Jeremiah 2:11

"For pass over to the islands of Kittim, and see. Send to Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there has been such a thing."

Key Reflection

Jeremiah 2:11 challenges Israel to seek out the truth by consulting distant nations, specifically those of Kittim and Kedar. This command reflects a broader theme in Jeremiah where the prophet urges his people to look beyond their own traditions and seek external validation for their current state. In first-century contexts, these regions were known for their wisdom and might, suggesting that Israel's spiritual condition was so poor that even distant peoples could see its emptiness more clearly than they themselves could.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

A nation -A Gentile nation, in strong antithesis to people, the appellation of Israel. Their glory -Though the worship of the one true God is a nation’s greatest glory, yet it is irksome because it puts a constraint on human passions. That which doth not profit -Israel had exchanged the prosperity which was God’s reward of obedience for the calamities which resulted from idol-worship.

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