Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

JEREMIAH 2:25KJV
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Jeremiah 2:25 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 2:25 mean?

Jeremiah 2:25 describes God warning the people of Judah not to exhaust themselves chasing after other gods, using images of going barefoot and being thirsty to show the cost of their actions. Despite this warning, the people stubbornly insist there is no hope of change, saying they love foreign gods and will keep following them.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah, who have turned away from Him to worship other gods. The language paints a vivid picture of someone worn out from pursuing these "strangers"—foreign gods—yet refusing to stop. The verse highlights both God's warning and the people's determined rejection, setting the stage for the wider message of Jeremiah about faithfulness and the consequences of spiritual unfaithfulness.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 2:25

  • "Withhold" (כָּלָא, kalaʾ H4513) means to restrain or hold back. Here, God urges the people to stop themselves from further harm.
  • "Unshod" (יָחֵף, yaḥēf H3182) refers to being barefoot, which in ancient times suggested hardship or desperation; it shows how far the people have gone in their pursuit.
  • "Strangers" (זָר, zar H2114) means foreigners or outsiders, in this context referring to foreign gods. The word emphasizes that these objects of devotion are not only different but also do not belong to Israel.
  • "Hope" (יָאֵשׁ, yaʾēsh H2976) carries the sense of despair or giving up. The people respond that there is no point in trying to change, showing their deep resignation.

Why Jeremiah 2:25 matters

  • Jeremiah 2:25 clears up the idea that the people’s idolatry was casual; the verse shows it as a desperate, costly pursuit that leaves them worn out and empty.
  • The verse reveals the stubbornness of the people, who openly admit their attachment to foreign gods and their refusal to turn back, even when warned.
  • This verse connects to the wider passage by showing the depth of Judah’s spiritual unfaithfulness and setting up God’s case against them in the chapters that follow.

Where else these words appear

“unshod” Hebrew H3182 · used in 5 verses

  • 2 Samuel 15:30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
  • Isaiah 20:2 At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
  • Isaiah 20:3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

“hope” Hebrew H2976 · used in 6 verses

  • 1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
  • Job 6:26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?
  • Isaiah 57:10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

“throat” Hebrew H1627 · used in 8 verses

  • Psalms 5:9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
  • Psalms 115:7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
  • Isaiah 3:16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

“Withhold” Hebrew H4513 · used in 29 verses

  • Genesis 30:2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
  • Job 22:7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
  • Proverbs 30:7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: