establishe vnto thee an euerlasting couenaunt. 61 Then shalt thou remember thy wayes, and be ashamed when thou shalt receaue thy sisters, both thy elder and thy younger: and I wyll geue them vnto thee for daughters, but not by thy couenaunt. 62 And I wyll establishe my couenaunt with thee, that thou mayest know that I am the Lorde. 63 That thou mayest thinke vpon it, and be ashamed, and neuer open thy mouth any more for shame of thy selfe, when I am pacified towarde thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lorde God.
• Ezek 23:1-9 : 1 The worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying: 2 Thou sonne of man, there were two women the daughters of one mother. 3 And they committed fornication in Egypt, they played the harlottes in their youth: there were their breastes pressed, and there they bruised the teates of their virginitie. 4 The names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister, and they were mine, and they bare sonnes and daughters: thus were their names, Samaria is Aholah, and Hierusalem Aholibah. 5 Aholah played ye harlot when she was mine, and she was set on fire with her louers the Assyrians her neighbours: 6 Which were clothed with blewe silke, both captaynes and princes, they were all pleasaunt young men, and horsemen rydyng vpon horses. 7 Thus she committed her whordome with them beyng all chosen men of Asshur, & with all on whom she doted, and defiled her selfe with all their idols. 8 Neither left she the fornication that she vsed with the Egyptians: for in her youth they lay with her, they bruised the brestes of her maydenhead, and powred their whordome vpon her. 9 Wherfore I deliuered her into the handes of her louers euen into ye handes of the Assyrians vpon whom she doted. 10 These discouered her shame, toke her sonnes & daughters, and slue her with the sworde, an euyll name had she among women: for they had executed iudgement vpon her. 11 Her sister Aholibah sawe this, and destroyed her selfe with inordinate loue more then she, & with her fornications, more the her sister with her fornications. 12 She doted vpo the Assyrians captaines & princes her neighbours, clothed with all maner of gorgious apparel, horsmen riding vpon horses, beyng all pleasaunt young men. 13 Then I sawe that she was defiled, and they toke both one way. 14 But the encreased styll in whordome: for when she sawe men paynted vpon the wall, the images of the Chaldees paynted with vermilon, 15 And girded with girdles vpon their loynes and with dyed attire vpon their heades, lokyng all like princes, after the maner of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the lande where they were borne. 16 Assoone as she sawe them, she burnt in loue vpon them, & sent messengers vnto them into the lande of the Chaldees. 17 Nowe when the Babylonians came vnto her in the bed of loue, they defiled her with their whordome: and so was she polluted with them, and her lust was abated from them. 18 And she discouered her whordome, and disclosed her shame: then my heart forsoke her, like as my heart was gone from her sister also. 19 Neuerthelesse, she encreased her whordome more, and remembred the dayes of her youth wherin she had played the harlot in the lande of Egypt. 20 She burnt in lust vpon their concubines, whose fleshe was like the fleshe of asses, and their issue like the issue of horses. 21 Thus thou hast called to remebraunce the filthinesse of thy youth, when thy teates were bruised by the Egyptians, for the pappes of thy youth. 22 Therfore O Aholibah, thus saith the Lorde God, I wyll raise vp thy louers agaynst thee from whom thy heart is departed, and gather them together agaynst thee on euery syde, 23 namely the Babylonians and all the Chaldees, rulers, wealthy and mightie men, with all the Assyrians, all pleasaut young men, captaynes and princes, all valiaunt and renowmed, riding vpon horses. 24 These shall come vpon thee with charrettes, wagons, and wheeles, and great multitude of people, with buckler, shielde, and helmet they shall beser thee on euery side: I wyll geue iudgement before them, yea they them selues shall iudge thee accordyng to their owne iudgement. 25 I wyll lay mine indignation vpon thee, so that they shal deale cruelly with thee: they shall cut of thy nose and thine eares, and thy remnaunt shall fall by the sworde, they shall cary away thy sonnes and daughters, and the residue shalbe deuoured by the fire. 26 They shal strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy faire iewels. 