TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Jeremiah 3:20–25. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. The charge God exhibits against Israel for their treacherous departures from him, Jer 3:20. As an adulterous wife elopes from her husband, so have they gone a whoring from God. They were joined to God by a marriage-covenant, but they broke that covenant, they dealt treacherously with God, who had always dealt kindly and faithfully with them. Treacherous dealing with men like ourselves is bad enough, but to deal treacherously with God is to deal treasonably.
II.Their conviction and confession of the truth of this charge, Jer 3:21.
When God reproved them for their apostasy, there were some among them, even such as God would take and bring to Zion, whose voice was heard upon the high places weeping and praying, humbling themselves before the God of their fathers, lamenting their calamities, and their sins, the procuring cause of them; for this is that which they lament, for this they bemoan themselves, that they have perverted their way and forgotten the Lord their God. Note,
1.Sin is the perverting of our way, it is turning aside to crooked ways and perverting that which is right.
2.Forgetting the Lord our God is at the bottom of all sin. If men would remember God, his eye upon them and their obligation to him, they would not transgress as they do.
3.By sin we embarrass ourselves, and bring ourselves into trouble, for that also is the perverting of our way, Lam 3:9.
4.Prayers and tears well become those whose consciences tell them that they have perverted their way and forgotten their God. When the foolishness of man perverts his way his heart is apt to fret against the Lord (Pro 19:3), whereas it should be melted and poured out before him.
III.The invitation God gives them to return to him (Jer 3:22):
Return, you backsliding children. He calls them children in tenderness and compassion to them, foolish and froward as children, yet his sons, whom though he corrects he will not disinherit; for, though they are refractory children (so some render it), yet they are children. God bears with such children, and so much parents. When they are convinced of sin (Jer 3:21), and humbled for that, then they are prepared and then they are invited to return, as Christ invites those to him that are weary and heavy-laden. The promise to those that return is, "I will heal your backslidings; I will comfort you under the grief you are in for your backslidings, deliver you out of the troubles you have brought yourselves into by your backslidings, and cure you of your refractoriness and tendency to backslide." God will heal our backslidings by his pardoning mercy, his quieting peace, and his renewing grace.
IV.The ready consent they give to this invitation, and their cheerful compliance with it:
Behold, we come unto thee. This is an echo to God's call; as a voice returned from broken walls, so this from broken hearts. God says, Return; they answer, Behold, we come. It is an immediate speedy answer, without delay, not, "We will come hereafter," but, "We do come now; we need not take time to consider of it;" not, "We come towards thee," but, "We come to thee, we will make a thorough turn of it." Observe how unanimous they are: We come, one and all.
1.They come devoting themselves to God as theirs: "Thou art the Lord our God; we take thee to be ours, we give up ourselves to thee to be thine; whither shall we go but to thee? It is our sin and folly that we have gone from thee." It is very comfortable, in our returns to God after our backslidings, to look up to him as ours in covenant.
2.They come disclaiming all expectations of relief and succour but from God only: "In vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of the mountains; we now see our folly in relying upon creature-confidences, and will never so deceive ourselves any more." They worshipped their idols upon hills and mountains (Jer 3:6), and they had a multitude of idols upon their mountains, which they had sought unto and put a confidence in; but now they will have no more to do with them. In vain do we look for any thing that is good from them, while from God we may look for every thing that is good, even salvation itself. Therefore,
3.They come depending upon God only as their God: In the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. He is the Lord, and he only can save; he can save when all other succours and saviours fail; and he is our God, and will in his own way and time work salvation for us. It is very applicable to the great salvation from sin, which Jesus Christ wrought out for us; that is the salvation of the Lord, his great salvation.
4.They come justifying God in their troubles and judging themselves for their sins, Jer 3:24, Jer 3:25.
(1.)They impute all the calamities they had been under to their idols, which had not only done them no good, but had done them abundance of mischief, all the mischief that had been done them: Shame (the idol, that shameful thing) has devoured the labour of our fathers. Note,
[1.]True penitents have learned to call sin shame; even the beloved sin which has been as an idol to them, which they have been most pleased with and proud of, even that they shall call a scandalous thing, shall put contempt upon it and be ashamed of it.
