Jeremiah3
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, will he return unto her again? will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith Jehovah.
2Lift up thine eyes unto the bare heights, and see; where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a harlot’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
4Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?
5Will he retain his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
6Moreover Jehovah said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
7And I said after she had done all these things, She will return unto me; but she returned not: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot.
9And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith Jehovah.
11And Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath showed herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; I will not look in anger upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah, I will not keep anger for ever.
13Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith Jehovah.
14Return, O backsliding children, saith Jehovah; for I am a husband unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
15And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.
17At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers.
19But I said, How I will put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.
20Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah.
21A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Jehovah their God.
22Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God.
23Truly in vain is the help that is looked for from the hills, the tumult on the mountains: truly in Jehovah our God is the salvation of Israel.
24But the shameful thing hath devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Jehovah our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day; and we have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jeremiah 3.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Exhortations to repentance. (1-5). Judah more guilty than Israel. (6-11). But pardon is promised. (12-20). The children of Israel express their sorrow and repentance. (21-25).
vv1-5
In repentance, it is good to think upon the sins of which we have been guilty, and the places and companies where they have been committed. How gently the Lord had corrected them! In receiving penitents, he is God, and not man. Whatever thou hast said or done hitherto, wilt thou not from this time apply to me? Will not this grace of God overcome thee? Now pardon is proclaimed, wilt thou not take the benefit? They will hope to find in him the tender compassions of a Father towards a returning prodigal. They will come to him as the Guide of their youth: youth needs a guide. Repenting sinners may encourage themselves that God will not keep his anger to the end. All God's mercies, in every age, suggest encouragement; and what can be so desirable for the young, as to have the Lord for their Father, and the Guide of their youth? Let parents daily direct their children earnestly to seek this blessing.
vv6-11
If we mark the crimes of those who break off from a religious profession, and the consequences, we see abundant reason to shun evil ways. It is dreadful to be proved more criminal than those who have actually perished in their sins; yet it will be small comfort in everlasting punishment, for them to know that others were viler than they.
vv12-20
See God's readiness to pardon sin, and the blessings reserved for gospel times. These words were proclaimed toward the north; to Israel, the ten tribes, captive in Assyria. They are directed how to return. If we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive them. These promises are fully to come to pass in the bringing back the Jews in after-ages. God will graciously receive those that return to him; and by his grace, he takes them out from among the rest. The ark of the covenant was not found after the captivity. The whole of that dispensation was to be done away, which took place after the multitude of believers had been greatly increased by the conversion of the Gentiles, and of the Israelites scattered among them. A happy state of the church is foretold. He can teach all to call him Father; but without thorough change of heart and life, no man can be a child of God, and we have no security for not departing from Him.
Key Words
אִישׁ: a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
שָׁלַח: to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
אִשָּׁה: a woman
הָלַךְ: to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
אַחֵר: properly, hinder; generally, next, other, etc.
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
חָנֵף: to soil, especially in a moral sense
זָנָה: to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)
Cross References
Jeremiah 3Jeremiah explicitly alludes to the Mosaic law prohibiting a husband from returning to a divorced, remarried wife.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Parallels the metaphor of divorcement and whether God has formally put away His covenant people.
Supported by John Calvin, JFB
The withholding of showers and rain acts as the covenantal curse for spiritual rebellion.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Historical record of the captivity of Israel, which serves as Judah's warning example here.
Supported by JFB
Direct parallel showing how Samaria/Israel is comparatively more 'justified' than treacherous, hypocritical Judah.
Supported by JFB
The prophetic call to 'return unto me' with the reciprocal promise 'I will return unto you.'
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Illustrates that Judah's reformation under Josiah was superficial and 'feigned' on the people's part.
Supported by JFB
Echoes God's deep paternal compassion and willingness to forgive returning Ephraim/Israel.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels the promise of 'pastors according to mine heart,' matching the Davidic ideal.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Hebrew 'guide of youth' denotes a husband, reinforcing the marital covenant imagery.
Supported by JFB
Directly answers the question of whether God will reserve His anger forever.
Supported by JFB
Extensive prophetic allegory of two sisters, Aholah and Aholibah, representing Israel and Judah.
Supported by JFB
Echoes the divine promise: 'I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely.'
Supported by Matthew Henry
Internal verbal parallel linking the call of 'My father' with returning to sonship.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Illustrates the New Covenant healing and cleansing that enables the true return of the people.
Supported by Matthew Henry