Jeremia 2:22

Lutherbibel

Und wenn du dich gleich mit Lauge wüschest und nähmest viel Seife dazu, so gleißt doch deine Untugend desto mehr vor mir, spricht der HERR HERR.

Parallel Translations

Schlachter Bibel (1951)
Denn wenn du dich auch mit Lauge wüschest und viel Seife dazu nähmest, so würde deine Schuld vor meinem Angesicht doch schmutzig bleiben, spricht Gott, der Herr .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

For though: Job 9:30, Job 9:31

yet thine iniquity: Jeremiah 16:17, Jeremiah 17:1, Deuteronomy 32:34, Job 14:17, Psalms 90:8, Psalms 130:3, Hosea 13:12, Amos 8:7

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 21:6 - wash their hands 1 Samuel 15:14 - What meaneth 2 Samuel 11:12 - General 2 Samuel 14:32 - if there Psalms 109:15 - before Proverbs 16:2 - the ways Proverbs 28:13 - that Proverbs 30:12 - that are Jeremiah 13:23 - Ethiopian Malachi 1:6 - And ye Malachi 2:11 - profaned Malachi 3:2 - like fullers' 1 John 1:8 - say

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For though thou wash thee with nitre,.... The word נתר, "nitre", is only used in this place and in Proverbs 25:20 and it is hard to say what it is. Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, that some say it is what is called "alum"; and others that it is a dust with which they wash the head, and cleanse everything; and so Jarchi says it is a kind of earth used in cleaning garments; and "nitre" is mentioned by the Misnic doctors s among those things which are used for the washing of garments, and taking spots out of them; though about what it is they are not agreed; and it seems the nitre of the ancients is unknown to us t; and saltpetre is put in the room of it; and some render the word here "saltpetre"; and Pliny u observes, that nitre does not much differ from salt, and ascribes to it a virtue of eating out filth, and removing it; so Aristotle w reports of the lake Ascania; that its water is of such a nitrous quality, that garments, being put into it, need no other washing. Nitre has its name from נתר, "to loose", because it looses the filth, and cleanses from it:

and take thee much soap. The Septuagint render it, "herb"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "the herb borith"; which is the Hebrew word here used; and about the sense of which there is some difficulty. Kimchi and Ben Melech say some take it to be the same with what is called "soap"; so Jarchi; and others, that it is an herb with which they wash, the same that is called fullers' herb; but whether it is soap, or fullers' herb, or fullers' earth, as others, it is certain it is something fullers used in cleaning garments, as appear from Malachi 3:2, where the same word is used, and fullers made mention of as using what is signified by it. It has its name from ברה, which signifies to "cleanse" and "purify". The sense is, let this backsliding and degenerate people take what methods they will to cleanse themselves from their sins, as by their ceremonial ablutions and sacrifices, which was the usual method they had recourse to, to purify themselves, and in which they rested:

yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God; or, "will retain its spots" x these remain; the filth is not washed away; the iniquity is not hid and covered; it appears very plain and manifest;

yea, shines like gold; or, "is gilded" y; as the word used signifies. It is of too deep a die to be removed by such external things; nothing but the blood of Christ can cleanse from sin, take away its filth, removes its guilt, and cover it out of the sight of God, so that it can be seen no more. The Targum is,

"for if you think to be cleansed from your sins, as they cleanse with nitre, or make white with "borith", or soap; lo, as the mark of a spot which is not clean, so are your sins multiplied before me, saith the Lord God.''

s Misn. Sabbat, c. 9. sect. 5. Nidda, c. 9. sect. 6. Maimon & Bartenora in ib. & in Misn. Celim, c. 10. sect. 1. t Schroder. Pharmacopoeia, l. 3. c. 23. p. 140. u Nat. Hist. l. 31. c. 10. w Opera, vol. 1, de Mirabil. p. 705. x "Maculas tamen retinebit iniquitas tua", Schmidt. y נכתם "nitet, [vel splendet], instar anri", Piscator "obducat se auro insigni", Junius Tremellius so Gussetius renders the word, "inaurari, auro ebduci" and who rightly observes, that whatever is glided, or covered with gold, the more it is washed with nitre, or soap, the brighter it will appear; and so, whatever other methods are taken to wash away sin, but seeking for justification by the grace of God in Christ, it will be but the more manifest, Ebr. Comment. p. 410.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Nitre - Or, natron, a mineral alkali, found in the Nile valley, where it effloresces upon the rocks and surfaces of the dykes, and in old time was carefully collected, and used to make lye for washing (see Proverbs 25:20).

Sope - A vegetable alkali, now called “potash,” because obtained from the ashes of plants. Its combination with oils, etc., to form soap was not known to the Hebrews until long after Jeremiah’s time, but they used the lye, formed by passing water through the ashes. Thus then, though Israel use both mineral and vegetable alkalies, the most powerful detergents known, yet will she be unable to wash away the stains of her apostasy.

Thine iniquity is marked - i. e., as a stain.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 2:22. For though thou wash thee with nitre — It should be rendered natar or natron, a substance totally different from our nitre. It comes from the root נתר nathar, to dissolve, loosen, because a solution of it in water is abstersive, taking out spots, c., from clothes. It is still used in the east for the purpose of washing. If vinegar be poured on it, Dr. Shaw says, a strong effervescence is the immediate consequence, which illustrates Proverbs 25:20: "The singing of songs to a heavy heart is like vinegar upon natron" that is, there is no affinity between them; opposition and strife are occasioned by any attempt to unite them.

Thine iniquity is marked before me — No washing will take out thy spots; the marks of thy idolatry and corruption are too deeply rooted to be extracted by any human means.