Jeremiah 2 6

Jeremiah 2:6 kjv

Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

Jeremiah 2:6 nkjv

Neither did they say, 'Where is the LORD, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of death, Through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?'

Jeremiah 2:6 niv

They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?'

Jeremiah 2:6 esv

They did not say, 'Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?'

Jeremiah 2:6 nlt

They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD
who brought us safely out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness ?
a land of deserts and pits,
a land of drought and death,
where no one lives or even travels?'

Jeremiah 2 verses

Jeremiah 2 6 Meaning

Jeremiah 2:6 conveys God's indictment against the people of Israel (specifically Judah) for their profound spiritual amnesia and ingratitude. It highlights their failure to acknowledge, inquire after, or remember the LORD despite His powerful, faithful, and miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage and His meticulous, preserving guidance through the treacherous and deadly wilderness. The verse emphasizes their complete detachment and apathy towards the God who uniquely sustained them through impossible conditions.

Jeremiah 2 6 Context

Jeremiah 2 initiates God's strong lament and accusation against Judah for her unfaithfulness, contrasting it sharply with Israel's initial, albeit brief, devotion in the wilderness (Jer 2:2-3). God recalls bringing His people out of Egypt, demonstrating His singular ownership and intimate care. However, Judah had deeply backslidden, abandoning the "fountain of living waters" for broken cisterns (Jer 2:13), effectively trading their covenant relationship with God for idolatry and pagan practices. Verse 6 specifically recounts God's magnificent acts of salvation and guidance from their recent history, emphasizing the people's inexcusable spiritual amnesia. This historical neglect forms the bedrock of God's case against their current apostasy, illustrating how far they had fallen from the foundational truths of their faith.

Historically, Judah at this time was caught between geopolitical powers (Egypt and Babylon) and influenced by widespread syncretism. Despite King Josiah's earlier reforms (c. 622 BCE), idolatry and pagan worship had resurfaced, challenging the unique monotheistic worship of Yahweh. Jeremiah's prophetic message underscores that Judah's external crises were a direct result of her internal spiritual infidelity. The question "Where is the LORD?" implies that their prosperity or troubles no longer prompted them to seek His face, guidance, or deliverance, signaling a severe deterioration of their covenant bond.

Jeremiah 2 6 Word analysis

• Nor did they ask: Highlights a complete absence of inquiry or desire to seek God's presence, will, or guidance. The Hebrew verb shā'al (שָׁאַל) implies a deep spiritual seeking, a longing to consult, depend on, and interact with the divine, rather than a casual question. Their failure was active neglect.
• ‘Where is the LORD,’: This isn't a geographical inquiry but a spiritual lament by God concerning Israel's disengagement. It signifies their profound forgetfulness and apathy concerning God's active involvement, power, and role as their present guide and provider. It implies they no longer felt a need for His presence or acknowledged His active hand in their lives.
• who brought us up: Emphasizes God's unilateral and powerful act of liberation. The Hebrew ‘ālāh (עָלָה) "to bring up" or "lead out," refers specifically to the definitive Exodus event, the foundational moment of Israel's national and covenantal identity.
• from the land of Egypt: Symbolizes slavery, oppression, and a pagan land dominated by false gods. God's act of deliverance from this very specific "prison" was unparalleled, asserting His supreme power and unique relationship with Israel.
• who led us: The Hebrew verb nāḥāh (נָחָה) means "to lead," "to guide," often implying careful, protective, and continuous direction. This highlights God's ongoing, active providence throughout their arduous wilderness journey.
• through the wilderness: The Hebrew midbār (מִדְבָּר) represents a desolate, dangerous, and inhospitable environment, where survival depended entirely on divine sustenance. It was also a place where Israel encountered God directly and was shaped as His covenant people.
• through a land of deserts and of pits: "Deserts" (Hebrew: ’ărābāh) refers to arid, barren plains. "Pits" (Hebrew: shāḥat) often means a literal pit, cistern, or even a grave/destruction, connoting extreme danger, traps, and physical perils from which only God could preserve them.
• through a land of drought: Signifies a severely parched, waterless region, underscoring the absolute dependence on God for basic survival, highlighting His miraculous provision (e.g., water from the rock).
• and of the shadow of death: The Hebrew ṣalmāwet (צַלְמָוֶת) is an intensive phrase for deep darkness, dense gloom, or the "shadow of death," conveying profound danger, despair, and conditions near fatal. It implies both physical and existential peril.
• through a land that no one crossed and where no human being lived: Hyperbolic language to stress the extreme, uninhabitable desolation of the wilderness. This emphasizes the extraordinary and unique nature of God's guidance; it was a path only traversable under divine escort, further magnifying Israel's ingratitude for such unique preservation.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Nor did they ask, ‘Where is the LORD’": This initial clause fundamentally indicts Israel for their spiritual disconnect. It implies not just a casual forgetting, but an active turning away, a deliberate disengagement from seeking the source of their life and guidance. It reveals a broken relationship where inquiry, a hallmark of seeking wisdom and presence, ceased.
• "who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness": This powerful pairing of historical facts serves as the theological basis for the indictment. It roots God's claim on Israel in the most significant saving acts of their national history. Their failure to ask "Where is the LORD?" is particularly egregious because He had demonstrably shown His saving power and guidance at these very pivotal moments.
• "through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death": This vivid chain of descriptive phrases paints a terrifying picture of the wilderness journey. Each element intensifies the image of desolation, danger, and extreme adversity, making God's sustained leadership and preservation all the more miraculous and therefore unforgettable. The collective imagery underscores that survival was entirely dependent on divine power and intervention.
• "through a land that no one crossed and where no human being lived": This final descriptive phrase acts as an emphatic summary of the wilderness's impossibility without divine aid. It sets apart Israel's experience as uniquely dependent on God, further highlighting the gravity of their spiritual apathy—they survived an impossible journey by His hand, yet neglected Him.