27 Thus wyll I make thy wickednesse to ceasse from thee, and thy fornication out of the lande of Egypt: so that thou shalt turne thine eyes no more after them, and cast thy mynde no more vpon Egypt. 28 For thus saith the Lord God, Beholde I wyll deliuer thee into the handes of them whom thou hatest, yea euen into the handes of them from whom thine heart is departed. 29 And they shall deale hatefully with thee, and take away all thy labour, & leaue thee naked & bare, and the shame of thy fornications shalbe discouered, both thy wickednesse & thy whordome. 30 I wyll do these thynges vnto thee, because thou hast gone a whoryng after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols. 31 Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister, therfore wyll I geue her cuppe in thine hande. 32 Thus saith the Lorde God, Thou shalt drynke of thy sisters cuppe, deepe & large, thou shalt be laughed to scorne, and had in derision, because it conteineth much. 33 Thou shalt be filled with drunkennesse and sorowe euen with the cup of destruction and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. 34 Thou shalt drynke it and sucke it out, and thou shalt breake the sheardes therof, and teare thine owne brestes: for I haue spoken it, saith the Lorde God. 35 Therfore thus saith the Lorde God, Forasmuch as thou hast forgotten me, and cast me aside behynde thy backe, so beare nowe thine owne wickednesse and whordome. 36 The Lorde sayde moreouer vnto me, Thou sonne of man, wilt thou not iudge Aholah and Aholibah? shewe them their abhominations. 37 namely that they haue broken their wedlocke, and blood is in their handes: and with their idols haue they comitted adulterie, and haue also caused their sonnes whom they bare vnto me, to passe by the fire to be their meate. 38 Yea and this haue they done vnto me also, they haue defiled my sanctuarie in the same day, and haue prophaned my Sabbathes. 39 For when they had slayne their children for their idols, they came the same day into my sanctuarie to defile it: and lo thus haue they done in my house. 40 And howe much more is it that they sent for men to come from farre, vnto whom a messenger was sent, and lo they came? for whom thou didst washe thy selfe, and paynted thine eyes, and deckedst thee with ornamentes. 41 Thou sattest vpon a stately bed, and a table spread before it, whervpon thou hast set mine incense and mine sylc. 42 And a noyse of a mery company at it, and with the men, beside the multitude of the people, were brought men of Saba out of the desert, which gaue them bracelettes vpon their handes, and beautifull crownes vpon their heades. 43 And I sayd vnto her that was worne in her adulteries, Nowe shall her fornications come to an ende, and she also. 44 And they went in to her as they go vnto a common harlot: euen so went they I say to Aholah and Aholibah, those wicked women. 45 And the righteous men, they shall iudge the after the maner of harlottes, and after the maner of murtherers: for they are harlottes, and blood is in their handes. 46 Wherfore thus saith the Lorde God, I wyll bryng a great multitude of people vpon them, and geue them to be scattered and spoyled: 47 And the multitude shall stone them with stones, and cut them downe with their swordes, they shall slay their sonnes and daughters, and burne vp their houses with fire. 48 Thus wyll I cause wickednesse to ceasse out of the lande, that all women may be taught, not to do after your wickednesse. 49 And so they shal lay your wickednesse vpon your owne selues, and the sinnes of your idols shall ye beare: and ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde God.
• Luke 10:29 : 29 But he, wyllyng to iustifie hym selfe, said vnto Iesus: and who is my neighbour?
• Rom 3:19 : 19 Nowe we knowe that what thynges so euer the lawe saith, it saith it to them which are vnder the lawe: That all mouthes maye be stopped, and that al ye world may be indaungered to God.
• 1 John 1:8-9 : 8 If we say that we haue no sinne, we deceaue our selues, and the trueth is not in vs. 9 If we knowledge our sinnes, he is faythfull & iust to forgeue vs our sinnes, and to clense vs from all vnryghteousnesse. 10 If we say we haue not sinned, we make hym a lyer, and his worde is not in vs.
• Rev 3:17-18 : 17 Because thou sayest, I am riche and increased with goodes, and haue neede of nothyng: & knowest not howe that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poore, and blynde, and naked. 18 I counsel thee to bye of me gold tryed in the fyre, that thou mayest be riche, and whyte rayment, that thou mayest be clothed, that thy fylthie nakednesse do not appeare, and annoynt thyne eyes with eye salue, that thou mayest see.