Jeremiah 2:23

Geneva Bible (1560)

Howe canst thou say, I am not polluted, neither haue I followed Baalim? beholde thy waies in the valley, & know, what thou hast done: thou art like a swift dromedarie, that runneth by his waies.

📖 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 And they haue built the hie place of Topheth, which is in the valley of Ben-Hinnom to burne their sonnes & their daughters in the fire, which I commaunded them not, neither came it in mine heart.
• Prov 30:12 : 12 There is a generation that are pure in their owne conceite, and yet are not washed from their filthinesse.
• Prov 30:20 : 20 Such is ye way also of an adulterous woman: she eateth and wipeth her mouth, and sayth, I haue not committed iniquitie.
• Isa 57:5-6 : 5 Inflamed with idoles vnder euery greene tree? and sacrificing the children in the valleys vnder the tops of the rocks? 6 Thy portion is in the smooth stones of the riuer: they, they are thy lot: euen to them hast thou powred a drinke offering: thou hast offered a sacrifice. Should I delite in these?
• Jer 2:33-35 : 33 Why doest thou prepare thy way, to seeke amitie? euen therefore will I teach thee, that thy waies are wickednesse. 34 Also in thy wings is founde the bloud of the soules of ye poore innocents: I haue not found it in holes, but vpon all these places. 35 Yet thou saiest, Because I am giltles, surely his wrath shall turne from mee: beholde, I will enter with thee into iudgement, because thou saiest, I haue not sinned.
• Jer 3:2 : 2 Lift vp thine eyes vnto the hie places, and beholde, where thou hast not plaied the harlot: thou hast sit waiting for them in the waies, as the Arabian in the wildernesse: and thou hast polluted the lande with thy whoredomes, and with thy malice.
• Gen 3:12-13 : 12 Then the man saide, The woman which thou gauest to be with me, she gaue me of the tree, and I did eate. 13 And the Lorde God saide to the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eate.
• 1 Sam 15:13-14 : 13 Then Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said vnto him. Blessed be thou of the Lord, I haue fulfilled the commaundement of the Lord. 14 But Samuel saide, 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 was come light and ioy and gladnes, and honour.
• Ps 36:2 : 2 For hee flattereth himselfe in his owne eyes, while his iniquitie is foud worthy to be hated.
• Ps 50:21 : 21 These things hast thou done, and I held my tongue: therefore thou thoughtest that I was like thee: but I will reproue thee, and set them in order before thee.
• Prov 28:13 : 13 He that hideth his sinnes, shall not prosper: but he that confesseth, and forsaketh them, shall haue mercy.
• Jer 9:14 : 14 But haue walked after the stubbernesse of their owne heart, and after Baalims, which their fathers taught them,
• Jer 31:22 : 22 How long wilt thou goe astray, O thou rebellious daughter? for the Lorde hath created a newe thing in the earth: A woman shall compasse a man.
• Ezek 16:1-9 : 1 Againe, the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, cause Ierusalem to knowe her abominations, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God vnto Ierusalem, Thine habitation and thy kindred is of the land of Canaan: thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. 4 And in thy natiuitie whe thou wast borne, thy nauell was not cut: thou wast not washed in water to soften thee: thou wast not salted with salt, nor swadled in cloutes. 5 None eye pitied thee to do any of these vnto thee, for to haue compassion vpon thee, but thou wast cast out in the open fielde to the contempt of thy person in ye day that thou wast borne. 6 And when I passed by thee, I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood, and I said vnto thee, whe thou wast in thy blood, Thou shalt liue: euen when thou wast in thy blood, I saide vnto thee, Thou shalt liue. 7 I haue caused thee to multiplie as the bud of the fielde, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou hast gotten excellent ornaments: thy breastes are facioned, thine heare is growen, where as thou wast naked and bare. 8 Nowe when I passed by thee, and looked vpon thee, beholde, thy time was as the time of loue, and I spred my skirtes ouer thee, and couered thy filthines: yea, I sware vnto thee, and entred into a couenant with thee, saith the Lorde God, and thou becamest mine. 9 Then washed I thee with water: yea, I washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oyle. 10 I clothed thee also with broydred worke, and shod thee with badgers skin: and I girded thee about with fine linen, & I couered thee with silke. 11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets vpon thine handes, and a chaine on thy necke. 12 And I put a frontlet vpon thy face, and earings in thine eares, and a beautifull crowne vpon thine head. 13 Thus wast thou deckt with gold and siluer, and thy rayment was of fine linen, and silke, and broydred worke: thou didest eate fine floure, and honie and oyle, and thou wast very beautifull, and thou didest grow vp into a kingdome. 