Jeremiah 2:23

Coverdale Bible (1535)

Saye not now: I am not vnclene, and I haue not folowed the goddes. Loke vpo thyne owne waies in the woddes, valleis & dennes: so shalt thou knowe, what thou hast done. Thou art like a swift Dromedary, that goeth easely his waye:

📖 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 Tophet, which is in the valley of ye childre of Enno: yt they might burne their sonnes and doughters, which I neuer comaunded them, nether came it euer in my thought.
• Prov 30:12 : 12 The generacion that thynke them selues cleane, shal not be clensed from their fylthynesse.
• Prov 30:20 : 20 Soch is the waye also of a wyfe yt breaketh wedlocke, which wypeth hir mouth like as wha she hath eate, & sayeth: As for me, I haue done no harme.
• Isa 57:5-6 : 5 Ye take youre pleasure vnder the okes, & vnder all grene trees, the childe beynge slayne in the valleys, & dennes of stone. 6 Thy parte shalbe with the stony rockes by the ryuer: Yee euen these shal be thy parte. For there thou hast poured meat and drynkoffringes vnto the. Shulde I ouersee that?
• Jer 2:33-35 : 33 Why boostest thou thy wayes so hylie, (to optayne fauoure there thorow) when thou hast yet stained them wt blasphemies? 34 Vpon thy wynges is founde the bloude of poore and innocent people, and that not in corners and holes only, but opely in all these places. 35 Yet darrest thou saye: I am giltlesse: Tush, his wrath can not come vpo me. Beholde, I wil reason with ye, because thou darrest saye: I haue not offended.
• Jer 3:2 : 2 Lift vp thine eyes on euery syde, and loke, yf thou be not defyled. Thou hast waited for them in the stretes, and as a murtherer in the wildernesse. Thorow thy whordome and shamefull blasphemies, is the londe defyled.
• Gen 3:12-13 : 12 Then sayde Adam: The woman which thou gauest me (to beare me company) gaue me of the tre, and I ate. 13 And the LORDE God sayde vnto the woman: wherfore hast thou done this? The woman sayde: the serpent disceaued me so, that I ate.
• 1 Sam 15:13-14 : 13 Now wha Samuel came to Saul, Saul sayde vnto him: Blessed be thou vnto ye LORDE, I haue perfourmed the worde of ye LORDE. 14 Samuel answered: What crye is this then of shepe in myne eares, and the crye of oxen which I heare?
• Esth 8:16 : 16 but vnto the Iewes there was come light and gladnesse, & ioye & worshippe.
• Ps 36:2 : 2 For he dyssembleth before his face, so longe till his abhominable synne be founde out.
• Ps 50:21 : 21 This thou doest, whyle I holde my tonge: and thinkest me to be eue soch one as thy self: but I wil reproue the, & set my self agaynst the.
• Prov 28:13 : 13 He that hydeth his synnes, shall not prospere: but who so knowlegeth them and forsaketh them, shall haue mercy.
• Jer 9:14 : 14 but folowed the wickednes of their owne hertes, and serued straunge goddes, as their fathers taught them.
• Jer 31:22 : 22 How longe wilt thou go astraie, o thou shrekinge doughter? For the LORDE will worke a new thynge vpon earth: A woman shall compasse a man.
