12 Go H1980 and proclaim H7121 these words H1697 toward the north, H6828 and say, H559 Return, H7725 thou backsliding H4878 Israel, H3478 saith H5002 the LORD; H3068 and I will not cause mine anger H6440 to fall H5307 upon you: for I am merciful, H2623 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 and I will not keep H5201 anger for ever. H5769
But thou, O Lord, H136 art a God H410 full of compassion, H7349 and gracious, H2587 longsuffering, H750 H639 and plenteous H7227 in mercy H2617 and truth. H571
Say H559 unto them, As I live, H2416 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD, H3069 I have no pleasure H2654 in the death H4194 of the wicked; H7563 but that the wicked H7563 turn H7725 from his way H1870 and live: H2421 turn H7725 ye, turn H7725 ye from your evil H7451 ways; H1870 for why will ye die, H4191 O house H1004 of Israel? H3478
But if from thence thou shalt seek H1245 the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 thou shalt find H4672 him, if thou seek H1875 him with all thy heart H3824 and with all thy soul. H5315 When thou art in tribulation, H6862 and all these things H1697 are come H4672 upon thee, even in the latter H319 days, H3117 if thou turn H7725 to the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and shalt be obedient H8085 unto his voice; H6963 (For the LORD H3068 thy God H430 is a merciful H7349 God;) H410 he will not forsake H7503 thee, neither destroy H7843 thee, nor forget H7911 the covenant H1285 of thy fathers H1 which he sware H7650 unto them.
In the ninth H8671 year H8141 of Hoshea H1954 the king H4428 of Assyria H804 took H3920 Samaria, H8111 and carried H1540 Israel H3478 away H1540 into Assyria, H804 and placed H3427 them in Halah H2477 and in Habor H2249 by the river H5104 of Gozan, H1470 and in the cities H5892 of the Medes. H4074
In those days H3117 the house H1004 of Judah H3063 shall walk H3212 with the house H1004 of Israel, H3478 and they shall come H935 together H3162 out of the land H776 of the north H6828 to the land H776 that I have given for an inheritance H5157 unto your fathers. H1
Return, H7725 ye backsliding H7726 children, H1121 and I will heal H7495 your backslidings. H4878 Behold, we come H857 unto thee; for thou art the LORD H3068 our God. H430
Is Ephraim H669 my dear H3357 son? H1121 is he a pleasant H8191 child? H3206 for since H1767 I spake H1696 against him, I do earnestly H2142 remember H2142 him still: therefore my bowels H4578 are troubled H1993 for him; I will surely H7355 have mercy H7355 upon him, saith H5002 the LORD. H3068
Then H1571 will I cast away H3988 the seed H2233 of Jacob, H3290 and David H1732 my servant, H5650 so that I will not take H3947 any of his seed H2233 to be rulers H4910 over the seed H2233 of Abraham, H85 Isaac, H3446 and Jacob: H3290 for I will cause their captivity H7622 to return, H7725 H7725 and have mercy H7355 on them.
Behold, I will bring H935 them from the north H6828 country, H776 and gather H6908 them from the coasts H3411 of the earth, H776 and with them the blind H5787 and the lame, H6455 the woman with child H2030 and her that travaileth with child H3205 together: H3162 a great H1419 company H6951 shall return H7725 thither.
