Bible Strands
Jeremiah 2:26
As the thief is ashamed when he is caught, so the house of Israel is disgraced. They, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jeremiah addresses the house of Israel regarding their idolatry, noting that their collective disgrace matches the shame of a caught thief.
The words — The text employs גַנָּב (ga.nav) for "thief" and הוֹבִישׁוּ (ho.vi.shu) for "they have been put to shame" to describe Israel's exposed disgrace.
The thread — This pattern of national guilt implicating kings, officials, priests, and prophets appears in Ezra 9:7, Nehemiah 9:32, and Jeremiah 32:32.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that idolatry leaves leaders and people alike exposed before God, with no hidden refuge from accountability.
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
King James Version
As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,
Cross-references
- Ezra 9:7 From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and subjected to the sword and to captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day.
- Nehemiah 9:32 So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.
- Jeremiah 32:32 because of all the evil the children of Israel and of Judah have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem.
- Proverbs 6:30 Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger.
- Isaiah 1:29 Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.
- Jeremiah 2:36 How impulsive you are, constantly changing your ways! You will be disappointed by Egypt just as you were by Assyria.
- Jeremiah 3:24 From our youth, that shameful god has consumed what our fathers have worked for—their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
- Jeremiah 48:27 Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.
- Daniel 9:6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, leaders, fathers, and all the people of the land.
- Romans 6:21 What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.