Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 17:2
Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.
2, 3. The text is difficult, and pretty certainly contains some error. Du. and Co. omit from “whilst their” to “Asherim,” as a gloss, introduced to shew how indelible was Judah’s guilt, to be remembered by future generations. If this change be adopted, the passage will stand thus:
“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron,
With the point of a diamond is it graven upon the table of their heart,
Upon the horns of their altars, upon [every] spreading tree,
Upon the high hills, the mountains in the field.” (Dr. in notes.) Gi. suggests, with the change of one letter in MT., “so that their children will remember,” but prefers “for a remembrance before me,” omitting the rest of the v. as a gloss. He thus obtains inah measure for the passage.
Asherim ] The Asherah was a rough hewn post, probably representing a sacred tree, and placed alongside of an altar. As having associations with heathenism, it was forbidden to worshippers of Jehovah. See Exo 34:13 (and mg.); Deu 12:3, etc. It may have been connected with devotions paid to a goddess Asherah or Ashrat.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
While their children remember their altars – Perhaps an allusion to their sacrifices of children to Moloch. Present perhaps at some such blood-stained rite, its horrors would be engraven forever upon the memory.
Groves – Asherahs, i. e., wooden images of Astarte (see Exo 34:13 note).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Whilst their children remember] Even the rising generation have their imagination stocked with idol images, and their memories with the frantic rites and ceremonies which they saw their parents observe in this abominable worship.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This showed how inveterate they were in this sin of idolatry, that they taught it their children, and their children remembered their idolatrous altars and the groves where they were wont to worship idols by the green trees, as they did also upon the high hills; so their sin was derived from one age to another. Others think that the phrase rather expresseth their fondness of their idols, and think it should be read, as their children they remember, &c.; that is, they loved their idols and their idolatrous services as they loved their children, which also was true; yea, they that made their children pass through the fire to Molech loved them better than their children.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. children rememberInsteadof forsaking the idolatries of their fathers, they keep them up (Jer7:18). This is given as proof that their sin is “graven upon. . . altars” (Jer 17:1),that is, is not merely temporary. They corrupt their posterity afterthem. CASTALIO lessprobably translates, “They remember their altars as (fondly as)they do their children.”
grovesrather, “imagesof Astarte,” the goddess of the heavenly hosts, represented as asacred tree, such as is seen in the Assyrian sculptures (2Ki 21:7;2Ch 24:18). “Image of thegrove.” The Hebrew for “grove” is Asherah,that is, Assarak, Astarte, or Ashtaroth.
by the green treesthatis, near them: the sacred trees (idol symbols) of Astarte beingplaced in the midst of natural trees: “green trees” is thusdistinguished from “groves,” artificial trees.HENDERSON, to avoid takingthe same Hebrew particle in the same sentence differently, “by. . . upon” translates “images of Astarte on thegreen trees.” But it is not probable that images, in the form ofa sacred tree, should be hung on trees, rather than nearthem.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Whilst their children remember their altars,…. Which is a further proof of their long continuance in idolatrous practices, and a fresh witness against them; they trained up their children in them; who, when grown up, could not forget them, but imitated them, and went on in the same evil ways. Some render the words, “as they remember their children, so they remember their altars i, and their groves, by the green trees upon the high hills”; they had the same love to their idols, and the worship of them, as they had to their children. This sense is received by Kimchi k; yea, they had a greater affection for their idols than for their children; since they made their children pass through the fire to Moloch, and burnt their sons and their daughters to Baal. The Targum renders it, “their groves under every green tree”: see Jer 2:20. Kimchi and Ben Melech connect green trees not with groves but with altars; and take the sense to be, that their altars were by green trees; since groves and green trees were the same, and which altars also were upon high hills.
i “sicut recordantur filiorum suorum, ita recordantur ararum suarum”; so some in Vatablus. k So in T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 63. 2. & Gloss in ib.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Interpreters seem not to me to have perceived the design of the Prophet here, at least they have not clearly explained the subject. He proceeds, as I think, with what he said at the end of the last verse, — that the iniquity of Judah was graven on the altars, or on the horns of the altars: how was this? even because they transmitted to posterity whatever they devised as to their ungodly forms of worship. How then was iniquity graven on the horns of the altars? even because it was not a temporary wickedness only, when the Jews cast aside the Law and followed their corrupt superstitions; but, on the contrary, their iniquity flowed down, as it were, by a hereditary right, to their posterity. Justly then does Jeremiah accuse them, that they were not only led away into evil through the whole course of their own lives, but that they also corrupted their children, for they left to them memorials of their own superstitions.
