Jeremiah 2:32

32 Young women don't forget their jewelry, do they? Brides don't show up without their veils, do they? But my people forget me. Day after day after day they never give me a thought.

Jeremiah 2:32 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 2:32

Can a maid forget her ornaments
Which she has provided for her wedding day, and is then to wear, and which may be the next; such as ear rings, bracelets, and jewels, which are never out of her mind, and can scarce sleep for thinking of them, how richly she shall be adorned with them; wherefore it follows: or a bride her attire?
or, "her bindings" F15; her knots about her head or breast. The word is rendered "head bands" in ( Isaiah 3:20 ) and here, by the Septuagint version, "her stomacher"; set with sparkling precious stones; see ( Isaiah 61:10 ) , these things her heart being set upon, and priding herself with, cannot be forgotten by her, at least not long: yet, my people have forgotten me days without number;
which shows great stupidity and ingratitude; the Lord not being so much to them, from whom they had received so many favours, as the ornaments of a maid, and the attire of a bride, are to them.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 (hyrwvq) "fasciae suae", Tigurine version; "ligaminum suorum", Munster, Calvin; "ligamentorum suorum", Piscator.

Jeremiah 2:32 In-Context

30 "I've wasted my time trying to train your children. They've paid no attention to me, ignored my discipline. And you've gotten rid of your God-messengers, treating them like dirt and sweeping them away.
31 "What a generation you turned out to be! Didn't I tell you? Didn't I warn you? Have I let you down, Israel? Am I nothing but a dead-end street? Why do my people say, 'Good riddance! From now on we're on our own'?
32 Young women don't forget their jewelry, do they? Brides don't show up without their veils, do they? But my people forget me. Day after day after day they never give me a thought.
33 "What an impressive start you made to get the most out of life. You founded schools of sin, taught graduate courses in evil!
34 And now you're sending out graduates, resplendent in cap and gown - except the gowns are stained with the blood of your victims! All that blood convicts you. You cut and hurt a lot of people to get where you are.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.