Jeremiah 9:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I will withdraw from my people and separate myself from them. The prophet expresses a longing, saying, if only it were possible to dwell in solitude. For all of you are unfaithful, a community of wrongdoers. This implies that they have embraced wickedness to the point where they can no longer seek forgiveness from God. Are you abandoning them? Indeed, he replies. Had there been even one person who listened to the words, I would not have chosen to leave, but now I find myself among a people of wrongdoing. I will forsake my own people. Just as one considers his kin to be related by blood and lineage, all have turned to immorality. What sort of greed is being addressed here? Is it not that which leads to separation from God?

Who will provide me with a place of solace in the desert, as I choose to leave my people behind, for they are all lovers, a assembly of deceivers? In a profound way, the prophet yearns for the arrival of the Messiah on behalf of all the righteous. When our Lord appeared, the inhabitants of Judah were divided; some embraced Christ while others rejected and persecuted Him to the point of death. Those who embraced Him found refuge in the Gentile Church, which had previously been described as desolate and unfruitful (Isaiah 54:1).

Who will provide me with a place to stay in the wilderness, so that I can leave My people behind? The Septuagint states: Who would grant Me a final resting place in the wilderness, that I might depart from My people? It is better, as stated, to inhabit the most desolate wilderness than to remain amidst the profound wickedness of humanity. Hence, the Savior declares in the Gospel, 'As long as I endure you,' and it is recorded in another passage, 'at that time he that hath understanding shall sit down and be silent, for that time is the worst’ (Lamentations 3).

The divine Prophet therefore seeks a wellspring of tears adequate to his sorrow, enabling him to weep continuously for the dedicated watchfulness of his people. He desires a remote sanctuary in the far reaches of the wilderness, a place to dwell where he would be shielded from the malicious acts his fellow citizens have chosen to undertake. He contends that those who pursue one another with the intent to breach marital loyalty form a community that boldly engages in all manner of wickedness. This notion is captured in the words of Jeremiah 9:2, describing a gathering of transgressors, as in Jeremiah 9:3, where it says they have unleashed their tongues like arrows, concocting schemes, spreading falsehoods, and harboring malice against their neighbors.