Jeremiah 2 14

Jeremiah 2:14 kjv

Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled?

Jeremiah 2:14 nkjv

"Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he plundered?

Jeremiah 2:14 niv

Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth? Why then has he become plunder?

Jeremiah 2:14 esv

"Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant? Why then has he become a prey?

Jeremiah 2:14 nlt

"Why has Israel become a slave?
Why has he been carried away as plunder?

Jeremiah 2 verses

Jeremiah 2 14 Meaning

Jeremiah 2:14 poses a profound rhetorical question to Israel (specifically Judah): "Is Israel a slave? Or is he a homeborn servant? Why then has he become a spoil?" This verse powerfully contrasts Israel's true identity and privileged status as God's chosen people, redeemed from slavery in Egypt and adopted as His firstborn son, with their current debased condition. The questions highlight that Israel's suffering and vulnerability to foreign powers are not due to an inherent inferior status or predestined fate but are a direct consequence of their covenant disloyalty and abandonment of the Lord. They were never meant to be mere plunder, yet their actions have reduced them to such a state.

Jeremiah 2 14 Context

Jeremiah chapter 2 opens a powerful prophetic indictment against Judah. Following an initial recollection of Israel's youthful devotion, the chapter abruptly shifts to expose the nation's profound spiritual rebellion. It vividly portrays Judah's sin as a departure from the living God (v. 13), seeking alliances with foreign powers (Egypt, Assyria) instead of Him (v. 18), and engaging in widespread idolatry, even comparing it to a bride forsaking her husband (v. 32). Verse 14 comes within this searing expose, where the prophet employs a series of rhetorical questions designed to expose the absurdity and self-inflicted nature of Judah's impending doom. Historically, Jeremiah ministered during the tumultuous late 7th and early 6th centuries BC, as the powerful Babylonian Empire was rising, posing a direct threat to Judah. The cultural backdrop included ancient Near Eastern practices of slavery and war, where conquered peoples often became 'spoil' to the victors. The verse confronts Judah with the stark contrast between their unique, covenant-privileged identity given by God and the humiliated state their idolatry had brought upon them.

Jeremiah 2 14 Word analysis

• "Is Israel (`הֲיִשְׂרָאֵל` - hāyiśrāʾēl`) a slave (`עֶבֶד` - ʿeḇeḏ`)?"
  • Is Israel: Refers to the collective people of God, descendants of Jacob, God's chosen nation. The rhetorical "is" (implied "is he" as a direct interrogative marker) signals a questioning of their very essence or intrinsic status.
  • a slave (ʿeḇeḏ): A bondservant, chattel, someone owned and subjected to another's will. The term often signifies servitude and lack of personal liberty. However, Israel's foundational narrative is of redemption from slavery in Egypt (Exo 13:3; Deut 5:6). For them to be naturally or intrinsically a slave would contradict their entire redemptive history and divine identity. The question therefore implies, "No, Israel is not naturally a slave."
• "Or is he a homeborn servant (`יְלִיד בַּיִת` - yeliyd bayit`)?"
  • Or is he: Continues the questioning of identity and origin.
  • a homeborn servant (yeliyd bayit): Someone born within the master's household, a part of the family structure, not acquired by purchase or conquest. This position often implied a more trusted and privileged status within the household, even though still a servant. For Israel, this evokes their status as God's "firstborn son" (Exo 4:22), suggesting they belong to God's very "house" by birth and special relation, rather than through temporary or subjugated terms. It highlights a relationship of intimacy and inherent belonging, making their current degradation all the more shocking.
• "Why then (`מַדּוּעַ` - maddûaʿ`) has he become (`הָיָה` - hāyāh`) a spoil (`מַשָּׂאָה` - maśśāʾāh`)?"
  • Why then (maddûaʿ): A piercing interrogative particle seeking the cause or reason for a shocking and incongruous situation. It transitions from identity to consequence, demanding an explanation for the glaring contradiction.
  • has he become (hāyāh): Implies a change of state, a transition into the current, lamentable condition. It is a state that has been brought about, not an inherent quality.
  • a spoil (maśśāʾāh): This Hebrew term signifies plunder, booty, or something carried away as loot by conquerors. It describes someone or something completely vulnerable, stripped of protection and possessions, subjected to the whims of enemies. The question highlights the ultimate degradation of a people once defined by divine freedom and special protection, now treated as mere plunder. It directly challenges the common ancient Near Eastern idea that a nation's fate reflected the power of its god. Instead, it points to Israel's unfaithfulness.
• Words-Group analysis:
  • "Is Israel a slave? Or is he a homeborn servant?": These two questions establish Israel's legitimate status and history. They were never meant to be owned by others like a slave, nor were they an acquired, outside entity. Instead, their relationship with God was deep, inherent, like a favored child born within the family—the very antithesis of plunder. The questions challenge the prevailing perception that Israel's suffering was a natural consequence of their inherent weakness or their God's inability.
  • "Why then has he become a spoil?": This concluding question forces the realization that Israel's current humiliated state as 'spoil' is entirely inconsistent with its true, divine identity. It prompts a critical examination of their own actions as the sole explanation for this shocking disparity. It’s an act of divine lament and accusation, simultaneously expressing God's grief over their condition and His righteous judgment against their unfaithfulness. It strongly implies the answer is Israel's rebellion, a stark polemic against any notion that their God was weak or that other gods were stronger.

Jeremiah 2 14 Bonus section

The concept of עֶבֶד (ʿeḇeḏ) can mean both a forced slave and a willing bondservant. In the context of Israel's relationship with God, they were meant to be His voluntary עֶבֶד, serving Him in freedom. The irony of the question "Is Israel a slave?" is that while God had freed them from being slaves to Egypt, they had made themselves slaves to foreign gods and human powers. The phrase יְלִיד בַּיִת (yelîḏ bayit), a homeborn servant, evokes the idea of intimate household relationship and inheritance, distinct from an outsider or acquired slave. Abraham had homeborn servants as part of his trusted household (Gen 14:14). Israel was intended to be secure, cherished, and an inheritor within God's vast "household," but by becoming a "spoil," they lost this esteemed position. This verse strongly refutes any idea of predestined misfortune for Israel, firmly placing the blame on their apostasy and unfaithfulness.

Jeremiah 2 14 Commentary

Jeremiah 2:14 serves as a pivotal rhetorical challenge from the Lord to His covenant people, Israel. God asks why Israel, uniquely redeemed from bondage and elevated to the status of His "firstborn son" (Exo 4:22) and "homeborn servant" within His own household, has ended up in a state of plunder and subjugation. The questions implicitly contain their own answers: Israel was not born into slavery and was God's privileged child. Therefore, their current plight as a "spoil" can only be attributed to their own wilful departure from Him. This verse powerfully conveys God's shock, disappointment, and righteous anger at their betrayal. It highlights that their calamity is not arbitrary, nor is it due to a weakness in God, but a direct, tragic consequence of their abandoning the "fountain of living waters" for idolatrous cisterns that offer no life (Jer 2:13). The divine rhetorical strategy is to expose the absurdity and self-destructive nature of their covenant breach, urging them to acknowledge their true source of security and the cause of their present vulnerability. This verse functions as a profound indictment, driving home the lesson that turning away from God inevitably leads to a loss of protection, identity, and security, making one vulnerable to the very enemies from whom God had previously delivered them.