14 And thy name was spred among the heathen for thy beautie: for it was perfite through my beautie which I had set vpon thee, saith the Lord God. 15 Nowe thou didest trust in thine owne beautie, and playedst the harlot, because of thy renowme, and hast powred out thy fornications on euery one that passed by, thy desire was to him. 16 And thou didest take thy garments, & deckedst thine hie places with diuers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like thinges shall not come, neither hath any done so. 17 Thou hast also taken thy faire iewels made of my golde and of my siluer, which I had giuen thee, and madest to thy selfe images of men, and didest commit whoredome with them, 18 And tookest thy broydred garments, and coueredst them: and thou hast set mine oyle and my perfume before them. 19 My meate also, which I gaue thee, as fine floure, oyle, and honie, wherewith I fedde thee, thou hast euen set it before them for a sweete sauour: thus it was, saith the Lord God. 20 Moreouer thou hast taken thy sonnes and thy daughters, whome thou hast borne vnto me, and these hast thou sacrificed vnto them, to be deuoured: is this thy whoredome a small matter? 21 That thou hast slaine my children, and deliuered them to cause them to passe through fire for them? 22 And in all thine abominations and whoredomes thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood. 23 And beside all thy wickednes (wo, wo vnto thee, saith the Lord God) 24 Thou hast also built vnto thee an hie place, and hast made thee an hie place in euery streete. 25 Thou hast built thine hie place at euery corner of the way, and hast made thy beautie to be abhorred: thou hast opened thy feete to euery one that passed by, & multiplied thy whoredome. 26 Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, which haue great members, and hast encreased thy whoredome, to prouoke me. 27 Beholde, therefore I did stretche out mine hand ouer thee, and will diminish thine ordinarie, and deliuer thee vnto the will of them that hate thee, euen to the daughters of the Philistims, which are ashamed of thy wicked way. 28 Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast insaciable: yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. 29 Thou hast moreouer multiplied thy fornication from the land of Canaan vnto Caldea, and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. 30 Howe weake is thine heart, saith the Lorde God, seeing thou doest all these thinges, euen the worke of a presumptuous whorish woman? 31 In that thou buildest thine hie place in the corner of euery way, and makest thine hie place in euery streete, and hast not bene as an harlot that despiseth a reward, 32 But as a wife that playeth the harlot, and taketh others for her husband: 33 They giue giftes to all other whores, but thou giuest giftes vnto all thy louers, and rewardest them, that they may come vnto thee on euery side for thy fornication. 34 And the contrary is in thee from other women in thy fornications, neither the like fornication shall be after thee: for in that thou giuest a rewarde, and no reward is giuen vnto thee, therefore thou art contrary. 35 Wherefore, O harlot, heare the worde of the Lord. 36 Thus sayeth the Lorde God, Because thy shame was powred out, and thy filthinesse discouered through thy fornications with thy louers, and with all the idoles of thine abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didest offer vnto them, 37 Beholde, therefore I wil gather all thy louers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loued, with al them that thou hast hated: I will euen gather them round about against thee, and will discouer thy filthines vnto them, that they may see all thy filthines. 38 And I wil iudge thee after ye maner of them that are harlots, and of them that shead blood, and I wil giue thee the blood of wrath & ielousie. 39 I will also giue thee into their handes, and they shal destroy thine hie place, and shall breake downe thine hie places. They shall strippe thee also out of thy clothes, and shall take thy faire iewels, and leaue thee naked and bare. 40 They shall also bring vp a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swordes. 41 And they shall burne vp thine houses with fire, and execute iudgements vpon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou shalt giue no reward any more. 42 So will I make my wrath towarde thee to rest, and my ielousie shall depart from thee, and I will cease and be no more angrie. 43 Because thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth, but hast prouoked me with all these things, behold, therefore I also haue brought thy way vpon thine head, sayeth the Lorde God: yet hast not thou had consideration of all thine abominations. 44 Beholde, all that vse prouerbes, shall vse this prouerbe against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. 45 Thou art thy mothers daughter, that hath cast off her husband and her children, and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsooke their husbandes and their children: your mother is an Hittite, and your father an Amorite. 46 And thine elder sister is Samaria, and her daughters, that dwell at thy left hand, and thy yong sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom, and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their wayes, nor done after their abominations: but as it had bene a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more then they in all thy wayes. 48 As I liue, saith the Lorde God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, neither shee nor her daughters, as thou hast done and thy daughters. 