Jeremiah 2:21
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
Original Language Analysis
נְטַעְתִּ֣יךְ
Yet I had planted
H5193
נְטַעְתִּ֣יךְ
Yet I had planted
Strong's:
H5193
Word #:
2 of 12
properly, to strike in, i.e., fix; specifically, to plant (literally or figuratively)
שׂוֹרֵ֔ק
thee a noble vine
H8321
שׂוֹרֵ֔ק
thee a noble vine
Strong's:
H8321
Word #:
3 of 12
a vine stock (properly, one yielding purple grapes, the richest variety)
כֻּלֹּ֖ה
H3605
כֻּלֹּ֖ה
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
4 of 12
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
זֶ֣רַע
seed
H2233
זֶ֣רַע
seed
Strong's:
H2233
Word #:
5 of 12
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
אֱמֶ֑ת
wholly a right
H571
אֱמֶ֑ת
wholly a right
Strong's:
H571
Word #:
6 of 12
stability; (figuratively) certainty, truth, trustworthiness
נֶהְפַּ֣כְתְּ
how then art thou turned
H2015
נֶהְפַּ֣כְתְּ
how then art thou turned
Strong's:
H2015
Word #:
8 of 12
to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert
Cross References
Isaiah 5:4What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?Exodus 15:17Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.Psalms 80:8Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.Psalms 44:2How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.John 15:1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.Matthew 21:33Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:Deuteronomy 4:37And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;Deuteronomy 32:32For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:Luke 20:9Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.Mark 12:1And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
Historical Context
This verse from Jeremiah 2 continues God's covenant lawsuit against Judah, delivered during the late 7th century BC as the nation spiraled toward Babylonian exile. The prophetic indictment addresses systematic idolatry, failed political alliances, and spiritual adultery that characterized Judah from Manasseh through Jehoiakim's reigns. Archaeological evidence confirms widespread syncretistic worship practices condemned here.
Questions for Reflection
- How does this accusation against ancient Israel reveal patterns of spiritual unfaithfulness that might appear in different forms today?
- What does God's persistent lawsuit demonstrate about His desire for His people's return versus immediate judgment?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
God planted Israel as a noble vine of wholly right seed, yet they turned into a degenerate wild vine of a strange plant. This agricultural metaphor illustrates corruption despite divine cultivation.