The Meaning of Jeremiah 2:27 Explained

Jeremiah 2:27

KJV: 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.

YLT: Saying 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.'

Darby: saying 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!

ASV: who 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Jeremiah 2:27 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The leaders had advocated worshipping the creation, rather than the Creator, and had promoted the worship of Asherah poles and stone pillars. These were phallic symbols in Canaanite religion that represented the powers of creativity and fertility. [1] Instead of looking to the Lord, they had turned their backs on Him. Still, when trouble came, they would cry out to Yahweh to save them.

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 2:27 mean?

Saying to a tree my father You [are] and to a stone You - gave birth to me for they have turned to Me [their] back and not [their] face but in the time of their trouble they will say Arise and save us
אֹמְרִ֨ים לָעֵ֜ץ אָ֣בִי אַ֗תָּה וְלָאֶ֙בֶן֙ אַ֣תְּ [ילדתני] (יְלִדְתָּ֔נוּ) כִּֽי־ פָנ֥וּ אֵלַ֛י עֹ֖רֶף וְלֹ֣א פָנִ֑ים וּבְעֵ֤ת רָֽעָתָם֙ יֹֽאמְר֔וּ ק֖וּמָה וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ

אֹמְרִ֨ים  Saying 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָעֵ֜ץ  to  a  tree 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
אָ֣בִי  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
אַ֗תָּה  You  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
וְלָאֶ֙בֶן֙  and  to  a  stone 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
[ילדתני]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular, first person common singular
(יְלִדְתָּ֔נוּ)  gave  birth  to  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular, first person common plural
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
פָנ֥וּ  they  have  turned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
אֵלַ֛י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
עֹ֖רֶף  [their]  back 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹרֶף  
Sense: neck, back of the neck, back.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
פָנִ֑ים  [their]  face 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וּבְעֵ֤ת  but  in  the  time 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
רָֽעָתָם֙  of  their  trouble 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
יֹֽאמְר֔וּ  they  will  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ק֖וּמָה  Arise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנוּ  and  save  us 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.