1 They say, H559 If a man H376 put away H7971 his wife, H802 and she go H1980 from him, and become another H312 man's, H376 shall he return unto her again? H7725 shall not that land H776 be greatly H2610 polluted? H2610 but thou hast played the harlot H2181 with many H7227 lovers; H7453 yet return again H7725 to me, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
2 Lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 unto the high places, H8205 and see H7200 where H375 thou hast not been lien H7693 H7901 with. In the ways H1870 hast thou sat H3427 for them, as the Arabian H6163 in the wilderness; H4057 and thou hast polluted H2610 the land H776 with thy whoredoms H2184 and with thy wickedness. H7451
3 Therefore the showers H7241 have been withholden, H4513 and there hath been no latter rain; H4456 and thou hadst a whore's H2181 H802 forehead, H4696 thou refusedst H3985 to be ashamed. H3637
4 Wilt thou not from this time cry H7121 unto me, My father, H1 thou art the guide H441 of my youth? H5271
5 Will he reserve H5201 his anger for ever? H5769 will he keep H8104 it to the end? H5331 Behold, thou hast spoken H1696 and done H6213 evil things H7451 as thou couldest. H3201
6 The LORD H3068 said H559 also unto me in the days H3117 of Josiah H2977 the king, H4428 Hast thou seen H7200 that which backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 hath done? H6213 she is gone up H1980 upon every high H1364 mountain H2022 and under H8478 every green H7488 tree, H6086 and there hath played the harlot. H2181
7 And I said H559 after H310 she had done H6213 all these things, Turn H7725 thou unto me. But she returned H7725 not. And her treacherous H901 sister H269 Judah H3063 saw H7200 it.
8 And I saw, H7200 when for all the causes H182 whereby backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 committed adultery H5003 I had put her away, H7971 and given H5414 her a bill H5612 of divorce; H3748 yet her treacherous H898 sister H269 Judah H3063 feared H3372 not, but went H3212 and played the harlot H2181 also.
9 And it came to pass through the lightness H6963 of her whoredom, H2184 that she defiled H2610 the land, H776 and committed adultery H5003 with stones H68 and with stocks. H6086
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Jeremiah 3
Commentary on Jeremiah 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The foregoing chapter was wholly taken up with reproofs and threatenings against the people of God, for their apostasies from him; but in this chapter gracious invitations and encouragements are given them to return and repent, notwithstanding the multitude and greatness of their provocations, which are here specified, to magnify the mercy of God, and to show that as sin abounded grace did much more abound. Here,
Jer 3:1-5
These verses some make to belong to the sermon in the foregoing chapter, and they open a door of hope to those who receive the conviction of the reproofs we had there; God wounds that he may heal. Now observe here,
Jer 3:6-11
The date of this sermon must be observed, in order to the right understanding of it; it was in the days of Josiah, who set on foot a blessed work of reformation, in which he was hearty, but the people were not sincere in their compliance with it; to reprove them for that, and warn them of the consequences of their hypocrisy, is the scope of that which God here said to the prophet, and which he delivered to them. The case of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah is here compared, the ten tribes that revolted from the throne of David and the temple of Jerusalem and the two tribes that adhered to both. The distinct history of those two kingdoms we have in the two books of the Kings, and here we have an abstract of both, as far as relates to this matter.
Jer 3:12-19
Here is a great deal of gospel in these verses, both that which was always gospel, God's readiness to pardon sin and to receive and entertain returning repenting sinners, and those blessings which were in a special manner reserved for gospel times, the forming and founding of the gospel church by bringing into it the children of God that were scattered abroad, the superseding of the ceremonial law, and the uniting of Jews and Gentiles, typified by the uniting of Israel and Judah in their return out of captivity. The prophet is directed to proclaim these words towards the north, for they are a call to backsliding Israel, the ten tribes that were carried captive into Assyria, which lay north from Jerusalem. That way he must look, to show that God had not forgotten them, though their brethren had, and to upbraid the men of Judah with their obstinacy in refusing to answer the calls given them. One might as well call to those who lay many hundred miles off in the land of the north; they would as soon hear as these unbelieving and disobedient people; backsliding Israel will sooner accept of mercy, and have the benefit of it, than treacherous Judah. And perhaps the proclaiming of these words towards the north looks as far forward as the preaching of repentance and remission of sins unto all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, Lu. 24:47. A call to Israel in the land of the north is a call to others in that land, even as many as belong to the election of grace. When it was suspected that Christ would go to the dispersed Jews among the Gentiles, it was concluded that he would teach the Gentiles, Jn. 7:35. So here.
Jer 3:20-25
Here is,