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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Jeremiah 2:22

For though thou wash thee with niter, an alkali having the properties of lye, used for washing, and take thee much soap, the potash which, mixed with oil, was used for washing clothes, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, is a stain before the eyes of the Lord, saith the Lord God. All the efforts of men are not sufficient to purge away the ugly spots of sin on their hearts.

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See also Jeremiah 2:22 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Jeremiah 2:22. _FOR THOUGH THOU WASH THEE WITH NITRE_] It should be rendered _natar_ or _natron_, a substance totally different from our _nitre_. It comes from the root נתר _nathar_, to dissolv...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    NITRE - Or, natron, a mineral alkali, found in the Nile valley, where it effloresces upon the rocks and surfaces of the dykes, and in old time was carefully collected, and used to make lye for washing...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    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)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    ISRAEL'S FALSE RELIGION. Israel has forfeited the privileges of a son, and incurred disaster by forsaking Yahweh for the sensuous worship of the Baalim (_cf._ Jeremiah 2:20; Jeremiah 2:28). Jeremiah 2...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    NITRE: i.e.. mineral alkali. In Palestine. compound of soap. SOPE. soap. MARKED. graven....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Israel's sin and obstinacy under punishment 14 17. Co. points out that Jeremiah 2:13 connects naturally with Jeremiah 2:18. The cisterns from which Israel has sought water proving unavailable, she has...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _lye_ the same as washing-soda. "It occurs as an incrustation on the ground in Egypt, Persia and elsewhere, and is also a constituent in the water of certain saline lakes. The most famous of the latte...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THOUGH THOU WASH THEE WITH NITRE— See Proverbs 25:20 and Scheuchzer's observations on the place. See Virg. Georg. 3:...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    D. Pointed Accusation Jeremiah 2:20-28 TRANSLATION (20) For from of old you have broken your yoke, you have burst your bands and you said, I will not serve. For upon every high hill and under every g...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD. NITRE - not what is now so called, namely, salt-petre; but the natron of E...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    JEREMIAH'S SECOND PROPHECY (2:1-3:5) The prophet expostulates with Israel because of their unfaithfulness to Jehovah. 1-13. Under the figure of the marriage relation Jehovah reminds the people of Hi...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    NITRE] RV 'lye,'i.e. natron, or carbonate of soda....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    NITRE. — The mineral alkali found in the natron lakes of Egypt that took their name from it. The Hebrew word _nether_ is the origin of the Greek AND English words. (Comp. Proverbs 25:20.) SOPE. — Not...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    כִּ֤י אִם ־תְּכַבְּסִי֙ בַּ † נֶּ֔תֶר וְ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER II THE TRUST IN THE SHADOW OF EGYPT Jeremiah 2:1; Jeremiah 3:1 THE first of the prophet's public addresses is, in fact, a sermon which proceeds from an exposure of national sin to the menace...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The first movement in commissioning the called man now commences. He was commanded to utter a great impeachment in the ears of Jerusalem. This impeachment was threefold. It first declared how Israel h...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    For though thou shalt wash thee with (g) lye, and take thee much soap, [yet] thy iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD. (g) Though you use all the purifications and ceremonies of the law,...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Borith. An herb used to clean clothes, and take out spots and dirt, (Challoner) like kali, soda, (Calmet) or soap. (Langius.) --- Protestants, "and take thee much soap." (Haydock)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I include all these verses under one view, as the doctrine is one and the same, though varied with several similitudes. But the whole is intended to show, to what a degenerate state the Church was red...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    We have already seen, and the Prophet will often repeat the same thing, — that the people were become so refractory that they would not willingly give way to any reproofs; for they were almost all of...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Chapter 2 contains a most touching appeal to the people at Jerusalem. It requires no explanation, but deserves the heart's serious attention. It testifies in the most striking manner to the kindness a...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    FOR THOUGH THOU WASH THEE WITH NITRE,.... The word נתר, "nitre", is only used in this place and in Proverbs 25:20 and it is hard to say what it is. Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, that some say it is w...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, [yet] thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD. Ver. 22. _For though thou wash thee with nitre._] Much used of old by full...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _For though thou wash thee with nitre_, &c. Though thou shouldest use ever so many methods of washing away thy sins, such as the rites of expiation prescribed by the law, or practised by idolaters; th...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    20-28 Notwithstanding all their advantages, Israel had become like the wild vine that bears poisonous fruit. Men are often as much under the power of their unbridled desires and their sinful lusts, a...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    Though interpreters do greatly vary. in describing what is particularly meant here by NITRE AND SOAP, and it would be superfluous to mention here; yet all agree they are some materials that artists ma...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Jeremiah 2:22 wash H3526 (H8762) lye H5427 much H7235 (H8686) soap H1287 iniquity H5771 marked H3799 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    THEY HAD BROKEN FREE FROM YHWH TO WORSHIP FALSE GODS AND HAD THEREBY BECOME DEFILED WITH A DEFILEMENT AND A DEGENERACY THAT THEY COULD NOT REMOVE, WHILE STILL INCREDIBLY CLAIMING THAT THEY HAD NOT BRO...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Jeremiah 2:22 The nitre here mentioned was a mineral substance, and the soap was a vegetable substance, both employed for the purpose of removing spots; and the meaning is, "Adopt what means you may,...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    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 har...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Jeremiah 2:1. Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem saying, Thus saith the LORD: I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: First message to backslidden Judah concerning their ingratitude to God and wickedness against Him. CHARACTERS: God, Jeremiah. CONCLUSION: It is a great affront to God to neglect Him and for...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Jeremiah 2:2. _I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth._ God now addressed them, that he might do the same to the children as he had done to the fathers, and rejoice over them as the bridegroom rej...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Though thou wash thee with nitre._ NO SELF-EXPIATION One of the shortest, but most pregnant, words in our language is sin. And yet it is one of those words least understood. The whole system of the...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JEREMIAH 2:1 Israel’s Covenantal Adultery. These five related messages were probably delivered during Josiah’s reign (Jeremiah 3:6). Jeremiah declares that God’s chosen people commit spiritual adulter...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.—1. CHRONOLOGY. Most probably in thirteenth Josiah, quickly after his call. Dr. Dahler (Stratsbourg) would interpose Chapter s 4, 5, 6; deferring this chapter till after...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    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) t...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD (Jeremiah 2:1-2); Now this is the first message that he has to deliver. As God is cal...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Amos 8:7; Deuteronomy 32:34; Hosea 13:12; Jeremiah 16:17; Jeremiah 17

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Nitre — Though interpreters do greatly vary in describing what is particularly meant here by Nitre and Soap, and would be superfluous to mention here; yet all agree, they are some materials that artis...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    Were Israel’s sins eradicable or not? PROBLEM: Jeremiah seems to imply that nothing could wash away Israel’s sins. “ `For though you wash them with lye, and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked...

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