Bible Dictionary
DEGENERATE
Degenerate describes something that has turned from its original quality into an inferior or corrupt form. Jeremiah uses the image of Judah as a noble vine that became the growth of a foreign vine.
Definition
Degenerate describes a turning from an original or noble quality into an inferior or corrupt form. The word may refer to degenerate branches or shoots that have become unlike their original stock.
Biblical Usage
Jeremiah compares Judah with a noble vine that turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine. The image represents Judah’s departure from its proper condition.
Historical Background
The underlying Hebrew expression can mean “stray” or “degenerate shoots,” and is related to the idea of turning aside, especially from the right path.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>de-jen'-er-at: Only in Jer 2:21, where Judah is compared to a "noble vine" which it "turned into the degenerate branches of a foreign vine." It represents Hebrew curim = "stray" or "degenerate (shoots)," from cur = "to turn aside," especially to turn aside from the right path (Greek pikria, literally, "bitterness").</p>