Jeremiah 2 13

Jeremiah 2:13 kjv

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Jeremiah 2:13 nkjv

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns?broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Jeremiah 2:13 niv

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Jeremiah 2:13 esv

for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

Jeremiah 2:13 nlt

"For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me ?
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!

Jeremiah 2 verses

Jeremiah 2 13 Meaning

Jeremiah 2:13 encapsulates Israel's profound spiritual failure by highlighting two specific transgressions against God. First, they abandoned the Lord, who is metaphorically the inexhaustible source of all life and sustenance, likened to "the fountain of living waters." This act constitutes a grave forsaking of their covenant relationship with the very One who provided for them. Second, in forsaking God, they replaced Him with their own futile human endeavors and false gods, symbolized by "broken cisterns" that cannot hold water. These man-made substitutes are depicted as useless and unable to provide true satisfaction or sustain life, contrasting sharply with the life-giving nature of God. The verse underscores Israel's spiritual blindness and their disastrous choice to pursue barren alternatives instead of the sole, life-giving Creator.

Jeremiah 2 13 Context

Jeremiah 2:13 stands as a pivotal summary within Jeremiah's opening prophecies to Judah. Chapters 1-6 describe God's legal case, or rib, against Judah for their spiritual adultery and breaking of the Mosaic Covenant. After reminiscing about Israel's initial faithfulness and devotion to Him during their wilderness journey (Jer 2:1-3), God directly confronts their subsequent apostasy. He asks how they could have so quickly turned away from Him, who led them through the wilderness, to pursue worthless idols (Jer 2:4-8). He charges them with sin against Him and calls for the nations and heavens to be appalled at their unprecedented wickedness (Jer 2:9-12). Verse 13 articulates the core of their offense: rejecting the true, life-giving God in favor of empty, man-made spiritual sources, setting the stage for the warnings of judgment that follow. Historically, Judah had long engaged in syncretistic practices, worshipping Baal and Asherah alongside Yahweh, and adopting foreign religious customs, particularly after the reforms of Josiah began to wane. This verse functions as a stark theological polemic against the efficacy of idolatry, portraying it as utterly futile and self-defeating in contrast to the dynamic power and provision of Yahweh.

Jeremiah 2 13 Word analysis

• For (כִּי, ki): A causal conjunction, meaning "because" or "indeed." It introduces the explanation for God's utter dismay mentioned in the preceding verse (Jer 2:12), highlighting the reason for the heavens' astonishment. It underscores the certainty and severity of the accusation.

• two (שְׁתַּיִם, shtayim): Explicitly emphasizes the dual nature of their egregious sin. Not just one failure, but two distinct yet intertwined acts of spiritual rebellion. This numeric specificity draws attention to the comprehensive nature of their offense.

• evils (רָעוֹת, ra'ot): Plural of ra'a, meaning badness, wickedness, disaster, or moral evil. Here, it refers to profoundly immoral and destructive actions. These are not minor transgressions but fundamental corruptions of their covenant relationship.

• My people (עַמִּי, ammi): A deeply personal and covenantal term. God uses "My people" with a tone of sorrowful indignation and disappointment, emphasizing the intimacy of their relationship which they betrayed. It speaks to their unique status and privilege which they scorned.

• committed (עָשׂוּ, asu): A strong verb meaning "made," "done," or "performed." It signifies active, intentional perpetration, not merely passive falling into error. This indicates conscious choice in their disobedience.

• They have forsaken Me (אֹתִי עָזְבוּ, oti azvu):

  • Me (אֹתִי, oti): The emphatic direct object pronoun "Me" immediately before the verb underscores that God Himself is the one rejected. The focus is squarely on their abandonment of the person of Yahweh.
  • forsaken (עָזְבוּ, azvu): From azab, meaning to abandon, desert, neglect, or let go. This verb implies a deliberate and complete renunciation of a previously established relationship or loyalty. It is a profound act of spiritual betrayal, akin to a spouse abandoning their marriage partner.

• the fountain (מְקוֹר, meqor): Root means "to dig" or "to spring up." It refers to an originating source, a spring, or a wellspring that flows naturally and constantly. This imagery evokes a reliable, fresh, and abundant supply. It metaphorically depicts God as the origin of all true life, wisdom, blessing, and satisfaction.

• living waters (מַיִם חַיִּים, mayim chayyim): "Waters" (מַיִם, mayim) generally refers to water. "Living" (חַיִּים, chayyim) means alive, flowing, fresh, as opposed to stagnant or stored water. In the arid ancient Near East, flowing spring water was vital, precious, and life-sustaining. It symbolizes divine vitality, spiritual refreshment, purity, and life itself, representing God's active presence and provision. This is contrasted with stored, impure, or insufficient water.

