Jeremiah 2:10-11
For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jeremiah is essentially asking Israel to do a "world tour" of religious adherence, from the most "civilized" (Chittim/Cyprus) to the most "barbarous" (Kedar/Arabia). The shocking point is that no nation, not even those worshipping false gods, would be as fickle with their deities as Israel has been with the one true God.
God is challenging Israel to look beyond their own borders, from the western isles of Cyprus to the eastern lands of Kedar, asking if any other nation has ever been so unfaithful. This call to witness is to prove that no other people, civilized or nomadic, has ever abandoned their gods in such a profound way as Israel has abandoned the Lord. The verses that follow will reveal just how uniquely egregious their disloyalty is.
Jeremiah isn't just making a point; he's calling for evidence. Where does he tell Israel to look?
God, through Jeremiah, instructs Israel to conduct a thorough, worldwide investigation. They are told to 'pass over to the isles of Kittim' (the West, often referring to the Mediterranean islands and European coasts like Cyprus and Greece) and 'send to Kedar' (the East, representing the Arabian tribes).
This sweeping command covers the known world, from the most 'civilized' and learned nations in the west to the more 'barbarous' and nomadic tribes in the east. The point is clear: Israel needs to look everywhere, near and far, to see if their behavior has any parallel.
The nations around Israel might worship false gods, but would they ever trade them? Jeremiah points out the absurdity.
The core of God's accusation is Israel's unprecedented act of exchanging their God for useless idols. He challenges them: 'Has any nation ever changed its gods?' (Jeremiah 2:11). The implied answer is no.
Even pagan nations, with their fabricated deities, showed remarkable loyalty to the gods they inherited. These gods were 'yet no gods' – they had no real power or substance. Yet, the people clung to them.
In stark contrast, Israel, who had experienced the true God – their Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer ('their glory') – had abandoned Him for 'that which does not profit.' Their 'glory' (the God who made them glorious) was exchanged for nothingness.
Understand the original words
goy · Hebrew Noun
Refers to a people group or ethnic body, often used in contrast to Israel (the nations/Gentiles) or to describe the corporate entity of Israel itself. In the Old Testament, it emphasizes the collective identity and political structure of a people.
kabod · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the manifestation of God's presence, majesty, and character. In this context, it speaks to the honor and unique dignity that belongs to God, which Israel foolishly traded away.
Jeremiah urges Judah to look at distant, even 'barbarous' nations like those in Cyprus and Arabia, who remained loyal to their false gods. This comparison highlights the shocking faithlessness of God's own people, who abandoned the true God even as the world around them upheld their traditions.
c. 1200 BC
Sea Peoples Invasions
The 'Chittim' are often linked to the Sea Peoples who migrated across the Mediterranean, impacting regions like Cyprus and the Levant. This sets a broad historical context for the name 'Chittim' representing maritime peoples to the west.
c. 8th Century BC
Rise of Assyrian Empire
Assyria's expansion in the Near East influenced both the western Mediterranean (affecting 'Chittim' regions) and the eastern regions like Arabia ('Kedar'). This period saw increased geopolitical interaction across the known world.
c. 7th Century BC
Assyrian Decline and Neo-Babylonian Rise
The shifting powers in Mesopotamia created new geopolitical landscapes that affected trade and communication routes between the West (Chittim) and the East (Kedar), relevant to Jeremiah's message.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportations of Judah
King Jehoiakim of Judah becomes a vassal to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile, a period of profound crisis and divine judgment for Judah, setting the stage for Jeremiah's pronouncements.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's challenge, where God asks if He should be inquired of by Israel when they desire to follow the ways of other nations. It highlights the persistent theme of Israel's desire to be like the surrounding peoples, even when those ways lead away from God.
Romans 1:21-23Paul describes how the Gentiles, despite knowing God, 'exchanged the truth about God for a lie.' This parallels Jeremiah's accusation that Israel has exchanged their glory (God) for worthless idols, showing a similar pattern of exchanging true worship for something that profits nothing.
Psalm 106:19-21This psalm recounts Israel's sin of making the golden calf, explicitly stating they 'exchanged their glory for the image of an ox.' This directly illustrates Jeremiah's point about a people changing their God, their 'glory,' for worthless idols.
Isaiah 44:9-20Isaiah powerfully satirizes the creation of idols, showing the absurdity of people worshipping something they themselves made. This supports Jeremiah's rhetorical question and challenge, emphasizing the profound foolishness of exchanging the Creator for created things.
barnesJeremiah 2:10: "For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing."
Kedar signifies the whole East, and the isles of Chittim ( Isaiah 23:12 note) the West. If then you traverse all lands from west to east, it will be impossible to find any nation guilty of such apostasy as that committed by Israel.
gillJeremiah 2:10: "For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing."
For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see,.... Or, "to the isles of Chittim" (z); so called from Kittim the son of Javan, Genesis 10:4 who, as Josephus says (a), possessed the island of Chethima, now called Cyprus; and, from that, all islands, and most maritime places, are, by the Hebrews, called Chittim, he observes: it may regard all the islands in th…
Jeremiah is essentially asking Israel to do a "world tour" of religious adherence, from the most "civilized" (Chittim/Cyprus) to the most "barbarous" (Kedar/Arabia). The shocking point is that no nation, not even those worshipping false gods, would be as fickle with their deities as Israel has been with the one true God.
God is challenging Israel to look beyond their own borders, from the western isles of Cyprus to the eastern lands of Kedar, asking if any other nation has ever been so unfaithful. This call to witness is to prove that no other people, civilized or nomadic, has ever abandoned their gods in such a profound way as Israel has abandoned the Lord. The verses that follow will reveal just how uniquely egregious their disloyalty is.
God is challenging Israel to look beyond their own borders, from the western isles of Cyprus to the eastern lands of Kedar, asking if any other nation has ever been so unfaithful. This call to witness is to prove that no other people, civilized or nomadic, has ever abandoned their gods in such a profound way as Israel has abandoned the Lord. The verses that follow will reveal just how uniquely egregious their disloyalty is.
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c. 586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Second Deportation
Jerusalem is destroyed, the Temple is desecrated, and many more Judeans are exiled to Babylon. This event is the climax of the judgment Jeremiah prophesied, illustrating the dire consequences of Israel's apostasy.
c. 5th Century BC
Persian Empire Dominance
Under Persian rule, established trade and communication networks spanned the vast empire, connecting regions like Cyprus and Arabia, making Jeremiah's call to 'cross' and 'send' geographically plausible.
"For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed thei…" — Jeremiah is essentially asking Israel to do a "world tour" of religious adherence, from the most "civilized" (Chittim/Cyprus) to the most "barbarous" (Kedar/Arabia). The shocking point is that no n…