• Ezek 16:1-9 : 1 Agayne, the worde of LORDE spake vnto me, sayenge: 2 Thou sonne of man, shewe the cite of Ierusalem their abhominacions, 3 and saye: thus saieth the LORDE God vnto Ierusalem: Thy progeny and kynred came out of the londe of Canaan, thy father was an Amorite, thy mother a Cethite. 4 In ye daye of thy byrth when thou wast borne, ye stringe of thy nauel was not cut of: thou wast not bathed in water to make the clene: Thou wast nether rubbed wt salt, ner swedled in cloutes: 5 No man regarded the so moch, as to do eny of these thinges for ye, or to shewe the soch fauoure, but thou wast vtterly cast out vpon ye felde, yee despised wast thou in the daye of thy byrth. 6 Then came I by the, and sawe the troden downe in thine owne bloude, & sayde vnto the: thou shalt be pourged from thine owne bloude, fro thine owne bloude (I saye) shalt thou be clensed. 7 So I planted the, as the blossome of thy felde: thou art growen vp, & waxe greate: thou hast gotten a maruelous pleasaunt beutie, thy brestes are come vp, thy hayre is goodly growen, where as thou wast naked and bare afore. 8 Now when I wente by ye, & loked vpon the: beholde, thy tyme was come, yee eue the tyme to wowe the. Then spred I my clothes ouer the, to couer thy dishonestie: Yee I made an ooth vnto the, & maried my self with the (saieth the LORDE God) & so thou becamest myne owne. 9 Then wa?shed I the with water, & pourged thy bloude from the. I anoynted the with oyle, 10 I gaue the chaunge of raymentes, I made the shues of Taxus lether: I gyrthed ye aboute wt white sylcke, I clothed the with kerchues, 11 I decked the wt costly apparell, I put rynges vpon thy fyngers: a chayne aboute thy necke, 12 spages vpo thy foreheade, eare rynges vpon thyne eares, & set a beutifull crowne vpon thine heade. 13 Thus wast thou deckte with syluer & golde, & thy rayment was of fyne white sylke, of nedle worke & of dyuerse colours. Thou didest eate nothinge but symnels, honny & oyle: maruelous goodly wast thou & beutifull, yee euen a very Quene wast thou: 14 In so moch, that thy beuty was spoken of amonge the Heithen, for thou wast excellet in my beuty, which I put vpo the, saieth the LORDE God. 15 But thou hast put confidece in thine owne beuty, & played the harlot, when thou haddest gotten the a name. Thou hast committed whordome, with all that wente by the, & hast fulfilled their desyres: 16 Yee thou hast taken thy garmetes of dyuerse colours, & deckte thine aulters therwith, where vpon thou mightest fulfill thine whordome, of soch a fashion, as neuer was done, ner shalbe. 17 The goodly ornametes & Iewels which I gaue the of myne owne golde and syluer, hast thou take, & made the mes ymages therof, and committed whordome withall. 18 Thy garmentes of dyuerse colours hast thou taken, and deckte them therwith: myne oyle & incense hast thou set before them. 19 My meate which I gaue the, as symnels, oyle & hony: (to fede the withall) that hast thou set before them, for a swete sauoure. And this came also to passe, saieth the LORDE God: 20 Thou hast take thine owne sonnes & doughters, whom thou haddest begotten vnto me: and these hast thou offred vp vnto them, to be their meate. Is this but a small whordome of thine (thinkest thou) 21 that thou slayest my children, and geuest them ouer, to be bret vnto them? 22 And yet in all thy abhominacions and whordome, thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, how naked and bare thou wast at that tyme, & troden downe in thine owne bloude. 23 After all these thy wickednesses (wo wo vnto the, saieth ye LORDE) 24 thou hast buylded thy stewes and brodel houses in euery place: yee at the heade of euery strete 25 hast thou buylded the an aulter. Thou hast made thy beuty to be abhorred: thou hast layed out thy legges to euery one that came by, and multiplied thine whordome. 26 Thou hast committed fornicacion with the Egipcians thy neghbours, which had moch flesh: & thus hast thou vsed thine whordome, to anger me. 27 Beholde, I will stretch out myne honde ouer the, and wil mynish thy stoare of fode, and delyuer the ouer in to the willes of the Philistynes thine enemies, which are ashamed of thy abhominable waye. 28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assirians, which might not satisfie the: Yee thou hast played the harlot, & not had ynough. 29 Thus hast thou still comitted thy fornicacion from the londe of Canaan vnto the Caldees, and yet thy lust not satisfied. 30 How shulde I circumcide thine herte (saieth the LORDE God) seinge thou doest all these thinges, thou precious whore: 31 buyldinge thy stewes at the heade of euery strete, and thy brodel houses in all places? Thou hast not bene as an other whore, yt maketh booste of hir wynnynge: 32 but as a wife yt breaketh wedlocke, & taketh other in steade of hir hu?bode. 33 Giftes are geuen to all other whores, but thou geuest rewardes vnto all thy louers: & offrest them giftes, to come vnto the out of all places, & to committe fornicacio with the. 34 It is come to passe with the in thy whordomes, contrary to the vse of other women: yee there hath no soch fornicacion bene committed after the, seinge that thou profrest giftes vnto other, & no rewarde is geuen the: this is a contrary thinge. 