Moreover G1161 the law G3551 entered, G3922 that G2443 the offence G3900 might abound. G4121 But G1161 where G3757 sin G266 abounded, G4121 grace G5485 did much more abound: G5248 That G2443 as G5618 sin G266 hath reigned G936 unto G1722 death, G2288 even G2532 so G3779 might G936 grace G5485 reign G936 through G1223 righteousness G1343 unto G1519 eternal G166 life G2222 by G1223 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 our G2257 Lord. G2962
Who is a God H410 like unto thee, that pardoneth H5375 iniquity, H5771 and passeth by H5674 the transgression H6588 of the remnant H7611 of his heritage? H5159 he retaineth H2388 not his anger H639 for ever, H5703 because he delighteth H2654 in mercy. H2617 He will turn again, H7725 he will have compassion H7355 upon us; he will subdue H3533 our iniquities; H5771 and thou wilt cast H7993 all their sins H2403 into the depths H4688 of the sea. H3220 Thou wilt perform H5414 the truth H571 to Jacob, H3290 and the mercy H2617 to Abraham, H85 which thou hast sworn H7650 unto our fathers H1 from the days H3117 of old. H6924
O Israel, H3478 return H7725 unto the LORD H3068 thy God; H430 for thou hast fallen H3782 by thine iniquity. H5771 Take H3947 with you words, H1697 and turn H7725 to the LORD: H3068 say H559 unto him, Take away H5375 all iniquity, H5771 and receive H3947 us graciously: H2896 so will we render H7999 the calves H6499 of our lips. H8193 Asshur H804 shall not save H3467 us; we will not ride H7392 upon horses: H5483 neither will we say H559 any more to the work H4639 of our hands, H3027 Ye are our gods: H430 for in thee the fatherless H3490 findeth mercy. H7355
How shall I give thee up, H5414 Ephraim? H669 how shall I deliver H4042 thee, Israel? H3478 how shall I make H5414 thee as Admah? H126 how shall I set H7760 thee as Zeboim? H6636 mine heart H3820 is turned H2015 within me, my repentings H5150 are kindled H3648 together. H3162 I will not execute H6213 the fierceness H2740 of mine anger, H639 I will not return H7725 to destroy H7843 Ephraim: H669 for I am God, H410 and not man; H376 the Holy One H6918 in the midst H7130 of thee: and I will not enter H935 into the city. H5892
Come, H3212 and let us return H7725 unto the LORD: H3068 for he hath torn, H2963 and he will heal H7495 us; he hath smitten, H5221 and he will bind us up. H2280
In the days H3117 of Pekah H6492 king H4428 of Israel H3478 came H935 Tiglathpileser H8407 king H4428 of Assyria, H804 and took H3947 Ijon, H5859 and Abelbethmaachah, H62 and Janoah, H3239 and Kedesh, H6943 and Hazor, H2674 and Gilead, H1568 and Galilee, H1551 all the land H776 of Naphtali, H5321 and carried them captive H1540 to Assyria. H804
For if ye turn again H7725 unto the LORD, H3068 your brethren H251 and your children H1121 shall find compassion H7356 before H6440 them that lead them captive, H7617 so that they shall come again H7725 into this land: H776 for the LORD H3068 your God H430 is gracious H2587 and merciful, H7349 and will not turn away H5493 his face H6440 from you, if ye return H7725 unto him.
But the mercy H2617 of the LORD H3068 is from everlasting H5769 to H5704 everlasting H5769 upon them that fear H3373 him, and his righteousness H6666 unto children's H1121 children; H1121
I have blotted out, H4229 as a thick cloud, H5645 thy transgressions, H6588 and, as a cloud, H6051 thy sins: H2403 return H7725 unto me; for I have redeemed H1350 thee.
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
Turn, H7725 O backsliding H7726 children, H1121 saith H5002 the LORD; H3068 for I am married H1166 unto you: and I will take H3947 you one H259 of a city, H5892 and two H8147 of a family, H4940 and I will bring H935 you to Zion: H6726
If thou wilt return, H7725 O Israel, H3478 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 return H7725 unto me: and if thou wilt put away H5493 thine abominations H8251 out of my sight, H6440 then shalt thou not remove. H5110
For I am with thee, saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 to save H3467 thee: though I make H6213 a full end H3617 of all nations H1471 whither I have scattered H6327 thee, yet will I not make H6213 a full end H3617 of thee: but I will correct H3256 thee in measure, H4941 and will not leave thee altogether H5352 unpunished. H5352
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,