Matthew Poole and continuators on Jeremiah 2:23

23 How canst thou say , I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim ? see thy way in the valley , know what thou hast done : thou art a swift dromedary , traversing her wayes.

With what face canst thou go about to excuse thy self, or deny what is so evident, and so truly charged upon thee, ver. 20.

The word is plural, as comprehensive of all their Idols, Hos. 11.2. and is a name usually given to several of them, as Baalzebub, 2 King. 1.16. and Baal-Peor, Numb. 25.3. and therefore their worshipping of many. Because they had the Temple, and Sacrifices, &c. they still perswaded themselves, that they worshipped the true God, though they joyned their Idolatries with it, as the Papists, though they make use of Idols in Worship, yet would not be accounted Idolaters.

The filthiness thou hast left behind thee, whereby thou mayst be traced, where thou leftest as it were thy footsteps, and monuments of thy frequent Idolatries.

Thy frequent courses in the Valleys, whether of Hinnom where they burnt their Childrens bones in Sacrifice, chap. 7.21, 31. Or, in any Vallies where thou hast been frequent in thy Idolatries; it seems to be thus largely taken.

Look on and consider thy ways, as ver. 19.

Or thou art as, &c. or O Dromedary, a Beast much used by Carriers in Arabia being rife there. See on Isa. 60.6.

A Metaphor taken from Creatures, that are hunted, that keep no direct path, alluding to the nature of the She Dromedary, which in gendring time runs capering this way, and crossing that way, making many vagaries to find out sometimes one Male, sometimes another without any rule, or order, setting forth hereby the disposition of this People, that were so mad upon their Idols, that they ran sometimes after this, and sometimes after that, called wandring, ver. 20. and that with great eagerness, fitly termed traversing much like the description of a Whore, Prov. 7.11, 12. the word being no where found, but here, and being derived from a word, that signifies a Shoo-latchet, if any be curious, let the learned consult Synop. Critic. and the English reader the Assemblies Annot. on the place.

Marginal references: Or, O swift dromedary.