[2.]True penitents have learned to call sin death and ruin, and to charge upon it all the mischiefs they suffer: "It has devoured all those good things which our fathers laboured for and left to us; we have found from our youth that our idolatry has been the destruction of our prosperity." Children often throw away upon their lusts that which their fathers took a great deal of pains for; and it is well if at length they are brought (as these here) to see the folly of it, and to call those vices their shame which have wasted their estates and devoured the labour of their fathers. Of the labour of their fathers, which their idols had devoured, they mention particularly their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. First, their idolatries had provoked God to bring these desolating judgments upon them, which had ruined their country and families, and made their estates a prey and their children captives to the conquering enemy. They had procured these things to themselves. Or, rather, Secondly, These had been sacrificed to their idols, had been separated unto that shame (Hos 9:10), and they had devoured them without mercy; they did eat the fat of their sacrifices (Deu 32:38), even their human sacrifices.
(2.)They take to themselves the shame of their sin and folly (Jer 3:25): "We lie down in our shame, being unable to bear up under it; our confusion covers us, that is, both our penal and our penitential shame. Sin has laid us under such rebukes of God's providence, and such reproaches of our own consciences, as surround us and fill us with shame. For we have sinned, and shame came in with sin and still attends upon it. We are sinners by descent; guilt and corruption are entailed upon us: We and our fathers have sinned. We were sinners betimes; we began early in a course of sin: We have sinned from our youth; we have continued in sin, have sinned even unto this day, though often called to repent and forsake our sins. That which is the malignity of sin, the worst thing in it, is the affront we have put upon God by it: We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, forbidding us to sin and commanding us, when we have sinned, to repent." Now all this seems to be the language of the penitents of the house of Israel (Jer 3:20), of the ten tribes, either of those that were in captivity or those of them that remained in their own land. And the prophet takes notice of their repentance to provoke the men of Judah to a holy emulation. David used it as an argument with the elders of Judah that it would be a shame for those that were his bone and his flesh to be the last in bringing the king back, when the men of Israel appeared forward in it, Sa2 19:11, Sa2 19:12. So the prophet excites Judah to repent because Israel did: and well it were if the zeal of others less likely would provoke us to strive to get before them and go beyond them in that which is good.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
5 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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God has then said to us, "Return, you children, and when you return, I will heal your afflictions." And when we see our afflictions and the promise of healing, we answer and say immediately, "Behold, we will be yours because you are the Lord our God." So when we obey and say, "We will be yours," let us remember that we submitted ourselves to God in saying, "We will be yours." And by saying, "We will be yours," we belong to no other, not to the spirit of anger, or the spirit of grief or the spirit of desire; let us not belong to the devil or his angels. But after we were called and said, "Behold, we will be yours," let us show by works that when we have promised to become his, we have devoted ourselves to none other than him.
Let us return to the Lord our God, and whenever we pray, he, who daily urges us to pause and get to know him, will hear us. And in another place he says, “Return to me, and I will return to you.” And again, “Return to me, my backsliding children, and I will rule over you.” Ezekiel likewise calls on us, saying, “Why will you die, O house of Israel? I want not the death of the sinner, only that he turn from his evil ways and live.” The most merciful Lord and source of all goodness cries out to us in the Gospel and declares, “Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Carry my yoke on you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Let us consider that the goodness of God calls us to repentance, and holy people encourage us to salvation. Let us not harden our hearts and collect against ourselves a store of divine anger for the day of wrath. Then, on that day, shall be revealed the just judgment of God, who will repay each one according to his deeds. But let us return to the Lord with our whole heart. According to the words of Moses, who reminds us, “If you return to the Lord with your whole heart, he will purify your heart and the heart of your descendants.”
