Discovery BoxJeremiah 2:22-23 
Context2:22 You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent.
You can use as much soap as you want.
But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see,” 1
says the Lord God. 2
2:23 “How can you say, ‘I have not made myself unclean.
I have not paid allegiance to 3 the gods called Baal.’
Just look at the way you have behaved in the Valley of Hinnom! 4
Think about the things you have done there!
You are like a flighty, young female camel
that rushes here and there, crisscrossing its path. 5
Jeremiah 2:37
Context2:37 Moreover, you will come away from Egypt
with your hands covering your faces in sorrow and shame 6
because the Lord will not allow your reliance on them to be successful
and you will not gain any help from them. 7
1 tn Heb “Even if you wash with natron/lye, and use much soap, your sin is a stain before me.”
2 tn Heb “Lord Yahweh.” For an explanation of this title see the study notes on 1:6.
3 tn Heb “I have not gone/followed after.” See the translator’s note on 2:5 for the meaning and usage of this idiom.
4 tn Heb “Look at your way in the valley.” The valley is an obvious reference to the Valley of Hinnom where Baal and Molech were worshiped and child sacrifice was practiced.
5 sn The metaphor is intended to depict Israel’s lack of clear direction and purpose without the
6 tn Heb “with your hands on your head.” For the picture here see 2 Sam 13:19.
7 tn Heb “The
