Jeremiah 2:27 Meaning: When We Turn Our Backs and Cry for Help
who tell wood, ‘You are my father,’ and a stone, ‘You have given birth to me,’ for they have turned their back to me, and not their face, but in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise, and save us!’
Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
who say to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
Saying to wood, `My father art thou!' And to a stone, `Thou hast brought me forth,' For they turned unto me the back and not the face, And in the time of their vexation, They say, `Arise Thou, and save us.'
saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth; for they have turned the back unto me, and not the face; and in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us!
Meaning in one sentence
Jeremiah 2:27 reveals the hypocrisy of calling created things our source, yet begging God to save us when trouble hits.
Context
In Jeremiah 2, the prophet brings God's case against Judah. The people have turned from the Lord who rescued them from Egypt. They chase after other gods, making idols from wood and stone. This verse captures the absurdity: they call a tree 'father' and a stone 'mother,' crediting lifeless things with their very existence. Yet when hardship comes, they expect the true God to drop everything and rescue them. Jeremiah exposes the contradiction between their daily choices and their crisis prayers.
Key Words
The Hebrew phrase 'turned their back to me, and not their face' uses two key words. Panah means to turn, and oref literally means the back of the neck. To turn the neck on someone is a deliberate rejection, you refuse to look at them. But the word for 'face,' panim, carries the sense of presence and relationship. Israel once sought God's face; now they give Him only their back.
The verb for 'you gave birth to me' is yalad, the same word used for human childbirth. Applying it to a stone shows how completely they confused the Creator with something He made. A stone cannot give life. And the cry 'save us' uses the root yasha, the very word for God's saving acts throughout Israel's history. They know the right words, but they are directed to the wrong source.
How Christians Read This Verse
Adam Clarke, an 18th-century Methodist, said calling a tree 'father' showed how 'deeply fallen and brutishly ignorant' people could become. John Calvin applied the warning to any honor given to statues, insisting that such honor belongs to God alone. Anglican commentators note that the titles 'father' and 'mother' were common for household guardian deities in the ancient Near East. Across traditions, Christians have seen this verse as a mirror: we can give created things the trust that belongs to God, then call on Him only when those things fail. The verse does not condemn asking God for help, but it exposes a heart that ignores Him until trouble comes.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to read this verse as a history lesson about ancient idolatry that has nothing to do with us. In fact, it is a mirror for every generation. The same contradiction happens when we rely on our savings, health, or reputation as if they gave us life, then turn to God only when those things fail. The point is not that ancient people were uniquely foolish; it is that the human heart is prone to the same inconsistency.
Living This Out
This week, notice where you instinctively look for life. Is it your job? Your family? Your abilities? Pay attention to when you pray most earnestly, is it mainly when something is going wrong? Jeremiah 2:27 invites you to check your pattern: do you treat God as a spare tire, or as the source of your every breath? Try beginning each day by acknowledging that God, not any created thing, is your Father and the one who gave you life. Let that recognition shape your prayers before the crisis hits.
Main takeaway: God sees when we give created things the devotion He deserves, yet still expect Him to rescue us in our crisis.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes we forget about God until we need help. God wants us to remember Him every day, not just when we are scared or in trouble.
For ages 9, 12
Jeremiah 2:27 shows people who said a tree was their father and a stone was their mother. That sounds silly, but we can do the same thing when we put more trust in our stuff or our friends than in God. Then when something bad happens, we suddenly cry out to God to help us. God wants us to stay close to Him all the time, not just when we are in a crisis.
Questions People Ask
Why is the wood called 'father' and the stone 'mother'?
In the ancient Near East, people often used titles like 'father' and 'mother' for household deities they believed protected and provided for them. By calling wood 'father' and stone 'mother,' the people credited lifeless idols with their very existence, which belongs to God alone.
Does this verse mean we shouldn't ask God for help when we are in trouble?
Not at all. The Bible is full of people crying to God in distress. The problem Jeremiah highlights is that these people ignored God completely during good times and only turned to Him when they needed something. It is not the asking that is wrong; it is the pattern of neglecting God until crisis hits.
What does 'turned their back to me, and not their face' mean?
Turning the back is a picture of rejection. When someone turns their face toward you, they are open and attentive. Turning the back is the opposite, it shows refusal to listen or acknowledge. God describes His people as deliberately ignoring Him while facing their idols.
What is the 'time of their trouble' referring to?
The context is the coming invasion and disaster that Judah would face because of their unfaithfulness. Jeremiah predicts that when calamity strikes, the people who rejected God will suddenly beg Him to save them. Other passages, like Psalm 78:34, describe the same pattern: trouble brings people to their senses.
How does this verse apply to Christians today?
This verse serves as a searchlight on the heart. It asks: what do we treat as our source of life and security? It could be money, relationships, or our own abilities. And it challenges us: do we only pray earnestly when something goes wrong? The call is to turn our face toward God every day, not just in emergencies.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study