• and hewn out (וַיַּחְצְבוּ לָהֶם, vayyachtzvu lahem):

  • hewn out (וַיַּחְצְבוּ, vayyachtzvu): From chatsab, meaning "to hew," "to cut out," "to quarry." This verb conveys strenuous human effort, labor, and self-reliance in creating something artificial. It contrasts sharply with God as the natural flowing source. They aren't finding; they are creating for themselves.
  • for themselves (לָהֶם, lahem): Emphasizes the self-serving, independent, and ultimately self-defeating nature of their pursuit. It underscores their rejection of divine provision for human contrivance.

• cisterns (בֹּרוֹת, borot): Plural of bor, a pit or reservoir, often cut into rock, used to collect and store rainwater. Unlike a natural spring, cisterns depend on external sources (rain) and can easily leak or dry up. They represent humanly contrived, temporary, and insufficient solutions, typically associated with false deities or self-help spiritual practices.

• broken cisterns (בֹּרוֹת נִשְׁבָּרִים, borot nishbarim):

  • broken (נִשְׁבָּרִים, nishbarim): Passive participle of shabar, meaning "to break," "to smash," "to burst." This specifies their inherent defectiveness and futility. These cisterns are not merely insufficient; they are structurally flawed, unable to fulfill their purpose.
  • that cannot hold water (לֹא יַכִּילֻן הַמַּיִם, lo yakhilun hammaim): "Cannot hold" (לֹא יַכִּילֻן, lo yakhilun) from yakol (to be able, endure, contain) with negation. This phrase powerfully depicts the complete inadequacy and utter failure of their chosen alternatives. Despite the effort, these substitutes yield nothing, providing no spiritual sustenance or lasting satisfaction. They offer emptiness, leading to eventual spiritual dehydration and death.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "two evils My people committed": Highlights the deliberate, profound, and dual nature of Israel's apostasy against God, their covenant partner. This is a divine indictment of specific moral and spiritual crimes.
  • "They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters": Describes the primary evil: the abandonment of Yahweh, who is the true and sole source of all that is vital and life-sustaining. This is a profound breach of fidelity and trust, a turning away from the genuine and abundant life offered by God Himself.
  • "and hewn out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that cannot hold water": Explains the secondary evil and its outcome. Instead of God's abundant provision, they pursued arduous self-made solutions (idolatry, reliance on alliances, humanistic wisdom) that are inherently flawed, perishable, and utterly unable to satisfy their deepest needs. This underscores the futility and ultimate barrenness of seeking fulfillment apart from God.

Jeremiah 2 13 Bonus section

The "living waters" metaphor resonates deeply within ancient Near Eastern culture, where water was not merely a necessity but often synonymous with life itself. Spring-fed water, clear and flowing, was inherently superior to stagnant or stored water (cistern water), which could be muddy, limited, and prone to contamination. This vivid imagery immediately conveyed to Jeremiah's original audience the magnitude of their folly: abandoning abundant, pure life for laborious, impure futility.

The duality of the "two evils" committed underscores a critical theological point: apostasy is not merely passive neglect but an active two-part rebellion. First, the negative act of rejecting God; second, the positive act of creating a substitute. These acts are intrinsically linked – the vacuum created by abandoning the true God is invariably filled with false deities or humanistic endeavors. There is no spiritual neutrality; one either draws from the wellspring of life or labors in vain to patch a broken cistern. This principle extends to individual spirituality today: spiritual dehydration often results from actively seeking fulfillment in sources devoid of ultimate meaning after neglecting God.

Jeremiah 2 13 Commentary

Jeremiah 2:13 is a powerful indictment of spiritual apostasy, encapsulated in two grievous sins: first, forsaking the eternal, life-giving God, and second, turning to worthless, self-made alternatives. The metaphor of "the fountain of living waters" contrasts sharply with "broken cisterns that cannot hold water." God is the dynamic, natural, self-renewing source of life, wisdom, and sustenance, providing freely and abundantly. To abandon Him is to choose spiritual death and drought. In stark contrast, the "hewn out cisterns" represent humanity's laborious attempts to find meaning, security, or fulfillment through false gods, human wisdom, or self-sufficiency. These efforts are not only futile because they cannot produce living water but also fundamentally flawed ("broken"), unable even to retain what little they might collect. This highlights the inherent inability of anything apart from God to satisfy the human spirit or provide true salvation. The nation of Israel, despite centuries of divine faithfulness and miraculous provision, chose spiritual idolatry and reliance on corrupt political alliances, essentially exchanging their eternal inheritance for fleeting emptiness. This divine lament emphasizes God's sorrow over their catastrophic, self-inflicted spiritual condition, where intense effort yields nothing but disillusionment and judgment.

Examples:

• A person seeking peace in material possessions or fleeting pleasures rather than finding it in God's presence.
• A believer turning to human approval or social media validation for identity and worth, instead of God's unchanging love.
• A community relying solely on political power or economic might for security, neglecting reliance on God for justice and true well-being.