4 Wilt thou not from this time cry H7121 unto me, My father, H1 thou art the guide H441 of my youth? H5271
Go H1980 and cry H7121 in the ears H241 of Jerusalem, H3389 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 I remember H2142 thee, the kindness H2617 of thy youth, H5271 the love H160 of thine espousals, H3623 when thou wentest H3212 after H310 me in the wilderness, H4057 in a land H776 that was not sown. H2232
But I said, H559 How shall I put H7896 thee among the children, H1121 and give H5414 thee a pleasant H2532 land, H776 a goodly H6643 heritage H5159 of the hosts H6635 of nations? H1471 and I said, H559 Thou shalt call H7121 me, My father; H1 and shalt not turn away H7725 from me. H310
Which forsaketh H5800 the guide H441 of her youth, H5271 and forgetteth H7911 the covenant H1285 of her God. H430
They shall come H935 with weeping, H1065 and with supplications H8469 will I lead H2986 them: I will cause them to walk H3212 by the rivers H5158 of waters H4325 in a straight H3477 way, H1870 wherein they shall not stumble: H3782 for I am a father H1 to Israel, H3478 and Ephraim H669 is my firstborn. H1060
And I will give H5414 her her vineyards H3754 from thence, and the valley H6010 of Achor H5911 for a door H6607 of hope: H8615 and she shall sing H6030 there, as in the days H3117 of her youth, H5271 and as in the day H3117 when she came up H5927 out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
For this God H430 is our God H430 for ever H5769 and ever: H5703 he will be our guide H5090 even unto death. H4192
To give H5414 subtilty H6195 to the simple, H6612 to the young man H5288 knowledge H1847 and discretion. H4209
Saying H559 to a stock, H6086 Thou art my father; H1 and to a stone, H68 Thou hast brought me forth: H3205 for they have turned H6437 their back H6203 unto me, and not their face: H6440 but in the time H6256 of their trouble H7451 they will say, H559 Arise, H6965 and save H3467 us.
I have surely H8085 heard H8085 Ephraim H669 bemoaning H5110 himself thus; Thou hast chastised H3256 me, and I was chastised, H3256 as a bullock H5695 unaccustomed H3808 H3925 to the yoke: turn H7725 thou me, and I shall be turned; H7725 for thou art the LORD H3068 my God. H430 Surely after H310 that I was turned, H7725 I repented; H5162 and after H310 that I was instructed, H3045 I smote H5606 upon my thigh: H3409 I was ashamed, H954 yea, even confounded, H3637 because I did bear H5375 the reproach H2781 of my youth. H5271 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
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
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,