Jeremiah 2:10

“For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see, etc.] Or, “to the isles of Chittim”f24; so called from Kittim the son of Javan, (<011004>Genesis 10:4) who, as Josephus saysf25, possessed the island of Chethima, now called Cyprus; and, from that, all islands, and most maritime places, are, by the Hebrews, called Chittim, he observes: it may regard all the islands in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas: and send unto Kedar; which was in Arabia, and lay to the east, as Chittim to the west; and so the Targum paraphrases it, “send to the provinces of the Arabians:” and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing; as what is inquired about in the following verse, a change of deities. All this…”

“pass over the isles--rather, "cross over to the isles." Chittim . . . Kedar--that is, the heathen nations, west and east. Go where you will, you cannot find an instance of any heathen nation forsaking their own for other gods. Israel alone does this. Yet the heathen gods are false gods; whereas Israel, in forsaking Me for other gods, forsake their "glory" for unprofitable idols. Chittim--Cyprus, colonized by PhÅ“nicians, who built in it the city of Citium, the modern Chitti. Then the term came to be applied to all maritime coasts of the Mediterranean, especially Greece (Num 24:24; Isa 23:1; Dan 11:30). Kedar--descended from Ishmael; the Bedouins and Arabs, east of Palestine.”

“Kedar signifies the whole East, and the isles of Chittim (Isaiah 23:12 note) the West. If then you traverse all lands from west to east, it will be impossible to find any nation guilty of such apostasy as that committed by Israel. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Of Chittim - All the isles in the Mediterranean sea, with the neighbouring coasts; for the Hebrews call all people, that separated from them by the sea, islanders, because they came to them by shipping. Kedar - Arabia that lay east - south - east of Judea, as Chittim did more north or north - west; go from north to south, east to west, and make the experiment; look to Chittim the most civilized, or Kedar the most barbarous, yet neither have changed their gods. Jeremiah 2:11”

“2:10 Kedar, an Arabic tribe descended from Ishmael, lived in the desert area east of the Jordan River Valley (see 49:28-33; Isa 21:16).”

“over: or, over to the isles: Gen 10:4, Gen 10:5; Num 24:24; Ch1 1:7, Ch1 23:1, Ch1 23:12; Psa 120:5; Eze 27:6; Dan 11:30 Kedar: Gen 25:13 and see: Jer 18:13, Jer 18:14; Jdg 19:30; Co1 5:1 Jeremiah 2:11”