49 Beholde, this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodom, Pride, fulnesse of bread, and aboundance of idlenesse was in her, and in her daughters: neither did shee strengthen the hande of the poore and needie. 50 But they were hautie, and committed abomination before mee: therefore I tooke them away, as pleased me. 51 Neither hath Samaria committed halfe of thy sinnes, but thou hast exceeded them in thine abominations, and hast iustified thy sisters in all thine abominations, which thou hast done. 52 Therefore thou which hast iustified thy sisters, beare thine owne shame for thy sinnes, that thou hast committed more abominable then they which are more righteous then thou art: be thou therefore confounded also, and beare thy shame, seeing that thou hast iustified thy sisters. 53 Therefore I will bring againe their captiuitie with the captiuitie of Sodom, and her daughters, and with the captiuitie of Samaria, and her daughters: euen the captiuitie of thy captiues in the middes of them, 54 That thou mayest beare thine owne shame, and mayest bee confounded in 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 pride, 57 Before thy wickednes was discouered, as in that same time of the reproch of the daughters of Aram, and of all the daughters of the Philistims round about her which despise thee on all sides. 58 Thou hast borne therefore thy wickednesse and thine abomination, saith the Lord. 59 For thus saith the Lord God, I might euen deale with thee, as thou hast done: when thou didest despise the othe, in breaking the couenant. 60 Neuerthelesse, I wil remember my couenant made with thee in ye dayes of thy youth, and I wil confirme vnto thee an euerlasting couenant. 61 Then thou shalt remember thy wayes, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receiue thy sisters, both thy elder & thy yonger, and I will giue them vnto thee for daughters, but not by thy couenat. 62 And I wil establish my couenant with thee, and thou shalt knowe that I am the Lord, 63 That thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, & neuer open thy mouth any more: because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.
• Ezek 23:1-9 : 1 The worde of the Lord came againe vnto me, saying, 2 Sonne of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 And they committed fornication in Egypt, they committed fornication in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teates of their virginitie. 4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, & Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sonnes and daughters: thus were their names. Samaria is Aholah, and Ierusalem Aholibah. 5 And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine, and she was set on fire with her louers, to wit, with the Assyrians her neighbours, 6 Which were clothed with blewe silke, both captaines and princes: they were all pleasant yong men, and horsemen riding vpon horses. 7 Thus she committed her whoredome with them, euen with all them that were the chosen men of Asshur, and with all on whome she doted, and defiled her selfe with all their idoles. 8 Neither left she her fornications, learned of the Egyptians: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginitie, and powred their whoredome vpon her. 9 Wherefore I deliuered her into the hands of her louers, euen into the hands of the Assyrians, vpon whome she doted. 10 These discouered her shame: they tooke away her sonnes and her daughters, and slewe her with the sworde, and she had an euill name among women: for they had executed iudgement vpon her. 11 And when her sister Aholibah sawe this, she marred her selfe with inordinate loue, more then she, and with her fornications more then her sister with her fornications. 12 She doted vpon the Assyrians her neighbours, both captaines and princes clothed with diuers sutes, horsemen ryding vpon horses: they were all pleasant yong men. 13 Then I sawe that she was defiled, and that they were both after one sort, 14 And that she encreased her fornications: for when she sawe men painted vpon the wall, the images of the Caldeans painted with vermelon, 15 And girded with girdles vpon their loynes, and with dyed attyre vpon their heads (looking all like princes after the maner of the Babylonians in Caldea, the land of their natiuitie) 16 Assoone, I say, as she sawe them, she doted vpon them, and sent messengers vnto them into Caldea. 17 Nowe when the Babylonians came to her into the bed of loue, they defiled her with their fornication, and she was polluted with them, and her lust departed from them. 18 So she discouered her fornication, and disclosed her shame: then mine heart forsooke her, like as mine heart had forsaken her sister. 19 Yet she encreased her whoredome more, and called to remembrance ye dayes of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 20 For she doted vpon their seruants whose members are as the members of asses, and whose yssue is like the yssue of horses. 21 Thou calledst to remembrance the wickednes of thy youth, when thy teates were bruised by ye Egyptians: therefore ye paps of thy youth are thus. 22 Therefore, O Aholibah, thus sayeth the Lord God, Beholde, I will raise vp thy louers against thee, from whome thine heart is departed, and I will bring them against thee on euery side, 23 To wit, the Babylonians, and all the Caldeans, Peked, and Shoah, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: they were all pleasant yong men, captaines and princes: all they were valiant and renoumed, riding vpon horses. 