35 Therfore heare the worde of the LORDE, o thou harlot: 36 Thus saieth the LORDE God: For so moch as thou hast spet thy moneye, & discouered thy shame, thorow thy whordome with all thy louers, and with all the Idols of thy abhominacions in the bloude of thy children, whom thou hast geuen them: 37 Beholde therfore, I wil gather together all thy louers, vnto whom thou hast made thy self comon: yee & all them whom thou fauourest, and euery one that thou hatest: and will discouer thy shame before the, that they all maye se thy fylthines 38 Morouer, I wil iudge the as a breaker of wedlocke and a murthurer, and recompence the thine owne bloude in wrath and gelousy. 39 I wil geue the ouer in to their power, that shal breake downe thy stewes, and destroye thy brodel houses: they shal stripe the out of thy clothes, all thy fayre & beutifull Iewels shal they take from the, and so let the syt naked & bare: 40 Yee they shal bringe the comon people vpon the, which shal stone the, & slaye the downe with their sweardes. 41 They shall burne vp thy houses, and punysh the in the sight of many wome. Thus wil I make thy whordome to ceasse, so that thou shalt geue out no mo rewardes. 42 Shulde I make my wrath to be still, take my gelousy from the, be content, and nomore to be displeased? 43 seinge thou remembrest not the dayes of thy youth, but hast prouoked me to wrath in all these thinges? Beholde therfore, I wil bringe thine owne wayes vpon thine heade, saieth the LORDE God: how be it, I neuer dyd vnto the, acordinge to thy wickednesse and all thy abhominacions. 44 Beholde, all they yt vse comon prouerbes, shall vse this prouerbe also agaynst the: Soch a mother, soch a doughter. 45 Thou art euen thy mothers owne doughter, that hath cast of hir hou?bonde and hir children: Yee thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsoke their hu?bodes and their children. Youre mother is a Cethite, and youre father an Amorite. 46 Thine eldest sister is Samaria, she and hir doughters that dwel vpo thy left honde. But thy yongest sister that dwelleth on ye right hode, is Sodoma and hir doughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their wayes, ner done after their abhominacions: But in all thy wayes thou hast bene more corrupte then they. 48 As truly as I lyue, saieth the LORDE God: Sodoma thy sister with hir doughters, hath not done so euel, as thou and thy doughters. 49 Beholde, the synnes of thy sister Sodoma were these: Pryde, fulnesse of meate, abundaunce and Idilnesse: these thinges had she and hir doughters. Besydes that, they reached not their honde to the poore and nedy, 50 but were proude, and dyd abhominable thinges before me: therfore I toke them awaye, when I had sene it. 51 Nether hath Samaria done half of thy synnes, yee thou hast exceaded them in wickednesse: In so moch that in comparison of all the abhominacions which thou hast done, thou hast made thy sisters good women. 52 Therfore beare thine owne shame, thou that in synne hast ouercome thy sisters: seinge thou hast done so abhominably, that they were better then thou. Be ashamed therfore (I saye) and beare thine owne confucion, thou that makest thy sisters good women. 53 As for their captiuyte, namely the captiuyte of Sodoma and hir dougters: the captiuyte of Samaria and hir doughters: I wil bringe them agayne, so will I also bringe agayne thy captiuyte amoge them: 54 that thou mayest take thine owne confucion vpon the, and be ashamed of all that thou hast done, and to comforte them. 55 Thus thy sisters (namely) Sodoma and hir doughters: Samaria and hir doughters with yi self & thy doughters, shalbe brought agayne to youre olde estate. 56 Whe thou wast in thy pryde, 57 and before thy wickednesse came to light: thou woldest not heare speake of thy sister Sodoma, vntill the tyme that the Sirians with all their townes, and the Philistynes with all that lye rounde aboute them, brought the to shame and confucion: 58 that thou mightest beare thine owne fylthynes and abhominacion, saieth the LORDE. 59 For thus saieth the LORDE God: I shulde (by right) deale with the, as thou hast done. Thou hast despysed the ooth, and broken the couenaunte. 60 Neuertheles, I wil remembre the couenaunt, that I made with the in thy youth, in so moch that it shall be an euerlastinge couenaunt: 61 So that thou also remembre thy wayes, and be ashamed of the: then shalt thon receaue of me thy elder and yonger sisters, whom I wil make thy doughters, and that besyde thy couenaunt. 62 And so I wil renue my couenaunt with the, yt thou mayest knowe, that I am the LORDE: 63 that thou mayest thincke vpo it, be ashamed, and excuse thine owne confucion nomore: when I haue forgeuen the, all that thou hast done, saieth the LORDE God.
