Jeremiah 2:21

Bible in Basic English

But when you were planted by me, you were a noble vine, in every way a true seed: how then have you been changed into the branching plant of a strange vine?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I planted you, a choice vinefrom the very best seed.How then could you turn intoa degenerate, foreign vine?

Hebrew Names Version
Yet I had planted you a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then are you turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine to me?

King James Version
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

English Standard Version
Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?

New American Standard Bible
"Yet I planted you as a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?

New Century Version
But I planted you as a special vine, as a very good seed. How then did you turn into a wild vine that grows bad fruit?

Amplified Bible
"Yet I had planted you [O house of Israel as] a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned against Me Into degenerate shoots of a foreign and wild vine [alien to Me]?

World English Bible
Yet I had planted you a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then are you turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine to me?

Geneva Bible (1587)
Yet I had planted thee, a noble vine, whose plants were all natural: howe then art thou turned vnto me into the plants of a strange vine?

Legacy Standard Bible
Yet I planted you a choice vine,A completely true seed.How then have you turned yourself before MeInto the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?

Berean Standard Bible
I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How could you turn yourself before me, into a rotten wild vine?

Contemporary English Version
You were a choice grapevine, but now you produce nothing but small, rotten grapes.

Complete Jewish Bible
But I planted you as a choice vine of seed fully tested and true. How did you degenerate into a wild vine for me?

Darby Translation
And I,—I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate shoots of a strange vine unto me?

Easy-to-Read Version
Judah, I planted you like a special vine. You were all from good seed. How did you turn into a different vine that grows bad fruit?

George Lamsa Translation
Yet I had planted you a good vine, wholly a right seed; why then have you turned against me and have become degenerate like a plant of a strange vine?

Good News Translation
I planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. But look what you have become! You are like a rotten, worthless vine.

Lexham English Bible
Yet I planted you as a choice vine, all of it a seed of trustworthiness. How then have you altered before me into something that is degenerate, the foreign vine?

Literal Translation
Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly a true seed. How then have you turned into the deviant shoots of an alien vine to Me?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
where as I planted the out of noble grapes and good rotes. How art thou turned then into a bytter, vnfrutefull, and straunge grape?

American Standard Version
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine unto me?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me?

King James Version (1611)
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholy a right seede: How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine vnto me?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wheras I planted thee a noble vine, and wholly a right seede: howe art thou turned then into a bitter vnfruitfull and straunge grape?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Yet I planted thee a fruitful vine, entirely of the right sort: how art thou a strange vine turned to bitterness!

English Revised Version
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Y plauntide thee a chosun vyner, al trewe seed; hou therfor art thou, alien vyner, turned to me in to a schrewid thing?

Update Bible Version
Yet I had planted you a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then have you turned into the wild branches of a foreign vine to me?

Webster's Bible Translation
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine to me?

New English Translation
I planted you in the land like a special vine of the very best stock. Why in the world have you turned into something like a wild vine that produces rotten, foul-smelling grapes?

New King James Version
Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine?

New Living Translation
But I was the one who planted you, choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?

New Life Bible
Yet I planted you as a vine of much worth, in every way a true seed. How then have you turned away from Me and become a wild vine?

New Revised Standard
Yet I planted you as a choice vine, from the purest stock. How then did you turn degenerate and become a wild vine?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Yet, I, planted thee a precious vine, a wholly true seed, - How then didst thou change thyself towards me, into the degenerate plantings of the alien vine?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Yet, I planted thee a chosen vineyard, all true seed: how then art thou turned unto me into that which is good for nothing, O strange vineyard?

Revised Standard Version
Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?

Young's Literal Translation
And I planted thee a choice vine, wholly a true seed, And how hast thou been turned to Me, To the degenerate shoots of a strange vine?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Yet I planted you a choice vine, A completely faithful seed. How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?