24 Euen these shal come against thee with charets, waggons, and wheeles, and with a multitude of people, which shall set against thee, buckler and shield, and helmet round about: and I will leaue the punishment vnto them, and they shall iudge thee according to their iudgements. 25 And I wil lay mine indignation vpon thee, and they shal deale cruelly with thee: they shall cut off thy nose and thine eares, and thy remnant shal fall by the sword: they shall cary away thy sonnes and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be deuoured by the fire. 26 They shal also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fayre iewels. 27 Thus wil I make thy wickednes to cease from thee and thy fornication out of the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift vp thine eyes vnto them, nor remember Egypt any more. 28 For thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I wil deliuer thee into the hand of them, whome thou hatest: euen into the hands of them from whome thine heart is departed. 29 And they shall handle thee despitefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leaue thee naked and bare, and the shame of thy fornications shalbe discouered, both thy wickednes, and thy whoredome. 30 I wil doe these things vnto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idoles. 31 Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister: therefore wil I giue her cup into thine hand. 32 Thus saith ye Lord God, Thou shalt drinke of thy sisters cup, deepe and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorne and had in derision, because it containeth much. 33 Thou shalt be filled with drunkennes and sorow, euen with the cup of destruction, and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. 34 Thou shalt euen drinke it, and wring it out to the dregges, and thou shalt breake the sheards thereof, and teare thine owne breasts: for I haue spoken it, sayth the Lord God. 35 Therefore thus saith the Lorde God, Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behinde thy backe, therefore thou shalt also beare thy wickednes and thy whoredome. 36 The Lord sayd moreouer vnto me, Sonne of man, wilt thou iudge Aholah & Aholibah? and wilt thou declare to them their abominations? 37 For they haue played the whores, and blood is in their hands, and with their idoles haue they committed adulterie, and haue also caused their sonnes, whome they bare vnto me, to passe by the fire to be their meate. 38 Moreouer, thus haue they done vnto me: they haue defiled my Sanctuarie in the same day, and haue prophaned my Sabbaths. 39 For when they had slaine their children to their idoles, they came the same day into my Sanctuarie to defile it: and loe, thus haue they done in the middes of mine house. 40 And howe much more is it that they sent for men to come from farre vnto whom a messenger was sent, and loe, they came? for whome thou diddest wash thy selfe, and paintedst thine eyes, and deckedst thee with ornaments, 41 And satest vpon a costly bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oyle. 42 And a voyce of a multitude being at ease, was with her: and with the men to make the company great were brought men of Saba from the wildernes, which put bracelets vpon their hands, and beautifull crownes vpon their heads. 43 Then I sayd vnto her, that was olde in adulteries, Now shall she and her fornications come to an end. 44 And they went in vnto her as they goe to a common harlot: so went they to Aholah and Aholibah the wicked women. 45 And ye righteous men they shal iudge them, after the maner of harlots, and after the maner of murtherers: for they are harlots, and blood is in their hands. 46 Wherefore thus sayth the Lord God, I will bring a multitude vpon them, and will giue them vnto the tumult, and to the spoyle, 47 And the multitude shall stone them with stones, and cut them with their swordes: they shal slay their sonnes, and their daughters, and burne vp their houses with fire. 48 Thus will I cause wickednesse to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to doe after your wickednesse. 49 And they shall laye your wickednesse vpon you, and ye shall beare the sinnes of your idoles, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lord God.
• Luke 10:29 : 29 But he willing to iustifie himselfe, said vnto Iesus, Who is then my neighbour?
• Rom 3:19 : 19 Now we know that whatsoeuer ye Lawe saieth, it saieth it to them which are vnder ye Law, that euery mouth may bee stopped, and all the world be subiect to the iudgement of God.
• 1 John 1:8-9 : 8 If we say that we haue no sinne, we deceiue our selues, and trueth is not in vs. 9 If we acknowledge our sinnes, he is faithfull and iust, to forgiue vs our sinnes, & to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes. 10 If we say we haue not sinned, wee make him a liar, and his word is not in vs.
• Rev 3:17-18 : 17 For thou saiest, I am rich and increased with goods, and haue neede of nothing, and knowest not howe thou art wretched and miserable, and poore, and blinde, and naked. 18 I counsell thee to bye of me gold tried by the fire, that thou maiest bee made rich: and white raiment, that thou maiest be clothed, and that thy filthie nakednesse doe not appeare: and anoynt thine eyes with eye salue, that thou maiest see.