• Ezek 23:1-9 : 1 The worde off the LORDE came vnto me, sayenge: 2 Thou sonne of man, there were two wome, that had one mother: 3 These (when they were yonge) beganne to playe the harlottes in Egipte. There were their brestes brussed, and the pappes off their maydenheade destroyed. 4 The eldest of them was called Oola, and hir yongest sister Ooliba. These two were myne, and bare sonnes and doughters. Their names were, Samaria, and that was Oola: and Ierusalem, that was Ooliba. 5 As for Oola, she beganne to go a whorynge, when I had take her to me. She was set on fyre vpon hir louers the Assirians, 6 which had to do with her: euen the prynces and lordes, that were deckte in costly araye: fayre yonge men, lusty ryders of horses. 7 Thus thorow hir whordome, she cleued vnto all the yonge men off Assiria: Yee she was madde vpon them, and defyled herselff with all their Idols. 8 Nether ceassed she fro the fornicacio, that she vsed with the Egipcians: for in hir youth they laye wt her, they brussed the brestes of hir maydenheade, and poured their wordome vpon her. 9 Wherfore, I delyuered her in to ye hodes of hir louers, euen the Assirians, whom she so loued. 10 These discouered hir shame, toke hir sonnes and doughters, and slewe her with the swearde: An euell name gat she of all people, ad they punyshed her. 11 Hir sister Ooliba sawe this, ad destroyed herself wt inordinate loue, more then she, & exceaded hir sister in whordome: 12 she loued ye Assirians (which also laye wt her) namely, the prynces & greate lordes, that were clothed wt all maner of gorgious apparell, all lusty horsmen and fayre yonge personnes. 13 Then I sawe, that they both were defyled a like. 14 But she increased still in whordome: for when she sawe men paynted vpon the wall, the ymages off the Caldees set forth with fresh colours, 15 with fayre gyrdles aboute them, and goodly bonettes vpon their heades, lokynge all like prynces (after ye maner of the Babilonias and Caldees in their owne londe, where they be borne). 16 Inmediatly, as soone as she sawe them, she brent in loue vpon them, and sent messaugers for them in to the londe of the Caldees. 17 Now when the Babilonias came to her, they laye with her, and defyled her with their whordome, and so was she poluted with with them. And when hir lust was abated from them, 18 hir whordome and shame was discouered & sene: then my herte forsoke her, like as my herte was gone from hir sister also. 19 Neuertheles she vsed hir whordome euer the longer the more, and remembred the dayes off hir youth, wherin she had played the harlot in the londe off Egipte: 20 she brent in lust vpon them, whose flesh was like ye flesh of Asses, and their sede like the sede off horses. 21 Thus thou hast renued the fylthynesse of thy youth, when thy louers bressed yi pappes, and marred thy brestes in Egipte. 22 Therfore (o Ooliba) thus saieth ye LORDE God. I will rayse vp thy louers (with whom thou hast satisfied thy lust) agaynst the, and gather them together rounde aboute the: 23 Namely, the Babilonians, and all the Caldees: Pecod, Schoa and Coa, with all the Assirians: all yonge and fayre louers: prynces and lordes, knyghtes and gentlemen, which be all good horsmen: 24 These shall come vpon the with horses, charettes, & a greate multitude of people: which shal be harnessed aboute the on euery syde, wt brestplates, sheldes and helmettes. I will punysh ye before them, yee they the selues shal punysh the, acordinge to their owne iudgmet. 25 I will put my gelousy vpon the, so that they shall deale cruelly with the. They shal cut of thy nose and thine eares, and the remnaunt shall fall thorow the swearde. They shall cary awaye thy sonnes and doughters, & the resydue shalbe brent in the fyre. 26 Thy shal strype the out of thy clothes, & cary thy costly Iewels awaye with them. 27 Thus will I make an ende off thy fylthynesse & whordome, which thou hast brought out of the lode of Egipte: so that thou shalt turne thine eyes nomore after them, & cast thy mynde nomore vpon Egipte. 