Jeremiah 3:1

Israel Is Shameless

1 “They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife,
And she goes from him
And becomes another man’s,
^aMay he return to her again?’
Would not that ^bland be greatly polluted?
But you have ^cplayed the harlot with many lovers;
^dYet return to Me,” says the Lord.

2 “Lift up your eyes to ^athe desolate heights and see:
Where have you not¹ lain with men?
^bBy the road you have sat for them
Like an Arabian in the wilderness;
^cAnd you have polluted the land
With your harlotries and your wickedness.

3 Therefore the ^ashowers have been withheld,
And there has been no latter rain.
You have had a ^bharlot’s forehead;
You refuse to be ashamed.

4 Will you not from this time cry to Me,
‘My Father, You are ^athe guide of ^bmy youth?

5 ^aWill He remain angry forever?
Will He keep it to the end?’
Behold, you have spoken and done evil things,
As you were able.”

A Call to Repentance

6 The Lord said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what ^abacksliding Israel has done? She has ^bgone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.

7 ^aAnd I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous ^bsister Judah saw it.

8 Then I saw that ^afor all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had ^bput her away and given her a certificate of divorce; ^cyet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.

9 So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she ^adefiled the land and committed adultery with ^bstones and trees.

10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me ^awith her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord.

11 Then the Lord said to me, ^a“Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

12 Go and proclaim these words toward ^athe north, and say:
‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord;
‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you.
For I am ^bmerciful,’ says the Lord;
‘I will not remain angry forever.

13 ^aOnly acknowledge your iniquity,
That you have transgressed against the Lord your God,
And have ^bscattered your charms
To ^calien deities ^dunder every green tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord.

14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; ^a“for I am married to you. I will take you, ^bone from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to ^cZion.

15 And I will give you ^ashepherds according to My heart, who will ^bfeed you with knowledge and understanding.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

<< Jeremiah 2:37

Jeremiah 3:2 >>

Jeremiah 3:1

They say - Or, That is to say. The prophet has completed his survey of Israel' s conduct, and draws the conclusion that as an adulterous wife could not be taken back by her husband, so Israel has forfeited her part in the covenant with God. Apparently the opening word, which literally means "to say," only introduces the quotation in the margin.

Yet return again to me - Or, "and thinkest thou to return unto me!" The whole argument is not of mercy, but is the proof that after her repeated adulteries, Israel could not again take her place as wife. To think of returning to God, with the marriage-law unrepealed, was folly.

Other Barnes' Notes entries containing Jeremiah 3:1:

Hosea 1:2
Hosea 2:19

<< Jeremiah 2:37

Jeremiah 3:2 >>

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Israel Is Shameless

A Call to Repentance

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning