Jeremiah 2 · Verse 12

Jeremiah 2:12

Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 2:12, King James Version

Jeremiah 2:12 in other translations

BSBBe stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,” declares the LORD.
WEB“Be astonished, you heavens, at this and be horribly afraid. Be very desolate,” says the LORD.
ASVBe astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith Jehovah.
YLTBe astonished, ye heavens, at this, Yea, be frightened, be greatly wasted, An affirmation of Jehovah.
DARBYBe astonished, ye heavens, at this, and shudder; be amazed very much, saith Jehovah.
BBEBe full of wonder, O heavens, at this; be overcome with fear, be completely waste, says the Lord.
WebsterBe astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.

What does Jeremiah 2:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. Impassioned personification (Is 1:2). horribly afraid--rather, be horrified." be ... very desolate--rather, "be exceedingly aghast" at the monstrous spectacle. Literally, "to be dried up," or "devastated," (places devastated have such an unsightly look) [Maurer].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 Be astonished, O ye heavens - Or, the heavens are astonished. The original will admit either sense. The conduct of this people was so altogether bad, that among all the iniquities of mankind, neither heaven nor earth had witnessed any thing so excessively sinful and profligate.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 2:9-13

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…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 2:9-13 →

Jeremiah 2:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

שֹׁ֥מּוּSho.mube appalledH8074
שָׁמַ֖יִםsha.Ma.yimO heavenH8064
עַל\־'al-onH5921
זֹ֑אתZotthisH2063
וְשַׂעֲר֛וּve.sa.'a.Ruand shudderH8175
חָרְב֥וּcha.re.Vube desolateH2717
מְאֹ֖דme.'OdexceedinglyH3966
נְאֻם\־ne.'um-[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 2:12

  • Isaiah 1:2

    Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

  • Deuteronomy 32:1

    Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

  • Micah 6:2

    Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.

  • Jeremiah 6:19

    Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

  • Jeremiah 22:29

    O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.

  • Matthew 27:45

    Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

  • Matthew 27:50-53

    Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:19; 22:29; De 32:1; Isa 1:2; Mic 6:2; Mt 27:45,50-53

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 2:11

    Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.

  • Jeremiah 2:12

    Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 2:13

    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.

Read all of Jeremiah 2

Jeremiah 2:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Espantaos, cielos, sobre esto, y horrorizaos; desolaos en gran manera, dijo Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Cieux, soyez étonnés de ceci, frissonnez, et soyez extrêmement confondus, dit l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Entsetzet euch darüber, ihr Himmel, und schaudert, starret sehr! spricht Jehova.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Obstupescite, cæli, super hoc, et portæ ejus, desolamini vehementer, dicit Dominus.