Jeremiah 2:8 — Bible Verse (KJV)

Jeremiah 2:8 in Context — Jeremiah 2

⁶ Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

⁷ And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

⁸ The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

⁹ Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children’s children will I plead.

¹⁰ For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.

Read the full chapter: Jeremiah 2 — Alive in Christ — By Grace Through Faith →

What Does Jeremiah 2:8 Mean?

Ephesians 2:8-9 — 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast' — is the clearest statement of the doctrine of salvation by grace alone in the entire Bible. Paul is writing to Gentile believers in Ephesus who had no prior covenant standing with God. His point is foundational: the source of salvation is God's grace (unmerited favor), the channel is faith (trust, not achievement), and the explicit negative is works. The phrase 'that not of yourselves' eliminates every human contribution to the act of salvation itself — including the faith. Paul's grammar suggests that the entire package (grace-through-faith salvation) is 'not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.' This verse does not negate the importance of good works (verse 10 immediately follows: 'we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works'). Rather, it separates the basis of salvation (grace alone) from the evidence of salvation (good works). You are not saved by works, but you are saved unto works. Grace produces the very obedience that law demands but cannot create.

Jeremiah 2:8 is from the Book of Jeremiah (Old Testament), chapter 2. Available translations: King James Version (1611), World English Bible (2000), American Standard Version (1901), Young's Literal Translation (1862), Darby Translation (1890), Geneva Bible (1599). Read Jeremiah 2 in full context →