Jeremiah 2 6 Bonus section

• God's Personal Wounding: Jeremiah's prophecy often reflects God's deep pain over His people's betrayal. In this verse, the questioning of "Where is the LORD?" is not Israel's question, but God's lament about their lack of question. It exposes a profound hurt, as if God asks, "Why did they not care enough to seek Me?"
• The Wilderness as a Symbol: While a place of harsh reality, the wilderness in Israelite thought also represented a unique, unadulterated period of intimacy between God and Israel, where there were no distractions of settled life or foreign influences. Jeremiah leverages this powerful symbol to underscore their great fall from this pristine, dependent relationship.
• Polemic against Idolatry: By highlighting God's sole, unique ability to navigate Israel through such impossible conditions, the verse implicitly mocks the impotence of the false gods of Egypt or the surrounding nations. None of them could have performed such a deliverance or sustained such a people. Israel's failure to "ask" is thus also a failure to recognize God's unique sovereignty over all other perceived deities.

Jeremiah 2 6 Commentary

Jeremiah 2:6 is a poignant lament from God, an indictment against His chosen people for their inexcusable spiritual apathy and ingratitude. It is not merely an accusation of forgetfulness, but a revelation of a profound relational breakdown. The "wilderness" was meant to be a crucible of dependence, a classroom where Israel would learn of God's exclusive faithfulness and their utter reliance on Him. Instead, it serves as a testament to their later spiritual amnesia. Despite God's undeniable acts of liberation from Egypt and His unwavering provision through insurmountable perils—a land of hidden dangers, severe thirst, and literal proximity to death—they ceased to inquire about Him. This demonstrates a deep-seated contempt for their Deliverer, effectively divorcing their current existence from God's historical intervention. The absence of "Where is the LORD?" reveals a people trusting in their own devices, false gods, or political alliances, thereby dismissing the very foundation of their covenant relationship.

Practical usage:

• Reflect on times of deliverance in your life; do you continually seek and acknowledge God's presence, or do you quickly forget His mighty works once the "wilderness" is past?
• In times of hardship or uncertainty, do you first "ask, 'Where is the LORD?'" seeking His guidance, or do you default to human wisdom or worldly solutions?
• This verse calls for a grateful heart that remembers God's past faithfulness and actively seeks Him in the present, guarding against spiritual complacency and indifference.