28 For thus saieth the LORDE: Beholde, I will delyuer ye in to the hodes of them, whom thou hatest: yee euen in to the hondes of them, with who thou hast fulfylled thy lust, 29 which shall deale cruelly with ye: All thy laboure shal they take with them, and leaue the naked and bare, and thus the shame of thy filthy whordome shal come to light. 30 All these thinges shal happen vnto the, because of thy whordome, which thou hast vsed amonge the Gentiles, with whose Idols thou hast defyled yi self. 31 Thou hast walked in the waye of thy sister, therfore will I geue the hir cuppe in thy honde. 32 Thus saieth the LORDE God: Thou shalt drynke off thy sisters cuppe, how depe & farre so euer it be to the botome. Thou shalt be laughed to scorne, and had as greatly in derision, as is possible. 33 Thou shalt be full off dronckennes and sorowe, for the cuppe of yi sister Samaria is a cuppe of destruccion & waistinge: 34 the same shalt thou drynke, and suppe it out eue to ye dregges, yee thou shalt eate vp the broken peces off it, and so teare thine owne brestes: For euen I haue spoken it, saieth the LORDE God. 35 Therfore thus saieth ye LORDE God: For so moch as thou hast forgotte me, & cast me asyde, so beare now thine owne fylthinesse & whordome. 36 The LORDE sayde morouer vnto me: Thou sonne of ma, wilt thou not reproue Oola & Ooliba? Shewe the their abhominacios: 37 namely, yt they haue broke their wedlocke, & stayned their hodes wt bloude: yee euen wt their Idols haue they committed aduoutry, & offred them their owne children (to be deuoured) who they had borne vnto me. 38 Yee & this haue they done vnto me also: they haue defyled my Sactuary in that same daye, & haue vnhalowed my Sabbath. 39 For when they had slayne their childre for their Idols, they came the same daye in to my Sanctuary, to defyle it. Lo, this haue they done in my house. 40 Besyde all this, thou hast sent yi messaungers for men out of farre coutrees: and whe they came, thou hast bathed, trymmed and set forth thy selff off the best fashion: 41 thou sattest vpo a goodly bed, & a table spred before the: whervpon thou hast set myne incense and myne oyle. 42 Then was there greate cheare wt her, & the men yt were sent fro farre coutrees ouer the deserte: vnto these they gaue bracelettes vpon their hondes, & set glorious crownes vpon their heades. 43 Then thought I: no doute, these wil vse their harlotry also wt yoder olde whore. 44 And they wente in to her, as vnto a comon harlot: Euen so wente they also to Oola & Ooliba, those filthy women. 45 O ye all that loue vertue and rightuousnes, iudge the, punysh them: as aduoutrers and murtherers ought to be iudged and punyshed. For they are breakers off wedlocke, and the bloude is in their hondes. 46 Wherfore thus saieth the LORDE God: bringe a greate multitude off people vpon them, and make them be scatred and spoyled: 47 these shal stone them, and gorre them with their sweardes. They shal slaye their sonnes and doughters and burne vp their houses with fyre. 48 Thus will I destroye all soch fylthynes out off the londe: that all women may lerne, not to do after youre vnclenesse. 49 And so they shall laye youre fylthinesse vpon youre owne selues, and ye shalbe punyshed for the synnes, that ye haue committed with youre Idols: & ye shall knowe, that I am the LORDE.
• Luke 10:29 : 29 But he wolde haue iustified himself, & sayde vnto Iesus: Who is then my neghboure?
• Rom 3:19 : 19 But we knowe, yt, what soeuer the lawe sayeth, it sayeth it vnto them which are vnder the lawe, yt euery mouthe maye be stopped, & yt all the worlde maye be detter vnto God,
• 1 John 1:8-9 : 8 Yf we saye that we haue no synne, we disceaue oure selues, and the trueth is not in vs. 9 But yf we knowlege oure synnes, he is faithfull and iust to forgeue vs oure synnes, & to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes. 10 Yf we saye, we haue not synned, we make him a lyar, and his worde is not in vs.
• Rev 3:17-18 : 17 because thou saist thou art riche and incresyd with goodes and hast nede of nothinge, and knowest not how thou art wretched & miserable, poore, blynde, and nakyd. 18 I counsell the to bye of me golde tryed in the fyre, that thou mayste be riche: and whyte rayment, that thou mayste be clothed, that thy fylthy nakednes do not apere: anoynt thine eyes with eye salue, yt thou mayste se.