Jeremiah 2:13 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 2:13 mean?

Jeremiah 2:13 describes how the people of Israel have committed two wrongs: they have abandoned God, who is described as the source of living water, and instead have tried to provide for themselves by making their own water containers, which are broken and useless. The verse uses the image of water to show that turning away from God leads to emptiness and disappointment.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah. The setting is a time when the nation has turned away from worshiping God and has started relying on idols and their own efforts. The "fountain of living waters" is a picture of God as the true source of life and blessing, while the "broken cisterns" represent the false things the people have chosen instead, which cannot truly satisfy or sustain them.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 2:13

• "fountain" (מְקוֹר, məqôr): This word means a spring or source of water, not just a container. Calling God the "fountain of living waters" emphasizes that He is the continual, life-giving source, not something that runs dry.
• "living" (חַי, ḥay): This word means "alive" or "life-giving." "Living waters" refers to fresh, flowing water, which was highly valued in a dry land, highlighting the richness and vitality found in God.
• "cisterns" (בּוֹר, bôr): A cistern is a man-made pit or tank for storing rainwater. In contrast to a spring, a cistern is limited and can become empty or contaminated, especially if it is "broken" (שָׁבַר, shavar), meaning cracked or damaged so it cannot hold water.
• "forsaken" (עָזַב, ʿazav): This word means to leave or abandon. The verse stresses that the people have actively chosen to leave behind the true source of life.

Why Jeremiah 2:13 matters

• Jeremiah 2:13 clears up the idea that the people's main problem was just idol worship; the verse shows that the deeper issue was abandoning their relationship with God, the true source of life.
• The verse highlights the futility of self-reliance and false substitutes, making it clear that anything apart from God is ultimately empty and unreliable.
• In the wider context of Jeremiah, this verse sets up a key theme: God's grief over His people's unfaithfulness and the consequences that come from turning away from Him.