Jeremiah 2:24

a wild donkey at home in the wilderness, sniffing the wind in the heat of her desire. Who can restrain her passion? All who seek her need not weary themselves; in mating season they will find her.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The prophet addresses Israel regarding their persistent idolatry, placing this metaphor between descriptions of a galloping she-camel and a confession of hopeless devotion to foreign gods.

The words — פֶּרֶה (Pe.reh) denotes a wild donkey, while שָׁאֲפָה (sha.'a.Fah) describes the animal sniffing the wind to detect its mate.

The thread — The wild donkey imagery appears in Jeremiah 14:6 panting on barren heights and Job 39:5 as an untamed creature released from the harness.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that spiritual adultery operates with the same instinctual, unrestrainable drive as animal mating cycles, leaving the reader to confront the futility of chasing idols.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

פֶּ֣רֶה׀Pe.reha wild donkey לִמֻּ֣דli.Mudaccustomed to מִדְבָּ֗רmid.Bara wilderness בְּאַוַּ֤תbe./'a.Vatin/ [the] lust of נַפְשָׁהּ֙na.fo.sha/hself/ its שָׁאֲפָ֣הsha.'a.Fahit sniffs ר֔וּחַRu.ach[the] wind תַּאֲנָתָ֖הּta.'a.na.Ta/hheat/ its מִ֣יmiwho?יְשִׁיבֶ֑נָּהye.shi.Ve./nahwill he turn back/ it כָּל־kol-all מְבַקְשֶׁ֙יהָ֙me.vak.Shei./ha[those who] seek/ it לֹ֣אlo'not יִיעָ֔פוּyi.'A.futhey will grow weary בְּחָדְשָׁ֖הּbe./cha.de.Sha/hin/ month/ its יִמְצָאֽוּנְהָ׃yim.tza.'U.ne./hathey will find/ it

King James Version

A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 14:6 Wild donkeys stand on barren heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail for lack of pasture.”
Job 39:5 Who set the wild donkey free? Who released the swift donkey from the harness?
Jeremiah 2:27 say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Yet in the time of trouble, they say, ‘Rise up and save us!’
Hosea 5:15 Then I will return to My place until they admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.”
Job 11:12 But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man!