Breakdown of Jeremiah 2:27

"who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’" — What's easy to miss is that the people aren't just saying "you're my god"; they're attributing the very act of creation and parentage to lifeless objects. They've not only turned their backs, but…

Jeremiah 2:27 Meaning Explained

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Jeremiah 2:27

who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’

English Standard Version (ESV)

What's easy to miss is that the people aren't just saying "you're my god"; they're attributing the very act of creation and parentage to lifeless objects. They've not only turned their backs, but they've fundamentally inverted the creator-creation relationship, treating objects as their origin and source of life.

What Jeremiah 2:27 means

Jeremiah is exposing the depth of Israel's spiritual betrayal, showing how they've abandoned the God who created and sustains them for lifeless idols. They turn their "backs" to God, the source of life, and instead call to trees and stones as their parents, demonstrating a profound and foolish ignorance. Yet, when disaster strikes, they'll cry out to God for salvation, revealing the superficiality of their faith and the ultimate emptiness of their idols.

The Absurdity of Stone Fathers

Imagine calling a rock 'Mom' or a tree trunk 'Dad.' Jeremiah paints a picture so bizarre, it highlights just how far people had fallen.

Jeremiah calls out the utter foolishness of the people's idolatry. They address lifeless objects – a wooden 'stock' and a stone – as their parents, claiming these idols as the source of their existence and sustenance. This wasn't just a polite nod; it was a profound rejection of the One True God, the actual Creator and Sustainer.

Creator vs. Creation

The true God is the Father: He is the ultimate source of life, the one who 'brought forth' all that exists. This is His unique role.
Idols are lifeless: A tree and a stone are mere objects, incapable of life, creation, or salvation. Attributing fatherhood to them is a profound insult to God's very nature.
This highlights a fundamental theological truth: we must rightly distinguish between the Creator and His creation.

A Back Turned to God

Jeremiah doesn't just describe what they did, but how they did it – a posture of deliberate rejection.

The phrase 'turned their back to me, and not their face' is a powerful image of intentional disrespect and rejection. When you turn your back on someone, you are showing them your rear, refusing to look at them, acknowledge them, or engage with them. This is exactly what the Israelites were doing with God.

The Posture of Apostasy

Rejection: It signifies a deliberate turning away from God's presence, His Word, and His ways.
Disregard: It shows a lack of honor and a refusal to acknowledge His authority or seek His face.
Unlike a hidden sin, turning one's back is often a public declaration of separation. Their entire posture was one of 'we don't want you.'

Historical context

Written: Likely during the late 7th to early 6th century BC.
Author: Jeremiah, traditionally understood as the sole author of the book bearing his name.
Location: Written from Jerusalem, prophetically addressing the Kingdom of Judah and its people.
Genre: Prophetic literature characterized by strong laments, divine oracles, and poetic imagery.

Historical background

The verse highlights a profound spiritual shallowness: the people turn to lifeless idols in good times but cry out to God only when disaster strikes, revealing their desperate need for true salvation while still clinging to false hope.

c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following the death of Solomon, the united kingdom of Israel splits into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants. This event significantly impacts the religious and political landscape of the region.
626 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophesying
Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy to Judah and Jerusalem, warning of impending judgment due to widespread sin and idolatry.
609 BC
Josiah's Reforms Reversed
King Josiah, who had attempted religious reforms, is killed in battle. His successors quickly abandon his efforts, and idolatry begins to reassert itself.
c. 605 BC

Key themes

01Idolatrous parentage
02Rejection of divine face
03Distress-driven repentance
04Statue's empty promise

Cross-references

Isaiah 44:9-20

This passage offers a scathing critique of idol worship, detailing the foolishness of crafting gods from wood and stone, much like Jeremiah 2:27 does by personifying these lifeless objects as parents.

Psalm 115:4-8

It highlights the utter impotence of idols, stating they have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see, and hands but cannot handle, reinforcing Jeremiah's point about the uselessness of turning to them for salvation.

Hosea 2:14-15

This passage describes God leading Israel into the wilderness to speak to her heart, similar to how Jeremiah contrasts the people's turning away from God with their desperate cries to Him in times of trouble.

Judges 10:10-16

Here, the Israelites confess their sin of worshipping other gods, just as Jeremiah's people turned their backs on God, and they cry out to Him in their distress, showing the pattern of seeking God only when other false hopes fail.

Scholarly commentary

Jeremiah 2:27: "Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us."

Verse 27. - And to a stone, etc. Stone ('ebhen) is feminine in Hebrew, and therefore addressed as the mother.
pulpit

Jeremiah 2:27: "Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us."

Thou art my father - By thee we have been produced, and by thee we are sustained. This was the property of the true God; for he is the Author and Supporter of being. How deeply fallen and brutishly ignorant must they be when they could attribute this to the stock of a t…
clarke

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What Jeremiah 2:27 means

Historical context

Written: Likely during the late 7th to early 6th century BC.
Author: Jeremiah, traditionally understood as the sole author of the book bearing his name.
Location: Written from Jerusalem, prophetically addressing the Kingdom of Judah and its people.
Genre: Prophetic literature characterized by strong laments, divine oracles, and poetic imagery.

Historical background

c. 931 BC

Division of the Kingdom

Following the death of Solomon, the united kingdom of Israel splits into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.

c. 722 BC

Fall of Samaria

The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants. This event significantly impacts the religious and political landscape of the region.

626 BC

Jeremiah Begins Prophesying

Jeremiah is called by God to prophesy to Judah and Jerusalem, warning of impending judgment due to widespread sin and idolatry.

609 BC

Josiah's Reforms Reversed

King Josiah, who had attempted religious reforms, is killed in battle. His successors quickly abandon his efforts, and idolatry begins to reassert itself.

c. 605 BC

Scholarly commentary

Jeremiah 2:27: "Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us."

Verse 27. - And to a stone, etc. Stone ('ebhen) is feminine in Hebrew, and therefore addressed as the mother.
pulpit

Jeremiah 2:27: "Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us."

Thou art my father - By thee we have been produced, and by thee we are sustained. This was the property of the true God; for he is the Author and Supporter of being. How deeply fallen and brutishly ignorant must they be when they could attribute this to the stock of a t…
clarke

Frequently asked questions

What does Jeremiah 2:27 mean?

Explain the meaning of Jeremiah 2:27

What is the context of Jeremiah 2:27?

Ask Sola about this verse

Ask Sola things like:

“What does the original Hebrew reveal about Jeremiah 2:27?”
“Why did Jeremiah, traditionally understood as the sole author of the book bearing his name. write Jeremiah 2:27?”
“How does idolatrous parentage show up in Jeremiah 2:27?”

Ask in the Sola app Get the app

Live chat about Jeremiah 2:27 is available in the Sola app.

What Jeremiah 2:27 means

The Absurdity of Stone Fathers

A Back Turned to God

Historical context

Historical background

Key themes

Cross-references

Scholarly commentary

Frequently asked questions

Study this verse in Sola

Ask Sola about this verse

What Jeremiah 2:27 means

The Absurdity of Stone Fathers

A Back Turned to God

Historical context

Historical background

Key themes

Cross-references

Scholarly commentary

Frequently asked questions

Study this verse in Sola

Ask Sola about this verse

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