Jeremiah 2:14
Jeremiah 2:14 in Multiple Translations
Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? Why then has he become prey?
¶ Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?
Is Israel a servant? is he a home-born slave? why is he become a prey?
Is Israel a servant? has he been a house-servant from birth? why has he been made waste?
Are Israelites slaves? Were they born into slavery? So why have they become victims?
Is Israel a seruaunt, or is hee borne in the house? why then is he spoiled?
A servant [is] Israel? Is he a child of the house? Wherefore hath he been for a prey?
Is Israel a slave? Is he born into slavery? Why has he become a captive?
Is Israel a servant? is he a home-born slave ? why is he laid waste?
Is Israel a bondman, or a homeborn slave? why then is he become prey?
You Israeli people, you were certainly not [RHQ] slaves when you were born; you were captured by your enemies.
Berean Amplified Bible — Jeremiah 2:14
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Jeremiah 2:14 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הַ/עֶ֨בֶד֙
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
אִם
יְלִ֥יד
בַּ֖יִת
ה֑וּא
מַדּ֖וּעַ
הָיָ֥ה
לָ/בַֽז
הַ/עֶ֨בֶד֙
ʻebed
H5650
servant/slave
Part | N-ms
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
Israel
N-proper
אִם
ʼim
H518
if
Conj
יְלִ֥יד
yâlîyd
H3211
born
N-ms
בַּ֖יִת
bayith
H1004
place
N-ms
ה֑וּא
hûwʼ
H1931
he/she/it
Pron
מַדּ֖וּעַ
maddûwaʻ
H4069
why?
Part
הָיָ֥ה
hâyâh
H1961
to be
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
לָ/בַֽז
baz
H957
plunder
Prep | N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Jeremiah 2:14
הַ/עֶ֨בֶד֙
ʻebed
H5650
"servant/slave"
Part | N-ms
This word refers to a servant or slave, often in the context of serving God or a human master. It can also describe a prophet or Levite. The KJV translates it as bondage, bondman, or servant.
Definition: 1) slave, servant 1a) slave, servant, man-servant 1b) subjects 1c) servants, worshippers (of God) 1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc) 1e) servant (of Israel) 1f) servant (as form of address between equals) Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (עֲבַד "servant/slave" H5649)
Usage: Occurs in 714 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant. See also: Genesis 9:25; Exodus 11:3; 1 Samuel 8:16.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
"Israel"
N-proper
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Definition: A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently § Israel = "God prevails" 1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel 2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob 2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split 2b) the name used and given to the northern kingdom consisting of the 10 tribes under Jeroboam; the southern kingdom was known as Judah 2c) the name of the nation after the return from exile
Usage: Occurs in 2231 OT verses. KJV: Israel. See also: Genesis 32:29; Exodus 13:18; Exodus 40:38.
אִם
ʼim
H518
"if"
Conj
This Hebrew word is used to express conditions or questions, like if or whether. It can also be used to make oaths or express wishes, as in Oh that! It appears in various forms in the KJV, including if, though, and when.
Definition: : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather
Usage: Occurs in 931 OT verses. KJV: (and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), though, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] unless, [phrase] verily, when, whereas, whether, while, [phrase] yet. See also: Genesis 4:7; Exodus 22:3; Leviticus 27:27.
יְלִ֥יד
yâlîyd
H3211
"born"
N-ms
This Hebrew word means born, referring to a child or son, like a home-born son or daughter.
Definition: born
Usage: Occurs in 13 OT verses. KJV: (home-) born, child, son. See also: Genesis 14:14; Numbers 13:22; Jeremiah 2:14.
בַּ֖יִת
bayith
H1004
"place"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Definition: nm place, origin, between
Usage: Occurs in 1712 OT verses. KJV: court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). See also: Genesis 6:14; Exodus 8:5; Numbers 1:45.
ה֑וּא
hûwʼ
H1931
"he/she/it"
Pron
This word is a pronoun meaning 'he', 'she', or 'it', used to refer to a person or thing. It is used in the Bible to emphasize a subject or make it clear who is being talked about.
Definition: pron 3p s 1) he, she, it 1a) himself (with emphasis) 1b) resuming subj with emphasis 1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate) 1d) (anticipating subj) 1e) (emphasising predicate) 1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron 2) that (with article)
Usage: Occurs in 1693 OT verses. KJV: he, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who. See also: Genesis 2:11; Genesis 32:19; Exodus 21:3.
