Keraia
Jeremiah 2

Jeremiah 2:22

The Consequence of Israel’s Sin · Jeremiah 2:14–22
Read Jeremiah 2

Translations

Modern
Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,” declares the Lord GOD.
Traditional
For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God.
Literal
For though you wash with lye, and use for yourself much soap, your iniquity is a stain before My face,” a declaration of the Lord YHWH.
Latin
Si laveris te nitro, et multiplicaveris tibi herbam borith, maculata es in iniquitate tua coram me, dicit Dominus Deus.

Original

Hebrew
English
Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,” declares the Lord GOD.

Notes

Jeremiah 2:22

The metaphor shifts from a planted vine to a dirty cloth that soap or lye cannot clean. No matter how hard the Israelites scrubbed, their guilt remained visible (compare Isaiah 1:18).

Jeremiah 2:14–22

This review of Israel's history highlights the foolishness, violence, arrogance, and hopelessness of abandoning the true God to worship false pagan gods.

Theme notes and profiles

God’s New Covenant The Broken Covenant

Events

People

LORD: Names or title used to refer to God

Glossary

Bathe, Bathing Book of Jeremiah Courts and Trials Jeremiah (Person) Priests and Levites Sexual Immorality Soap

Topics

Church: Backslidden Confidence: False Depravity of Man: General Scriptures Concerning Man: Cannot Cleanse Himself Nitre: (Lye, RV) Pardon: Outward Purifications, Ineffectual For Purifications or Baptisms: Insufficient for Spiritual Purification Self-Righteousness: General Scriptures Concerning Sin: Forgiveness of Sin: Known to God Sin: No Man Can Cleanse Himself From Soap: A Washing Compound The Fall of Man: Cannot be Remedied by Man Wicked (People): Described