The Meaning of Jeremiah 2:6 Explained

Jeremiah 2:6

KJV: Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

YLT: And have not said, Where is Jehovah, Who bringeth us up out of the land of Egypt, Who leadeth us in a wilderness, In a land of deserts and pits, In a dry land, and of death-shade, In a land -- none hath passed through it, Nor dwelt hath man there?'

Darby: And they said not, Where is Jehovah, that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and of pits, in a land of drought and of the shadow of death, in a land that no one passeth through, and where no man dwelleth?

ASV: Neither said they, Where is Jehovah that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that none passed through, and where no man dwelt?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Neither said  they, Where [is] the LORD  that brought us up  out of the land  of Egypt,  that led  us through the wilderness,  through a land  of deserts  and of pits,  through a land  of drought,  and of the shadow of death,  through a land  that no man  passed through,  and where no man  dwelt? 

What does Jeremiah 2:6 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Israelites had not even asked themselves where the Lord-who had redeemed them in the Exodus and preserved them through the wilderness-was. They totally disregarded Him.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 2:1-8 - Ungrateful Forgetfulness
God regarded Israel as His bride, who had responded to His love, or as a vineyard and cornfield which were expected to yield their first fruits in response to the careful cultivation of the owner. Why had they failed to respond? For the answer let us question our own hearts. What marvels of perversity and disappointment we are! Who can understand or fathom the reason of our poor response to the yearning love of Christ! The heathen, in their punctilious devotion and lavish sacrifices at their idol-shrines, may well shame us. The root of the evil is disclosed in Jeremiah 2:31. We like to be lords, to assume and hold the mastery of our lives. But God has been anything but a wilderness to us. He has given us ornaments, and we owe to His grace the garments of righteousness which He has put on us. In return we have forgotten Him days without number, Jeremiah 2:32. Let us ask Him to call us back-nay more, to draw us by the chains of love. [source]

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 2:6 mean?

and neither did they say where [is] Yahweh who brought up us out of the land of Egypt who led through the wilderness Through a land of deserts and pits Through a land of drought and the shadow of death Through a land no that crossed in one and no dwelt one where
וְלֹ֣א אָמְר֔וּ אַיֵּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה הַמַּעֲלֶ֥ה אֹתָ֖נוּ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הַמּוֹלִ֨יךְ בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר בְּאֶ֨רֶץ עֲרָבָ֤ה וְשׁוּחָה֙ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ צִיָּ֣ה וְצַלְמָ֔וֶת בְּאֶ֗רֶץ לֹֽא־ עָ֤בַר בָּהּ֙ אִ֔ישׁ וְלֹֽא־ ؟ יָשַׁ֥ב אָדָ֖ם שָֽׁם

וְלֹ֣א  and  neither 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָמְר֔וּ  did  they  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַיֵּ֣ה  where  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: אַיֵּה  
Sense: where?.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הַמַּעֲלֶ֥ה  who  brought  up 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
אֹתָ֖נוּ  us 
Parse: Direct object marker, first person common plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ  out  of  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
מִצְרָ֑יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
הַמּוֹלִ֨יךְ  who  led 
Parse: Article, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בַּמִּדְבָּ֗ר  through  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
בְּאֶ֨רֶץ  Through  a  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
עֲרָבָ֤ה  of  deserts 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲרָבָה  
Sense: desert plain, steppe, desert, wilderness.
וְשׁוּחָה֙  and  pits 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שׁוּחָה  
Sense: pit.
בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙  Through  a  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
צִיָּ֣ה  of  drought 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: צִיָּה  
Sense: dryness, drought, desert.
וְצַלְמָ֔וֶת  and  the  shadow  of  death 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צַלְמָוֶת  
Sense: death-shadow, deep shadow, deep darkness, shadow of death.
בְּאֶ֗רֶץ  Through  a  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לֹֽא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָ֤בַר  that  crossed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
אִ֔ישׁ  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וְלֹֽא־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
؟ יָשַׁ֥ב  dwelt 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
אָדָ֖ם  one 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
שָֽׁם  where 
Parse: Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.