Jeremiah 2 · Verse 27

Jeremiah 2:27

Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
Jeremiah 2:27, King James Version

Jeremiah 2:27 in other translations

BSBsay to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their backs to Me and not their faces, yet in the time of trouble they beg, ‘Rise up and save us!’
WEBwho tell wood, ‘You are my father,’ and a stone, ‘You have given birth to me,’ for they have turned their back to me, and not their face, but in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise, and save us!’
ASVwho say to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
YLTSaying to wood, ‘My father art thou!' And to a stone, ‘Thou hast brought me forth,' For they turned unto me the back and not the face, And in the time of their vexation, They say, ‘Arise Thou, and save us.'
DARBYsaying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth; for they have turned the back unto me, and not the face; and in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us!
BBEWho say to a tree, You are my father; and to a stone, You have given me life: for their backs have been turned to me, not their faces: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Up! and be our saviour.
WebsterSaying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back to me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

What does Jeremiah 2:27 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
27. Thou art my father--(Contrast Jr 3:4; Is 64:8). in ... trouble they will say--namely, to God (Psa 78:34; Is 26:16). Trouble often brings men to their senses (Lu 15:16-18).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 27 Thou art my father - By thee we have been produced, and by thee we are sustained. This was the property of the true God; for he is the Author and Supporter of being. How deeply fallen and brutishly ignorant must they be when they could attribute this to the stock of a tree!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 2:20-28

Notwithstanding all their advantages, Israel had become like the wild vine that bears poisonous fruit. Men are often as much under the power of their unbridled desires and their sinful lusts, as the brute beasts. But the Lord here warns them not to weary themselves in pursuits which could only bring distress and misery. As we must not despair of the mercy of God, but believe that to be sufficient for the pardon of…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 2:20-28 →

Jeremiah 2:27 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.

אֹמְרִ֨ים'o.me.Rim[who] sayH559
לָעֵ֜ץla.'Etzto <the> woodH6086
אָ֣בִי'A.vi[are] father myH1
אַ֗תָּה'A.tahyouH859
וְלָאֶ֙בֶן֙ve.la.'E.venand to <the> stoneH68
אַ֣תְּ'atyouH859
יְלִדְתָּ֔נוּye.lid.ti.nuyou gave birth to usH3205
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
פָנ֥וּfa.Nuthey have turnedH6437
אֵלַ֛י'e.Laito meH413
עֹ֖רֶף'O.refa backH6203
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
פָנִ֑יםfa.Nima faceH6440
וּבְעֵ֤תu.ve.'Etand at [the] time ofH6256
רָֽעָתָם֙ra.'a.Tamcalamity theirH7451
יֹֽאמְר֔וּyo.me.Ruthey will sayH559
ק֖וּמָהKu.maharise !H6965
וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ\׃ve.ho.shi.'E.nuand save usH3467

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 2:27

  • Isaiah 26:16

    Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

  • Hosea 7:14

    And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me.

  • Isaiah 46:6-8

    They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble. Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.

  • Habakkuk 2:18-19

    What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.

  • Ezekiel 8:16

    And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

  • Jeremiah 2:24

    A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

  • Jeremiah 32:33

    And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

  • Isaiah 44:9-20

    They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. …

  • Psalms 78:34-37

    When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

  • Hosea 5:15

    I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

  • Psalms 115:4-8

    Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. …

  • Judges 10:8-16

    And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? …

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
to a stock.
10:8; Ps 115:4-8; Isa 44:9-20; 46:6-8; Hab 2:18,19
brought me forth. or, begotten me. for they.
Eze 8:16; 23:35
their back. Heb. the hinder part of the neck. but in thetime.
24; 22:23; Jud 10:8-16; Ps 78:34-37; Isa 26:16; Ho 5:15; 7:14

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

Context

  • Jeremiah 2:26

    As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,

  • Jeremiah 2:27

    Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

  • Jeremiah 2:28

    But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

Read all of Jeremiah 2

Jeremiah 2:27 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Que dicen al leño: Mi padre eres tú; y á la piedra: Tú me has engendrado: pues me volvieron la cerviz, y no el rostro; y en el tiempo de su trabajo dicen: Levántate, y líbranos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
ils disent à un bois: Tu es mon père; et à une pierre: Tu m’as engendré. Car ils m’ont tourné le dos, et non la face; et, dans le temps de leur malheur, ils diront: Lève-toi, et délivre-nous!
German
Elberfelder 1871
die zum Holze sprechen: Du bist mein Vater, und zum Steine: Du hast mich geboren; denn sie haben mir den Rücken zugekehrt und nicht das Angesicht. Aber zur Zeit ihres Unglücks sprechen sie: Stehe auf und rette uns!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
dicentes ligno: Pater meus es tu: et lapidi: Tu me genuisti. Verterunt ad me tergum et non faciem, et in tempore afflictionis suæ dicent: Surge, et libera nos.