(Verses 21, 22.) A voice was heard in the streets (or on the lips), the weeping and wailing of the children of Israel, for they have done wickedness, they have forgotten the Lord their God. Return, O returning children, and I will heal your turnings (or contritions): for which Symmachus translated as conversions. God willingly receives the penitent, and runs to meet the son who is wasted with want and filth, and immediately clothes him with the former garments, and restores glory to the one who returns: but only if he returns with weeping and wailing. For he has done wrong because of his own fault; and he has forgotten the Lord his God and his Father, to whom he speaks with prophetic words: Return, O returning sons. I call you sons for this reason, because understanding your sins, you return with weeping and wailing to your parent. And when you have returned to the Lord, he will heal all your contritions, whether aversions by which you had gone away from the Lord, or certainly conversions. Although we may return to the Lord of our own volition, yet unless He draws us and strengthens our desire with His protection, we cannot be saved. Let us understand this both in relation to the Jewish people returning to the Lord and to the heretics who have forsaken the Lord.
Through the prophet the Lord speaks and declares with his own gracious words how much mercy and goodness he wishes to bestow on humankind. He says, "But if the wicked do penance for all his sins, which he has committed, and keeps all my commandments and does justice and mercy, living he shall live, and shall not die. I will not remember all his iniquities that he has done. In his justice, which he has done, he shall live." And, "Is it my will that a sinner should die," says the Lord God, "and not that he should be converted from his evil ways, and I shall cause him to live?" In another passage we find, "The wickedness of the wicked shall not hurt him on the day that he turns from his wickedness." And again: "Return, you returning children, and I will heal your sorrow."
Our obstinacy and scorn, reflecting our spirit of rebellious disdain for him when he urges us to return and be saved, is described in the following comparison. He says, “And I said you shall call me Father and shall not cease to walk after me. But as a woman that despises her lover, so has the house of Israel despised me, says the Lord.” It is only appropriate that as he has compared Jerusalem with an adulteress forsaking her husband, he compares his own love and persevering goodness with a man’s undying love for a woman. For the goodness and love of God that he has always shown to the human race could not be more appropriately described by any comparison than the case of a man inflamed with most ardent love for a woman. God’s love is overcome by no injuries that might make him stop caring for our salvation or that might drive him from his first intention as if he were defeated by our sins. Instead, he is consumed by a more burning passion for her, the more he sees that he is slighted and despised by her.
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Summary
Jeremiah 3:22 presents a profound divine invitation from Yahweh to His covenant people, Judah, urging them to abandon their deep-seated spiritual apostasy and return to Him wholeheartedly. This tender yet urgent call to repentance is immediately followed by God's gracious promise of complete spiritual healing and restoration. The verse then anticipates the people's ideal, humble response, acknowledging their sin and reaffirming their exclusive allegiance to Yahweh as their one true God, thereby highlighting the reciprocal nature of genuine repentance and abundant divine grace.
Context
Literary Context
Jeremiah 3:22 is strategically placed within a significant prophetic section (Jeremiah 2-6) where the prophet Jeremiah delivers God's comprehensive indictment against Judah for their persistent spiritual unfaithfulness. Chapters 2 and 3 masterfully employ the powerful metaphor of marriage, portraying Judah as an unfaithful wife who has repeatedly abandoned her covenant husband, Yahweh, for idolatrous lovers. Despite Judah's egregious "backsliding"—a term frequently used to describe their systemic apostasy and spiritual rebellion—God repeatedly extends an invitation to repentance, contrasting their stubborn rebellion with His enduring patience and fervent desire for reconciliation. Verse 22 serves as a pivotal moment within this divine plea, offering a direct, compassionate call to return before the full weight of impending judgment, foreshadowed by the Babylonian exile, falls upon them. This earnest call for return, central to the book's message, underscores God's character as one who desires restoration over retribution, a theme that resonates throughout Jeremiah's prophetic ministry.
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied during a tumultuous and pivotal period in Judah's history, primarily spanning the reigns of Kings Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah (late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE). Despite King Josiah's significant religious reforms, deep-seated idolatry, including pervasive Baal worship and the horrific practice of child sacrifice, permeated Judahite society, reflecting a profound spiritual syncretism. The nation faced increasing geopolitical pressure from rising empires like Assyria and especially Babylon, which would ultimately lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile. Culturally, the covenant between God and Israel was understood in terms of a suzerain-vassal treaty, where absolute loyalty to the suzerain (Yahweh) was paramount. Judah's "backsliding" was therefore not merely a religious deviation but a profound breach of this sacred covenant, akin to treason or marital infidelity. The call to "return" (Hebrew: shuv) was a culturally resonant term, signifying a turning away from a wrong path and a re-establishment of loyalty and proper relationship to the covenant Lord.
