The Meaning of Jeremiah 2:31 Explained

Jeremiah 2:31

KJV: O generation, see ye the word of the LORD. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?

YLT: O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah: A wilderness have I been to Israel? A land of thick darkness? Wherefore have My people said, 'We mourned, We come not in again unto Thee.'

Darby: O generation, mark ye the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel, or a land of thick darkness? Wherefore say my people, We have dominion; we will come no more unto thee?

ASV: O generation, see ye the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? or a land of thick darkness? wherefore say my people, We are broken loose; we will come no more unto thee?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O generation,  see  ye the word  of the LORD.  Have I been a wilderness  unto Israel?  a land  of darkness?  wherefore say  my people,  We are lords;  we will come  no more unto thee? 

What does Jeremiah 2:31 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord called all the people then alive in Judah, to pay attention to, and to take to heart, His message to them (cf. Matthew 3:7; Matthew 21:43; Matthew 23:33; Luke 3:7). He had not been as ungiving as a wilderness or as unenlightening as darkness to them. They had no reason to feel free to abandon Him.

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 2:31 mean?

Generation you see the word of Yahweh Have a wilderness I been to Israel Or a land of darkness why do say My people we are lords no we will come more to You
הַדּ֗וֹר אַתֶּם֙ רְא֣וּ דְבַר־ יְהוָ֔ה הֲמִדְבָּ֤ר הָיִ֙יתִי֙ ؟ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אִ֛ם אֶ֥רֶץ ؟ מַאְפֵּ֖לְיָ֑ה מַדּ֜וּעַ אָמְר֤וּ עַמִּי֙ רַ֔דְנוּ לֽוֹא־ נָב֥וֹא ע֖וֹד אֵלֶֽיךָ

הַדּ֗וֹר  Generation 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֹּור 
Sense: period, generation, habitation, dwelling.
רְא֣וּ  see 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
דְבַר־  the  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הֲמִדְבָּ֤ר  Have  a  wilderness 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
הָיִ֙יתִי֙  I  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
؟ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  to  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אֶ֥רֶץ  a  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
؟ מַאְפֵּ֖לְיָ֑ה  of  darkness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַאְפֵּלְיָה  
Sense: deep darkness, darkness.
מַדּ֜וּעַ  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
אָמְר֤וּ  do  say 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
עַמִּי֙  My  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
רַ֔דְנוּ  we  are  lords 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: רוּד  
Sense: to wander restlessly, roam.
לֽוֹא־  no 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נָב֥וֹא  we  will  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
ע֖וֹד  more 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
אֵלֶֽיךָ  to  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).