Some give this explanation, “As they remember their children, so also their altars;” as though the Prophet had said, that idolaters burnt with such ardor, that they held the altars dedicated to their idols as dear to them as their own children. But this view seems too forced. I then have no doubt but that the Prophet here amplifies their wickedness, when he says, that it was graven on the horns of the altars; for their posterity remembered the superstitions, which they had received from their fathers. He mentions also their groves; (170) for on or near every shady tree they built altars; and also on all high hills. It follows —
(170) The word rendered “groves,” means also idols. See 2Kg 23:6, where “grove” in our version must mean an idol. What follows here, “near the green tree,” shews clearly that “idols,” or images, are the things meant; and such is the version given by Venema and Horsley. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Whilst their children remember . . .If we take children as referring to age, there may be a reference to the way in which the horrors of Molech worship were burnt in upon the minds of boys who were present at such a spectacle, so as never to be forgotten, but the general sense in which we speak of the children of Israel or Judah seems sufficient. The thought expressed is that every locality that could be used for idolatrous worship made them remember that worship, and set about reproducing it. By some interpreters the clause is rendered, as they remember their children so do they their altars and their groves; i.e., their idols are as dear to them as their offspring. The former construction is, however, the more natural, and is best supported by the versions.
Groves.i.e., as throughout the Old Testament, when connected with idolatry, the wooden columns that were the symbols of the Phnician goddess Asherah, possibly the same as Astarte (Exo. 34:13; Deu. 16:21; 1Ki. 14:23). The green trees suggested the thought of this worshipfor the Asherah, though not a grove, was generally connected with oneas the high hills did that of the altars. Commonly the worship is described as under every green tree. Here a different preposition is used, on the green trees, connecting them with the verb remember.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Whilst their children remember, etc. Two senses of this verse have been given: 1) That of the common Version, but the first word should be translated “as.” 2) That of Keil As their children, they remember their altars, that is, as fondly. This is best.
Groves Rather, their asherahs: wooden images of Astarte, the female divinity answering to Baal.
By the green trees Literally, upon the “green trees,” the preposition being the same as that before hills. Some explain this difficulty by referring it back to the word “remember;” but this is far from satisfactory.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 17:2 Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.
Ver. 2. While their children remember their altars. ] Or, As they remember their children, so they remember their altars and their groves, scil., with greatest love and delight. The Greeks call children , the comedian Charissima; so were their idols to these Jews.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
children = sons.
groves = Asherim (plural) See App-42.
the green trees. Some codices, with Aram, and Syriac, read “by every green tree”.
upon. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Aramaean, and Syriac, read “and upon”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
their children: Jer 7:18, Hos 4:13, Hos 4:14
their altars: Jer 2:20, Jdg 3:7, 2Ch 24:18, 2Ch 33:3, 2Ch 33:19, Psa 78:58, Isa 1:29, Isa 17:8, Eze 20:28
Reciprocal: Deu 12:3 – and burn 1Ki 14:23 – groves 1Ki 16:33 – made a grove 2Ki 16:4 – on the hills 2Ki 23:6 – the grove Isa 57:5 – under Eze 14:3 – these men
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 17:2. The present generation (their children) followed in the footsteps of the fathers and erected their Idols and altars everywhere.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
17:2 {d} While their children remember their altars and their idols by the green trees upon the high hills.
(d) Some read, “So that their children remember their altars”, that is, follow their father’s wickedness.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The people of Judah thought of their idols as frequently and as lovingly as they thought of their children. Another interpretation, reflected in the NIV, understands the verse to be saying that the parents had so steeped their children in idolatry, that their yearning for it would emerge at the slightest provocation. They mixed the worship of pagan deities with their worship of Yahweh, and even gave those gods credit for what belonged to the Lord. Instead of worshipping on high hills where pagan altars stood, the Judahites were to worship on the holy hill where the temple stood.