מַדּ֖וּעַ
maddûwaʻ
H4069
"why?"
Part
This Hebrew word is used to ask questions like why or how, seeking to understand the reason behind something. It appears in various forms in the Bible, often in contexts of inquiry or curiosity.
Definition: why?, on what account?, wherefore?
Usage: Occurs in 71 OT verses. KJV: how, wherefore, why. See also: Genesis 26:27; 2 Kings 8:12; Isaiah 5:4.
הָיָ֥ה
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
לָ/בַֽז
baz
H957
"plunder"
Prep | N-ms
Means plunder or spoil, referring to goods taken by force, as seen in the conquests of Joshua. It can also imply robbery or spoiling something. The concept appears in various KJV translations, including booty and prey.
Definition: spoil, booty, robbery, spoiling Also means: bag (בַּג "spoil" H0897)
Usage: Occurs in 25 OT verses. KJV: booty, prey, spoil(-ed). See also: Numbers 14:3; Jeremiah 49:32; Isaiah 10:6.
Study Notes — Jeremiah 2:14
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Jeremiah 2:14 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 2:14
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 2:14
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
- Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
- Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
- Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 2:14
- Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 2:14
- Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
- Sermons on Jeremiah 2:14
Context — The Consequence of Israel’s Sin
12Be stunned by this, O heavens; be shocked and utterly appalled,” declares the LORD.
13“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.
14Is Israel a slave? Was he born into slavery? Why then has he become prey?
15The young lions have roared at him; they have sounded their voices. They have laid waste his land; his cities lie in ruins, without inhabitant. 16The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved the crown of your head.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 4:22 | Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son, |
| 2 | Isaiah 50:1 | This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away. |
| 3 | Genesis 15:3 | Abram continued, “Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir.” |
| 4 | Ecclesiastes 2:7 | I acquired menservants and maidservants, and servants were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me, |
Jeremiah 2:14 Summary
Jeremiah 2:14 asks a series of questions about Israel's situation, highlighting their spiritual bondage and vulnerability to their enemies. Israel was not born into slavery, but they have become slaves to sin and idolatry, as seen in Deuteronomy 32:15-18. As a result, they have become prey to the attacks of their enemies, losing the protection and care of God (Psalm 121:7-8). This serves as a warning to us to remain faithful to God and not turn away from His living water, lest we also become vulnerable to the pressures and dangers of the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for Israel to be a slave in Jeremiah 2:14?
In this context, Israel being a slave refers to their spiritual bondage to sin and idolatry, as seen in Deuteronomy 32:15-18, where they forsook God and followed after false gods, leading to their spiritual captivity.
Was Israel born into slavery as indicated in Jeremiah 2:14?
No, Israel was not born into slavery; in fact, they were born into a covenant relationship with God, as seen in Exodus 19:5-6, where God declares them to be His special treasure, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Why has Israel become prey according to Jeremiah 2:14?
Israel has become prey because they have forsaken God, the fountain of living water, and have dug their own broken cisterns, as stated in Jeremiah 2:13, leading to their vulnerability to the attacks of their enemies, as seen in Jeremiah 2:15.
What is the significance of Israel becoming prey in Jeremiah 2:14?
Israel becoming prey signifies their loss of the protection and care of God, as seen in Psalm 121:7-8, where God promises to keep and protect His people, but when they turn away from Him, they become vulnerable to the dangers and pressures of the world, as seen in Jeremiah 2:15-16.
Reflection Questions
- How have I, like Israel, turned away from God's living water and dug my own broken cisterns, leading to spiritual dryness and vulnerability?
- What are the 'young lions' in my life that are roaring at me and laying waste my spiritual land, and how can I find refuge in God?
- In what ways have I, like Israel, become prey to the enemy's tactics, and how can I reclaim my position as a child of God, protected and cared for by Him?
- How can I, like the Israelites, return to the fountain of living water and experience God's restoration and renewal, as promised in Jeremiah 31:12-14?
Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 2:14
Is Israel a servant?.... That he does not abide in the house, in his own land, but is carried captive, becomes subject to others, and is used as a slave; so the Targum, "as a servant;'' is he not the Lord's first born?
