Lexical Summary sur: To turn aside, depart, remove, take away Original Word: סוּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance degenerate Probably passive participle of cuwr; turned off, i.e. Deteriorated -- degenerate. see HEBREW cuwr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as sur, q.v. Topical Lexicon Overview The term סוּר (Strong’s Hebrew 5494) appears only once in the Old Testament, in Jeremiah 2:21, where it describes a vine that has forsaken its cultivated character and become “degenerate” or “wild.” Though rare, the word captures a fundamental biblical concern: the tragic shift from covenant faithfulness to apostasy. Old Testament usage Jeremiah 2:21: “I had planted you like a choice vine from the very best seed. How then could you turn yourself before Me into a degenerate wild vine?” Here the prophet contrasts God’s careful planting of Israel with the nation’s self–inflicted corruption. The single occurrence gives סוּר a vivid, almost pictorial force—Israel’s identity has not merely been damaged; it has been transmuted into something entirely other than what God intended. Image of the vine in Scripture 1. National identity: In passages such as Psalm 80:8–16 and Isaiah 5:1–7, Israel is repeatedly likened to a vine transplanted from Egypt, lovingly tended by God, yet later producing worthless fruit. Historical setting in Jeremiah Jeremiah ministered in the late seventh and early sixth centuries B.C., confronting Judah’s idolatry, social injustice, and reliance on foreign alliances. The Babylonian threat loomed, yet the people remained confident in ritual rather than relationship. Jeremiah 2 forms part of a covenant lawsuit in which God chronicles Israel’s history of grace and Israel’s pattern of departure. The choice-vine-turned-wild accusation underscores the inevitability of judgment if repentance does not occur. Theological implications 1. Divine initiative and human responsibility: God’s perfect planting highlights His sovereign grace; the vine’s degeneration underscores human accountability. Prophetic and pastoral relevance • Warning to the complacent: Churches and individuals with rich spiritual heritage may presume immunity from decline. Jeremiah’s picture shatters that illusion. Lessons for discipleship and ministry 1. Cultivate ongoing dependence on the True Vine (John 15:5). Related passages for further study Psalm 80:8–16; Isaiah 5:1–7; Hosea 10:1; Matthew 21:33–43; John 15:1–8; Romans 11:17–24; Hebrews 6:7–8. Summary סוּר encapsulates the heartbreak of a people who, though graciously established, abandon their God-given identity. Its lone appearance intensifies its message: turning aside from the Lord does not yield merely lesser fruit—it produces an entirely different, corrupt stock. The antidote is renewed attachment to the true and living Vine, whose life guarantees genuine, enduring fruitfulness. Forms and Transliterations סוּרֵ֖י סורי sū·rê sūrê suReiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 2:21 HEB: נֶהְפַּ֣כְתְּ לִ֔י סוּרֵ֖י הַגֶּ֥פֶן נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ KJV: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange INT: How turned plant vine of a foreign |
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