Jeremiah 2 · Verse 13

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.

Jeremiah 2:13, King James Version

Jeremiah 2:13 in other translations

BSB	“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns— broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
WEB	“For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut out cisterns for themselves: broken cisterns that can’t hold water.
ASV	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.
YLT	For two evils hath My people done, Me they have forsaken, a fountain of living waters, To hew out for themselves wells--broken wells, That contain not the waters.
DARBY	For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, to hew them out cisterns, broken cisterns that hold no water.
BBE	For my people have done two evils; they have given up me, the fountain of living waters, and have made for themselves water-holes, cut out from the rock, broken water-holes, of no use for storing water.
Webster	For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

What does Jeremiah 2:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

13. 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 17:13; Psa 36:9; Joh 4:14). broken cisterns--tanks for rain water, common in the East, where wells are scarce. The tanks not only cannot give forth an ever-flowing fresh supply as fountains can, but cannot even retain the water poured into them; the stonework within being broken, the earth drinks up the collected water. So, in general, all earthly, compared with heavenly, means of satisfying man's highest wants (Is 55:1, 2; compare Lu 12:33).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 13 Two 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.

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 2:13 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.

כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588

שְׁתַּ֥יִםshe.Ta.yimtwoH8147

רָע֖וֹתra.'otevil thingsH7451

עָשָׂ֣ה'a.Sahit has doneH6213

עַמִּ֑י'a.Mipeople myH5971

אֹתִ֨י'o.Ti<obj.> meH853

עָזְב֜וּ'a.ze.Vuthey have forsakenH5800

מְק֣וֹר\׀me.Kora spring ofH4726

מַ֣יִםMa.yimwaterH4325

חַיִּ֗יםchai.YimlivingH2416

לַחְצֹ֤בlach.Tzoto digH2672

לָהֶם֙la.Hemfor <the> themselves

בֹּאר֔וֹתbo.RotcisternsH877

בֹּארֹת֙bo.RotcisternsH877

נִשְׁבָּרִ֔יםnish.ba.RimbrokenH7665

אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834

לֹא\־lo'-notH3808

יָכִ֖לוּya.Khi.luthey containH3557

הַמָּֽיִם\׃ha.Ma.yim<the> waterH4325

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 2:13

John 4:14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 7:37
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Revelation 21:6
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Jeremiah 17:13
O Lord, 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 the Lord, the fountain of living waters.
Psalms 36:9
For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
Revelation 22:1
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Isaiah 55:2
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Jeremiah 4:22
For 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.
Psalms 81:11-13
But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!
Jeremiah 2:17
Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way?
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.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

For my.
31,32; 4:22; 5:26,31; Ps 81:11-13; Isa 1:3; 5:13; 63:8; Mic 2:8; 6:3
forsaken.
17; 1:16; 15:6; Jud 10:13; 1Sa 12:10
the fountain.
17:13; 18:14; Ps 36:9; Joh 4:14; 7:37; Re 21:6; 22:1,17
broken cisterns.
11,26; Ps 115:4-8; 146:3,4; Ec 1:2,14; 2:11,21,26; 4:4; 12:8
Isa 44:9-20; 46:6,7; 55:2; 2Pe 2:17

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

Context

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.
Jeremiah 2:14
Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?

Read all of Jeremiah 2

Jeremiah 2:13 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Porque dos males ha hecho mi pueblo: dejáronme á mí, fuente de agua viva, por cavar para sí cisternas, cisternas rotas que no detienen aguas.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Car mon peuple a fait deux maux: ils m’ont abandonné, moi, la source des eaux vives, pour se creuser des citernes, des citernes crevassées qui ne retiennent pas l’eau.
German Elberfelder 1871	Denn zweifach Böses hat mein Volk begangen: Mich, den Born lebendigen Wassers, haben sie verlassen, um sich Cisternen auszuhauen, geborstene Cisternen, die kein Wasser halten.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Duo enim mala fecit populus meus: me dereliquerunt fontem aquæ vivæ, et foderunt sibi cisternas, cisternas dissipatas, quia continere non valent aquas.