The Meaning of Jeremiah 2:23 Explained

Jeremiah 2:23

KJV: How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

YLT: How sayest thou, 'I have not been defiled, After the Baalim I have not gone?' See thy way in a valley, know what thou hast done, A swift dromedary winding her ways,

Darby: How sayest thou, I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baals? See thy way in the valley, acknowledge what thou hast done a swift dromedary traversing her ways!

ASV: How canst thou say, I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

How canst thou say,  I am not polluted,  I have not gone  after  Baalim?  see  thy way  in the valley,  know  what thou hast done:  [thou art] a swift  dromedary  traversing  her ways; 

What does Jeremiah 2:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Neither could Israel deny that she had gone after Canaanite idols, though the people tried to. The Judahites worshipped Baal and Molech in the Hinnom Valley just south of Jerusalem (cf. Jeremiah 7:31-32; 2 Kings 23:10). All Judah had to do was examine her experiences, and she would see that she was all tangled up, like a young camel that got tangled up in its ropes from thrashing around where it did not belong.

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 2

1  God having shown his former kindness,
5  expostulates with the people on their causeless and unexampled revolt
14  They are the causes of their own calamities
18  The sins and idolatries of Judah
35  Her confidence is rejected

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 2:23 mean?

How can you say not I am polluted after the Baals I have gone See your way in the valley Know what you have done [You are] a dromedary swift breaking loose in her ways
אֵ֣יךְ תֹּאמְרִ֞י לֹ֣א נִטְמֵ֗אתִי אַחֲרֵ֤י ؟ הַבְּעָלִים֙ הָלַ֔כְתִּי רְאִ֤י דַרְכֵּךְ֙ בַּגַּ֔יְא דְּעִ֖י מֶ֣ה ! עָשִׂ֑ית בִּכְרָ֥ה קַלָּ֖ה מְשָׂרֶ֥כֶת דְּרָכֶֽיהָ

אֵ֣יךְ  How 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
תֹּאמְרִ֞י  can  you  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
נִטְמֵ֗אתִי  I  am  polluted 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: טָמֵא 
Sense: to be unclean, become unclean, become impure.
אַחֲרֵ֤י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
؟ הַבְּעָלִים֙  the  Baals 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
הָלַ֔כְתִּי  I  have  gone 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
רְאִ֤י  See 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
דַרְכֵּךְ֙  your  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
בַּגַּ֔יְא  in  the  valley 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: גַּיְא  
Sense: valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge.
דְּעִ֖י  Know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
! עָשִׂ֑ית  you  have  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בִּכְרָ֥ה  [You  are]  a  dromedary 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בִּכְרָה  
Sense: a young female camel, young camel, dromedary.
קַלָּ֖ה  swift 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: קַל  
Sense: swift, light, fleet.
מְשָׂרֶ֥כֶת  breaking  loose 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, feminine singular
Root: שָׂרַךְ  
Sense: to twist.
דְּרָכֶֽיהָ  in  her  ways 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.