Jeremiah 2:33

Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways. WHY TRIMMEST? Maurer translates, 'How skillfully thou dost prepare thy way,' etc. But see , "When Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel painted her face, and attired her head." "Trimmest" best suits the image of one bedecking herself as a harlot. WAY - course of life. THEREFORE - accordingly. Or else, 'nay, thou hast even,' etc. ALSO ... WICKED ONES - even the wicked harlots; i:e., (laying aside the metaphor), even the Gentiles who are nationally and universally wicked, thou teachest to be still more so (Grotius)....

This verse is differently explained: but the Prophet simply means; that the Jews were like lascivious women, who not only despise their husbands at home, but ramble here and there in all directions, and also paint their faces and seek for themselves all the charms of wantonness. He says that the Jews had acted in this way; and hence he says that they _made beautiful their ways _The verb in Hebrew has a wide meaning: it means to prepare, to conciliate favor. But its import here is, as though the Prophet had said, “Why dost thou disguise and paint thyself like strumpets, who use many artifices to allure young men and to inflame their lusts? why then dost thou undertake so much labor to gain a meretricious hire?” We shall hereafter see why he says this; for he upbraids them for applying to the Assyrians and the Egyptians. It was a common thing with the Prophets to compare the people to love...

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 days of our lives pass without suitable remembrance of him! The Lord was displeased with their confidences, and would not prosper them therein. Men employ all their ingenuity, but cannot find happiness in the way of sin, or excuse for it. They may shift from one sin to another, but none ever hardened himself against God, or turned from him, and prospered....

Verse Jeremiah 2:33. _WHY TRIMMEST THOU THY WAY_] Ye have used a multitude of artifices to gain alliances with the neighbouring idolatrous nations. _HAST THOU ALSO TAUGHT THE WICKED ONES THY WAYS._] Ye have made even these idolaters worse than they were before. Dr. _Blayney_ translates, "Therefore have I taught calamity thy ways." A prosopopoeia: "I have instructed calamity where to find thee." Thou shalt not escape punishment....

WHY TRIMMEST THOU THY WAY - literally, “Why makest thou thy way good,” a phrase used here of the pains taken by the Jews to learn the idolatries of foreign nations. THE WICKED ONES ... - Or, “therefore thou hast taught” thy ways wickednesses.”...

EXPOSITION The second chapter forms the introduction of a group of discourses (Jeremiah 2-6), which should be read together. It is called By Ewald (and the position of the prophecy favors this view) the first oracle which Jeremiah delivered in public ("oracle" is, in fact, the nearest English equivalent to those two remarkable Hebrew synonyms, _massa_ and _neum_—especially for the latter). This would bring it into the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah (see Jeremiah 1:3), though of course we cannot be sure that references to a later period may not have been inserted afterwards. It is, obviously, only a summary of the prophet's spoken words which we have in this most impressive discourse. In order to appreciate it, we must bear in mind the external political relations and the internal religions condition of the kingdom of Judah. These have Been already touched

WHY TRIMMEST THOU THY WAY TO SEEK LOVE?.... To seek the love, and gain the affections and esteem, of the idolatrous nations; as a lascivious woman dresses herself out in the best manner to excite the lust and move the affections of her lovers; and as Jezebel, who painted her face, and tired her head, 2 Kings 9:30 or dressed it in the best manner, where the same word is used as here; so the Targum, "why dost thou make thy way beautiful, to procure loves (or lovers) to be joined to the people?'' or the sense is, why art thou so diligent and industrious to make thy way, which is exceeding bad, look a good one, by sacrifices and ceremonies, oblations and ablutions, in order to seek and obtain my love and favour, which is all in vain? it is not to be gained by such methods: THEREFORE HAST THOU ALSO TAUGHT THE WICKED ONES THY WAYS; the wicked idolatrous

Jeremiah 2:20. For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot. Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD. How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways; A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst:...

CHAPTER S 2:1-3:5 Expostulation and Impeachment _ 1. His love and kindness to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 2:1) _ 2. The unfaithful people (Jeremiah 2:4) 3. The two evils and the results (Jeremiah 2:12) 4. Impeachment (Jeremiah 2:19) 5. Expostulation (Jeremiah 2:31) 6. Jehovah waiting to show mercy (Jeremiah 3:1) Jeremiah 2

THE DESERVED PUNISHMENT. Israel's sorrows are well deserved, for Yahweh's love has been forgotten. In spite of wrong-doing, there is no penitence for sin. The help of Egypt will be as futile as that of Assyria. Jeremiah 2:29. plead: complain. Jeremiah 2:30. For YOUR OWN read the with LXX. Jeremiah 2:32. attire: properly sash (Isaiah 3:20, RV). Jeremiah 2:33. trimmest: lit. makest good, _i.e._ pickest. WICKED WOMEN: better, evil things, same word as in...