Jeremiah 3:13

Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

Only acknowledge {H3045} thine iniquity {H5771}, that thou hast transgressed {H6586} against the LORD {H3068} thy God {H430}, and hast scattered {H6340} thy ways {H1870} to the strangers {H2114} under every green {H7488} tree {H6086}, and ye have not obeyed {H8085} my voice {H6963}, saith {H5002} the LORD {H3068}.

Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have committed crimes against ADONAI your God, that you were promiscuous with strangers under every green tree, and that you have not paid attention to my voice," says ADONAI.

Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God. You have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice,’” declares the LORD.

Only 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.

Commentary on Jeremiah 3:13 (KJV)

Jeremiah 3:13 is a poignant call from God to the people of Judah, urging them to acknowledge their deep-seated sin and return to Him. This verse encapsulates God's persistent desire for His people to repent, even amidst their profound spiritual rebellion.

Context

The book of Jeremiah chronicles the prophet's ministry during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, leading up to the Babylonian exile. Chapters 2 and 3 heavily emphasize Judah's spiritual adultery and idolatry, portraying the nation as an unfaithful bride who has abandoned her covenant husband, the LORD. God had previously divorced the northern kingdom of Israel for similar transgressions (Jeremiah 3:8), and Judah was heading down the same path. Despite their persistent unfaithfulness, God extends an invitation to repentance, promising restoration if they would only confess their wrongdoing.

Key Themes

  • Divine Call to Confession: The phrase "Only acknowledge thine iniquity" highlights God's primary requirement for reconciliation. It's not about elaborate rituals but a sincere, humble admission of guilt. This act of confession of sins is the first step towards restoration.
  • Transgression Against God: The text clarifies that their "iniquity" and "transgression" were specifically "against the LORD thy God." This emphasizes the personal and covenantal nature of their sin, a betrayal of their relationship with the One who had chosen and blessed them.
  • Widespread Idolatry and Spiritual Promiscuity: "And hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree" vividly describes Judah's rampant idolatry. "Scattered thy ways" speaks of spiritual unfaithfulness, pursuing many false gods. "Strangers" refers to foreign deities or nations whose pagan practices Judah adopted. "Under every green tree" points to the common practice of worshipping fertility gods and engaging in immoral rites at high places, often groves of trees, which were prevalent sites for pagan worship (Jeremiah 2:20). This imagery paints a picture of pervasive and deliberate spiritual apostasy.
  • Disobedience to God's Voice: The concluding indictment, "and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD," identifies the root cause of their iniquity. Their failure to heed God's commands and warnings led them astray, demonstrating a fundamental rejection of His authority and love.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "iniquity" (עָוֹן - 'avon) often carries the connotation of twistedness or perversity, suggesting a distortion of what is right. "Transgressed" (פָּשַׁע - pasha') implies rebellion or breaking a covenant, highlighting the intentional nature of their defiance against God's law and His covenant relationship with Israel.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 3:13 remains profoundly relevant today. It reminds us that God consistently calls His people to honest self-examination and confession. Just as Judah pursued "strangers" (idols), believers today can scatter their ways by prioritizing anything above God—be it wealth, status, pleasure, or even self-righteousness. True repentance begins with acknowledging our sin, not merely as a mistake, but as a transgression against a holy and loving God. God's desire for our confession is not to condemn us but to open the path for His forgiveness and restoration, inviting us back into right relationship with Him.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 2:25

    Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

  • Jeremiah 3:25

    We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

  • Jeremiah 3:6

    ¶ The LORD said also 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.

  • Deuteronomy 30:1

    ¶ And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call [them] to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,

  • Deuteronomy 30:3

    That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

  • Deuteronomy 12:2

    Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:

  • Jeremiah 3:2

    Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

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