From it too you will come away with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper by them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The posture described – hands on your head – isn't just about sadness, but a public declaration of utter shame and abandonment. This verse reveals that "confidences" aren't just abstract things, but specific people or nations Israel is leaning on, and God's rejection of them is a direct consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness.
From it too you will come away with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper by them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The prophet is vividly describing the utter failure of Judah's reliance on Egypt for protection. Despite seeking refuge with this foreign power, Jeremiah warns that they will be utterly disgraced and abandoned, returning with their hands on their heads in a gesture of profound sorrow and despair. This is because God has rejected their misplaced trust, ensuring that their alliances will lead only to ruin, not prosperity.
Imagine a physical reaction so profound it becomes a symbol. Jeremiah uses a striking image to show the depth of Israel's coming crisis.
The verse paints a vivid picture: 'your hands on your head.' This wasn't just a casual gesture; it was a sign of extreme grief, shame, and utter hopelessness.
A Sign of Desolation
Think of it like this: when everything you rely on crumbles, and your plans fall apart, your immediate reaction is often one of shock and despair. Placing hands on the head symbolized that your world had collapsed, and there was no one and nothing left to turn to. It's a posture of profound defeat.
The Ultimate Rejection
This wasn't just about a bad outcome; it was about the reason for the outcome. God had 'rejected those in whom you trust.' When our 'confidences' – the people, systems, or strategies we lean on instead of God – are rejected by Him, the result is this deep, public shame and sorrow.
It’s one thing to fail because of bad luck, but another to face God’s direct rejection of your deepest trusts.
Jeremiah 2:37 cuts to the core of why Israel was facing disaster: 'the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust.' This is the crucial theological point.
What Are 'Confidences'?
In this context, 'confidences' refer to the false gods, alliances with foreign nations (like Egypt), or any human-made security that Israel relied on instead of the LORD.
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God's Sovereignty Over Security
God declares that He rejects these things. This means He has turned His face away from them, will not bless them, and has, in essence, cut them off as viable sources of help or salvation for His people. This isn't a passive observation; it's an active disavowal.
The Consequence: No Prosperity
Because God has rejected these false refuges, the verse states, 'you will not prosper by them.' Any attempt to find safety, success, or fulfillment through these means is doomed to failure. True prosperity, in God's economy, can only be found in Him.
Understand the original words
batach · Hebrew Verb
An action or state of being in which one places confidence, reliance, or hope. While God is the only secure object of trust, Scripture frequently warns against placing this in human alliances, political powers, or idols.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal covenant name of the God of Israel. It denotes His self-existence, eternal nature, and His faithfulness to His covenant promises.
ma'as · Hebrew Verb
To refuse, cast off, or despise. Biblically, this often refers to God’s judicial decision to withdraw His presence or favor from those who have persistently rejected His covenant or relied on idols.
tsalach · Hebrew Verb
To achieve success, make progress, or reach a goal. In a biblical context, true prosperity is derived from obedience to God and His blessing, rather than human schemes or political alliances.
This verse speaks to the profound despair and shame of Judah's leaders who, in their final desperate moments before the fall of Jerusalem, placed their trust in Egypt for aid. Their reliance on foreign powers, rather than on God, led to ultimate rejection and ruin, a humiliation symbolized by the gesture of placing hands on the head in utter desolation.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Empire Dominance
The Neo-Assyrian Empire exerted vast influence, often demanding tribute and loyalty from surrounding nations, including Judah.
c. 701 BC
Sennacherib's Invasion of Judah
The Assyrian king Sennacherib campaigns against Judah, besieging many cities and threatening Jerusalem, forcing King Hezekiah to pay a heavy tribute.
664–610 BC
Egyptian Influence
During this period, Egypt, under the Saite dynasty, began to reassert its influence in the region, often in opposition to Assyria.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Following the Battle of Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports a group of Judean elites and the prophet Daniel to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
c. 597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, after a short-lived rebellion.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
Babylonian forces destroy Jerusalem and its Temple, deporting the remaining population and solidifying the Babylonian exile.
c. 586 BC
Flight to Egypt
Following the destruction of Jerusalem, a remnant, including the prophet Jeremiah, flees to Egypt, seeking refuge but finding further judgment.
This passage describes Tamar putting her hands on her head as a sign of deep mourning and despair, mirroring the posture of disgrace and disappointment described in Jeremiah 2:37 when one's trusted alliances fail.
Jeremiah 7:14Similar to Jeremiah 2:37, this verse shows God rejecting the people's places of trust and worship (like Shiloh), highlighting a pattern of God turning away from those who rely on faulty confidence instead of Him.
Isaiah 30:1-3This prophecy condemns the people for seeking help from Egypt, calling their reliance on this foreign power a 'shame' and a 'reproach,' directly paralleling Jeremiah's message about misplaced trust and the resulting lack of prosperity.
Psalm 118:8-9This psalm offers a stark contrast to Jeremiah 2:37, declaring that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes or human leaders, reinforcing the core message that such misplaced trust leads to failure.
Romans 9:30-33Paul speaks of Israel's failure to obtain righteousness through the Law but through faith, illustrating a spiritual parallel to Jeremiah's critique of misplaced trust; they sought justification through their own efforts and alliances, stumbling over Christ, the true foundation.
clarkeJeremiah 2:37: "Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them."
Thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head - Thou shalt find all thy confidence in vain, - thy hope disappointed; - and thy state reduced to desperation. The hand being placed on the head was the evidence of deep sorrow, occasioned by utter desolation. See the case of Tamar, when ruined and abandoned by her brothe…
henryJeremiah 2:29-37: "Wherefore will ye plead with me? ye all have transgressed against me, saith the LORD."
2:29-37 The nation had not been wrought upon by the judgements of God, but sought to justify themselves. The world is, to those who make it their home and their portion, a wilderness and a land of darkness; but those who dwell in God, have the lines fallen to them in pleasant places. Here is the language of presumptuous sinners. The Jews had long thrown off serious thoughts of God. How many…
The posture described – hands on your head – isn't just about sadness, but a public declaration of utter shame and abandonment. This verse reveals that "confidences" aren't just abstract things, but specific people or nations Israel is leaning on, and God's rejection of them is a direct consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness.
The prophet is vividly describing the utter failure of Judah's reliance on Egypt for protection. Despite seeking refuge with this foreign power, Jeremiah warns that they will be utterly disgraced and abandoned, returning with their hands on their heads in a gesture of profound sorrow and despair. This is because God has rejected their misplaced trust, ensuring that their alliances will lead only to ruin, not prosperity.
The prophet is vividly describing the utter failure of Judah's reliance on Egypt for protection. Despite seeking refuge with this foreign power, Jeremiah warns that they will be utterly disgraced and abandoned, returning with their hands on their heads in a gesture of profound sorrow and despair. This is because God has rejected their misplaced trust, ensuring that their alliances will lead only to ruin, not prosperity.
"From it too you will come away with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper by them." — The posture described – hands on your head – isn't just about sadness, but a public declaration of utter shame and abandonment. This verse reveals that "confidences" aren't just abstract things, but…
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Last reviewed October 2026