As the thief is ashamed As the thief has nothing to say for himself, but is perfectly confounded when he is taken in the very act, so the house of Israel hath no manner of plea wherewith to defend or excuse their idolatry. They, their kings, their princes Whose duty it was to have restrained them from such practices by their authority; their priests, and their prophets Who ought to have set them a better example, and have given them better instruction. Saying to a stock, Thou art my father Giving the title of father, which belongs to God, as the sovereign Creator and Preserver of all things, (see Jeremiah 3:19,) to senseless images, made of wood and stone. They did not, indeed, think themselves to be created or made by these images, but thus they addressed the gods whom they thought to be present in the consecrated images. But as there was in fact no such deity residing in the image, but it was a mere nothing, a fiction of the idolaters, their worship in reality centred in, or went no higher than, the image itself. For they have turned their back unto me A token of contempt and aversion; and not their face Which they turn wholly toward their idols. But in the time of their trouble A time which is approaching; they will say, Arise, and save us As they did formerly; see the margin. When they prove, by experience, the vanity of their idols, and their own folly in relying on things that cannot help or save them, and in rejecting me, then they will apply to me for relief and aid. But where are thy gods? Thy idols, the gods of thy own making? Let them arise From the places where they are fixed; if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble In thy great distress, when thou art in such need of help. For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods For thou hast a sufficient number of them, every country and city having its peculiar deity, imitating the heathen, who, according to Varro, had above thirty thousand gods. Make trial, if any, or all of them together, can help thee.
Related Commentaries of Jeremiah 2:26
Jeremiah 2:26-28
26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,
27 Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
28 But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble:f for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.