Jeremiah 2:34
in Jeremiah 2Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor, though you did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor: thou didst not find them breaking in; but it is because of all these things.
KJV
Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.
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This verse in Jeremiah 2
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAlso in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents,.... Either of the innocent infants of poor persons, who were sacrificed to Moloch; or of the poor prophets of the Lord, whom they slew, because they faithfully reproved them for their sins; and the blood of those being found in their skirts is expressive of the publicness and notoriety of their sin, and also of the large quantity of blood shed, inasmuch as the skirts of their garments were filled with it, as if they had trod and walked in blood; see Isa 63:
This site's exposition
How skillfully you pursue love
on Jeremiah 2:33-37
The charge is skill turned to evil: “Even the most immoral of women could learn from your ways”. Judah's skirts are “stained with the blood of the innocent poor”, yet she says, “I am innocent. Surely His anger will turn from me”, and the LORD judges her for that claim.
This site's exposition
your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor
Under Exodus 22:2 a householder who killed a thief breaking in at night bore no bloodguilt. The innocent poor had broken into no house. The victims are read as children offered to Molech or as the LORD's prophets.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 33, 34) Why do you insist on showing your good path in seeking affection, when you have also taught your wicked ways? And on your wings (or in your hands) the blood of the souls of the poor and innocent is found. I did not find them in ditches (or pits), but in all of these (or under every oak tree). In vain, he says, you desire to defend yourself with the art of words, and to show your works as if they were good, so that you may deserve affection.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Skirts - Of thy garments: the tokens of cruelty may be seen openly there. Innocents - In thee is found the murder expressed here by blood of innocent persons, murdering souls as well as bodies. Search - Hebrew. by digging; as if the earth had covered the blood, or as if they had committed their wickedness in some obscure places.
He was charged in general ( ch. i. 17 ) to go and speak to them; here he is particularly charged to go and speak this to them. Note, It is good for ministers by faith and prayer to take out a fresh commission when they address themselves solemnly to any part of their work.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The blood of the souls of the poor innocents - We find from the sacred history that Manasseh had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; see 2Ki 21:16, and Eze 34:10. I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these - Such deeds of darkness and profligacy are found only in Israel. Dr. Blayney translates, “I have not found it in a digged hole, but upon every oak.” Others cover the blood that it may not appear; but ye have shed it openly, and sprinkled it upon your consecrated oaks, and gloried in it.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Also--not only art thou polluted with idolatry, but also with the guilt of shedding innocent blood [MAURER]. ROSENMULLER not so well translates, "even in thy skirts," &c.; that is, there is no part of thee (not even thy skirts) that is not stained with innocent blood (Jer 19:4;
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1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I have not found it ... - Rather, thou didst not find them breaking into thy house. The meaning is, that these poor innocents had committed no crime: they were not thieves caught in the act, whom the Law permitted men to slay Exo 22:2, and therefore Israel in killing them was guilty of murder. The one crime here of theft is put for crime generally. Upon all these - Or, because of all this. Thou killedst the poor innocents, not for any crime, but because of this thy lust for idolatry.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּ֤ם | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| בִּכְנָפַ֙יִךְ֙ | bikhnafayikh | on skirts your | H3671 → | 109 times |
| נִמְצְא֔וּ | nimtzeu | they were found | H4672 → | 455 times |
| דַּ֛ם | dam | [the] blood of | H1818 → | 360 times |
| נַפְשׁ֥וֹת | nafshot | [the] lives of | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אֶבְיוֹנִ֖ים | ʾevyonim | needy [people] | H34 → | 61 times |
| נְקִיִּ֑ים | nekiyim | innocent | H5355 → | 43 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בַמַּחְתֶּ֥רֶת | vamachteret | in <the> breaking in | H4290 → | |
| מְצָאתִ֖ים | metzatim | you found them | H4672 → | 455 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֵֽלֶּה׃ | ʾeleh | these [things] | H428 → | 746 times |
גַּ֤םalso
gamH1571 →769 times
בִּכְנָפַ֙יִךְ֙on skirts your
bikhnafayikhH3671 →109 times
נִמְצְא֔וּthey were found
nimtzeuH4672 →455 times
דַּ֛ם[the] blood of
damH1818 →360 times
נַפְשׁ֥וֹת[the] lives of
nafshotH5315 →754 times
אֶבְיוֹנִ֖יםneedy [people]
ʾevyonimH34 →61 times
נְקִיִּ֑יםinnocent
nekiyimH5355 →43 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
בַמַּחְתֶּ֥רֶתin <the> breaking in
vamachteretH4290 →
מְצָאתִ֖יםyou found them
metzatimH4672 →455 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
אֵֽלֶּה׃these [things]
ʾelehH428 →746 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
Jeremiah 19:4because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in this place to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 21:16
Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, in addition to the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, doing evil in the sight of the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 65:11
But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,
- Deuteronomy 28:20
The LORD will send curses upon you, confusion and reproof in all to which you put your hand, until you are destroyed and quickly perish because of the wickedness you have committed in forsaking…
- Jeremiah 7:9
Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known,
- 2 Kings 21:16
Through
Exodus 22:2If a thief is caught breaking in and is beaten to death, no one shall be guilty of bloodshed.
it leads to
- Matthew 24:43
But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
- Numbers 35:27
and the avenger of blood finds him outside of his city of refuge and kills him, then the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed
- Matthew 6:19–20
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
- Matthew 24:43
Through
2 Kings 21:16Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, in addition to the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, doing evil in the sight of the…
it leads to
- Numbers 35:33
Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the…
- Numbers 35:33
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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.