Contextual Overview

²⁰ For in the past, your yoke was broken by your hands and your cords parted; and you said, I will not be your servant; for on every high hill and under every branching tree, your behaviour was like that of a loose woman ²¹ But when you were planted by me, you were a noble vine, in every way a true seed: how then have you been changed into the branching plant of a strange vine? ²² For even if you are washed with soda and take much soap, still your evil-doing is marked before me, says the Lord God. ²³ How are you able to say, I am not unclean, I have not gone after the Baals? see your way in the valley, be clear about what you have done: you are a quick-footed camel twisting her way in and out; ²⁴ An untrained ass, used to the waste land, breathing up the wind in her desire; at her time, who is able to send her away? all those who are looking for her will have no need to make themselves tired; in her month they will get her. ²⁵ Do not let your foot be without shoes, or your throat dry from need of water: but you said, There is no hope: no, for I have been a lover of strange gods, and after them I will go. ²⁶ As the thief is shamed when he is taken, so is Israel shamed; they, their kings and their rulers, their priests and their prophets; ²⁷ Who say to a tree, You are my father; and to a stone, You have given me life: for their backs have been turned to me, not their faces: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Up! and be our saviour. ²⁸ But where are the gods you have made for yourselves? let them come, if they are able to give you salvation in the time of your trouble: for the number of your gods is as the number of your towns, O Judah.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Yet I: Exodus 15:17, Psalms 44:2, Psalms 80:8, Isaiah 5:1, Isaiah 5:2, Isaiah 60:21, Isaiah 61:3, Matthew 21:33, Mark 12:1, Luke 20:9, John 15:1

wholly: Genesis 18:19, Genesis 26:3-5, Genesis 32:28, Deuteronomy 4:37, Joshua 24:31, Psalms 105:6, Isaiah 41:8

into the degenerate: Deuteronomy 32:32, Isaiah 1:21, Isaiah 5:4, Lamentations 4:1

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 4:39 - a wild vine Psalms 80:15 - vineyard Isaiah 27:2 - A vineyard Isaiah 43:26 - Put Jeremiah 11:17 - that Ezekiel 15:2 - What Hosea 4:18 - drink Malachi 1:6 - And ye Malachi 2:11 - profaned Malachi 2:15 - That he Luke 6:43 - General Luke 13:6 - fig tree Acts 17:11 - more Romans 6:5 - planted Romans 11:16 - and if 1 Corinthians 3:9 - ye are God's Hebrews 12:15 - any root James 3:12 - the fig tree

Cross-References

Genesis 15:12
Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep came on Abram, and a dark cloud of fear.

1 Samuel 26:12
So David took the spear and the vessel of water from Saul's head; and they got away without any man seeing them, or being conscious of their coming, or awaking; for they were all sleeping because a deep sleep from the Lord had come on them.

Job 4:13
In troubled thoughts from visions of the night, when deep sleep comes on men,

Job 33:15
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep comes on men, while they take their rest on their beds;

Proverbs 19:15
Hate of work sends deep sleep on a man: and he who has no industry will go without food.

Daniel 8:18
Now while he was talking to me, I went into a deep sleep with my face to the earth: but touching me, he put me on my feet where I had been.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed,.... It is usual to compare the people of the Jews to a vineyard, and to vines; and their settlement in the land of Canaan to the planting of vines in a vineyard; see Isaiah 5:1. Kimchi says this is spoken concerning Abraham; no doubt respect is had to the Jewish fathers, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs, Moses, Joshua, and Caleb, and the like; who, having the true and right seed of grace in them, became like choice and noble vines, and brought forth much fruit, and were deserving of imitation by their posterity:

how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? like a vine that grows in the woods, and brings forth wild grapes; so these, their sons, degenerating in practice from their fathers, became corrupt in themselves, and unprofitable to God. The Targum of the whole is,

"I set you before me as the plant of a choice vine, all of you doing truth; but how are you changed before me in your corrupt works? ye have declined from my worship, ye are become as a vine in which there is no profit.''

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A noble vine - Properly, a Sorek vine (see Isaiah 5:2), which produced a red wine Proverbs 23:31, and had a lasting reputation Genesis 49:11.

A right seed - literally, “a seed of truth,” i. e., true, genuine seed, not mixed with weeds, nor with seed of an inferior quality. Compare Matthew 13:24.

How then art thou turned - Or, “How then” hast thou changed thyself “unto me” (i. e., to my hurt or vexation) “into the degenerate” branches “of a strange vine?” The stock, which was God’s planting, was genuine, and of the noblest sort: the wonder was how such a stock could produce shoots of a totally different kind Deuteronomy 32:32.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 2:21. I had planted thee a noble vine — I gave thee the fullest instruction, the purest ordinances, the highest privileges; and reason would that I should expect thee to live suitably to such advantages; but instead of this thou art become degenerate; the tree is deteriorated, and the fruit is bad. Instead of being true worshippers, and of a holy life and conversation, ye are become idolaters of the most corrupt and profligate kind. See Isaiah 5:1, &c., where the same image is used.