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 2:14
Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? Is he a home-born slave? - No.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
Is Israel a servant? is he a home-born slave? did I ever account him so? or did I not rather always reckon him my first-born? so some, as . But it may better relate to his sad condition and abuses from others, as , which God or the prophet doth here inquire into; and slave is here rightly added to home-born, ( though not in the text,) to express the baseness of his service, because the master had power to make those slaves who were born of slaves in his house; which argues his condition very low, whether he were thus born, or had been forced to sell himself to be a slave. Why is he spoiled? He speaks either of the thing that is to be as if it were already done, because of the certainty of it, as of that devastation made by the Assyrians and Chaldeans, who afflicted the remnant of the Jews; or of that havoc that was made of them formerly by Sennacherib, the Assyrians, and Egyptians. Why is he thus tyrannized over, , as if strangers had the same right over him as owners over their slaves? He removes here the false causes of Israel’ s misery, that he may the more aggravate and set home the true, as ,19. He was my son; if he now become a slave, he may thank himself:
Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
Jeremiah 2:14 [Is] Israel a servant? [is] he a homeborn [slave]? why is he spoiled?Ver. 14. Is Israel a servant?] sc., Bought with money. Is he a homeborn slave?] Verna, a slave by birth; q.d., if he be either of the two, he may thank himself. He was my son, nay, my spouse, if he could have kept him so; but he hath sold himself to commit wickedness, and I have therefore sold him into the hands of the Chaldeans. Lo! this is the product of his forsaking me, the fountain of living waters, &c. Servus empticius, purchased slave.
Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
(14) Is Israel a servant?—The word “servant,” we must remember, had become, through its frequent use in Isaiah (Isaiah 20:3; Isaiah 41:8, et al.), a word not of shame, but honour; and of all servants, he who was born in the house—as in the case of Eleazar (Genesis 15:3)—occupied the most honourable place, nearest to a son. The point of the question is accordingly not “Is Israel become a slave,” kidnapped, as it were, and spoiled, but rather this: “Is Israel the servant of Jehovah, as one born in His house? Why, then, is he treated as one with no master to protect him?”
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
Verse 14. Is Israel a servant?] Is he a slave purchased with money, or a servant born in the family? He is a son himself. If so, then, why is he spoiled? Not because God has not shown him love and kindness; but because he forsook God, turned to and is joined with idols.
Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 2:14
14–30. Israel’s sin and obstinacy under punishment 14–17. Co. points out that Jeremiah 2:13 connects naturally with Jeremiah 2:18. The cisterns from which Israel has sought water proving unavailable, she has tried the rivers of Egypt and Assyria. Accordingly, while holding that the vv. are genuine utterances of Jeremiah, he thinks with some considerable probability that they are misplaced here.
Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 2:14
It was Israel’s glory to be Yahweh’s servant Jeremiah 30:10, and slaves born in the house were more prized than those bought with money as being more faithful Genesis 14:14. Cannot Yahweh guard His own household?
Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 2:14
ISRAEL’S , Jeremiah 2:14-19.14. Is Israel a servant… a home-born — Some, as Nagelsbach, make the interrogator in this place to be the prophet, but it is better to regard this as a continuation of the word of God.
Sermons on Jeremiah 2:14
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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(Exodus) Exodus 5 Introduction by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the plagues that God sent upon Egypt to reveal His power and superiority over the gods of Egypt. The plagues were not random, but were specif |
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Hosea #4 Ch. 6 a Cake Not Turned by Chuck Missler | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the book of Hosea, specifically chapter 6. He mentions that Hosea tends to shift subjects suddenly, so the first three verses of chapter 6 m |
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The Heavenly Calling - Part 7 by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concept of the nation of Israel and how it relates to believers in Christ. He emphasizes that God sees the nation as one son and will not |
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K-450 the Royal Priesthood by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of looking beyond the physical and material things in life. He uses the example of wanting to go to the mall just to see the m |
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Holl-03 Authentieke Conversie (True Conversion) by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker recounts a moment when he stood up to preach in a challenging environment. He prayed for guidance and spoke a message that was not anointed, yet somethi |
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What Does It Mean to Be Firstborn? by Anton Bosch | Anton Bosch delves into the privileges and responsibilities of being the firstborn in the Old Testament, highlighting the greater inheritance, blessing, succession rights, and spec |
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The Incarnation Part 10 - "The First Prophecy" by Charles Alexander | Charles Alexander delves into the profound prophecies fulfilled in the early history of Jesus, focusing on the journey of the wise men, the flight into Egypt, and the return to Naz |