Jeremiah 2:24
in Jeremiah 2a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
a wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind in her desire; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.
KJV
A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.
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This verse in Jeremiah 2
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA wild ass used to the wilderness - Another comparison to express the same thing. Snuffeth up the wind - In a high fever from the inward heat felt at such times, these animals open their mouths and nostrils as wide as possible, to take in large draughts of fresh air, in order to cool them.
This site's exposition
For long ago you broke your yoke
on Jeremiah 2:20-25
Israel broke its yoke and said “I will not serve!”, then lay down “on every high hill and under every green tree”. The “choice vine from the very best seed” became a rotten, wild vine. Israel is a wild donkey “sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire”.
This site's exposition
a wild donkey at home in the wilderness
The young she-camel of verse 23 gives way to the wild donkey, an animal no one tames. Her mating season is the time she is found, and one old reading takes it as the day of affliction when Judah will be caught. Until then nothing holds her.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 24.) The swift courser, unfolding its paths: the wild donkey accustomed to solitude, attracted by the desire of its own soul, drew the wind of its love: none shall turn her away: all who seek her shall not be lacking. In her monthly flow they shall find her. In the evening her voice howled, unfolding her paths over the waters of solitude, carried by the wind of her own soul: she was handed over: who shall turn her back? All who seek her shall not labor: and in her humility they shall find her.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
In her occasion - That is, when she has an occasion to run impetuously to her male, she bears down all opposition. In her month - Perhaps the sense is, though Jerusalem be now madly bent upon going after her idols, that there is no stopping her, yet the time may come, in their afflictions, that they may grow more tame, and willing to receive counsel.
Who can hinder her from that which she lusts after? Those that seek her then will not weary themselves for her, for they know it is to no purpose; but will have a little patience till she is big with young, till that month comes which is the last of the months that she fulfils ( Job xxxix.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A wild ass used to the wilderness,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A wild donkey used to the wilderness - The type of an untamed and reckless nature. Snuffeth up the wind - The wind brings with it the scent of the male. Israel does not wait until temptation comes of itself, but looks out for any and every incentive to idolatry. Occasion ... month - i. e., the pairing season.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פֶּ֣רֶה׀ | pereh | a wild donkey | H6501 → | |
| לִמֻּ֣ד | limud | accustomed to | H3928 → | |
| מִדְבָּ֗ר | midbar | a wilderness | H4057 → | 270 times |
| בְּאַוַּ֤ת | beavat | in [the] lust of | H185 → | |
| נַפְשָׁהּ֙ | nafoshah | self its | H5315 → | 754 times |
| שָׁאֲפָ֣ה | shaafah | it sniffs | H7602 → | |
| ר֔וּחַ | ruach | [the] wind | H7307 → | 378 times |
| תַּאֲנָתָ֖הּ | taanatah | heat its | H8385 → | |
| מִ֣י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| יְשִׁיבֶ֑נָּה | yeshivenah | will he turn back it | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מְבַקְשֶׁ֙יהָ֙ | mevaksheiha | [those who] seek it | H1245 → | 225 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִיעָ֔פוּ | yiafu | they will grow weary | H3286 → | 9 times |
| בְּחָדְשָׁ֖הּ | bechadeshah | in month its | H2320 → | 284 times |
| יִמְצָאֽוּנְהָ׃ | yimtzauneha | they will find it | H4672 → | 455 times |
פֶּ֣רֶה׀a wild donkey
perehH6501 →
לִמֻּ֣דaccustomed to
limudH3928 →
מִדְבָּ֗רa wilderness
midbarH4057 →270 times
בְּאַוַּ֤תin [the] lust of
beavatH185 →
נַפְשָׁהּ֙self its
nafoshahH5315 →754 times
שָׁאֲפָ֣הit sniffs
shaafahH7602 →
ר֔וּחַ[the] wind
ruachH7307 →378 times
תַּאֲנָתָ֖הּheat its
taanatahH8385 →
מִ֣יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
יְשִׁיבֶ֑נָּהwill he turn back it
yeshivenahH7725 →1056 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מְבַקְשֶׁ֙יהָ֙[those who] seek it
mevaksheihaH1245 →225 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
יִיעָ֔פוּthey will grow weary
yiafuH3286 →9 times
בְּחָדְשָׁ֖הּin month its
bechadeshahH2320 →284 times
יִמְצָאֽוּנְהָ׃they will find it
yimtzaunehaH4672 →455 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hosea 5:15Then I will return to My place until they admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 26:16
O LORD, they sought You in their distress; when You disciplined them, they poured out a quiet prayer.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 29:12–14
Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
- Psalms 78:34
When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.
- Deuteronomy 4:29–31
But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Psalms 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
- Isaiah 26:16
Through
Job 11:12But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!
it leads to
- Job 39:5–8
Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
- James 2:20
O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?
- Job 39:5–8
Through
Jeremiah 14:6Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail for lack of pasture.”
it leads to
- Job 39:5–6
Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
- Job 39:5–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.