Key Themes
Jeremiah 3:22 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the book of Jeremiah and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it profoundly underscores the theme of Divine Sovereignty and Steadfast Love, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to His covenant people despite their persistent rebellion. His repeated calls for repentance throughout Jeremiah's prophecies exemplify His enduring love. Secondly, the verse highlights the pervasive problem of Spiritual Apostasy and Idolatry, identifying "backsliding" as a deep-seated spiritual sickness that profoundly alienates humanity from God. This theme is central to Jeremiah's message, as he continually exposes the futility and danger of worshipping false gods, a message powerfully echoed in Isaiah 44:9-20. Thirdly, it emphasizes the Necessity and Promise of Repentance and Restoration. God's invitation to "heal your backslidings" reveals His desire not just for forgiveness but for holistic spiritual renewal, a comprehensive promise reiterated in passages like Ezekiel 36:26-27. Finally, the people's ideal response, "Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God," articulates the theme of Confession and Returning Allegiance, signifying the essential human component in the covenant relationship: acknowledging God's rightful place as supreme Lord and returning to Him in humble submission.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root (H7725) primarily signifies "to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again." In Jeremiah 3:22, it is an imperative, a direct command from God for His people to reverse their course of action. It encapsulates the core biblical concept of repentance (teshuvah in Hebrew), implying a decisive change of direction, a turning away from sin, and a turning back to God.
Derived from the root shûwb, this noun (H4878) means "apostasy" or "turning away." It describes a consistent pattern of spiritual deviation, a persistent straying from God's covenant path. The term highlights the deliberate and repeated nature of Judah's unfaithfulness, portraying it not as a momentary lapse but as a deep-seated condition of spiritual rebellion and idolatry that has become ingrained in their national character.
This primitive root (H7495) means "properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure." While often used for physical healing, here it is applied to spiritual restoration. God's promise to "heal your backslidings" indicates that spiritual apostasy is akin to a grievous sickness or wound that only divine intervention can remedy. It signifies not just forgiveness of sin but a comprehensive restoration of spiritual health, vitality, and the broken relationship with God, making them whole once more.
Verse Breakdown
"Return, ye backsliding children"
This opening clause is a direct, compassionate, yet urgent imperative from God. The phrase "backsliding children" (using H7726 shôwbâb for "backsliding" and H1121 bên for "children") highlights both Judah's spiritual condition—a persistent turning away from God—and their intimate relationship with Him as His offspring within the covenant. God appeals to their identity as His beloved, albeit wayward, children, urging them to reverse their course of spiritual rebellion and return to their rightful Father and covenant Lord.
"and I will heal your backslidings."
This is God's gracious promise, contingent upon their obedient response to His call to return. The "healing" (H7495 râphâʼ) is not merely a superficial fix or a simple pardon, but a profound spiritual restoration. It signifies God's power to mend the broken relationship, to cure the deep-seated spiritual sickness of apostasy (H4878 mᵉshûwbâh), and to restore the people to a state of wholeness, vitality, and renewed communion with Him. This promise underscores God's immense mercy and His fervent desire for His people's flourishing, offering grace rather than immediate judgment.
"Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God."
This final clause represents the ideal, desired response of the people, a hopeful echo of genuine repentance and renewed covenant commitment. "Behold, we come" (using H857 ʼâthâh for "come") expresses a humble, immediate, and decisive turning back to God. The declaration "for thou art the LORD (H3068 Yᵉhôvâh) our God (H430 ʼĕlôhîym)" is a profound confession of allegiance. It acknowledges Yahweh's unique sovereignty, His unwavering covenant faithfulness, and His exclusive claim as their one true deity, explicitly rejecting all idols and reaffirming their foundational, singular relationship with Him.
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 3:22 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message with emotional and theological depth. Personification is profoundly evident in God's address to Judah as "backsliding children," casting Him in the role of a grieving yet hopeful parent appealing to His wayward offspring. This evokes a sense of intimacy and relational brokenness, emphasizing the intensely personal nature of Judah's sin against God. The entire passage functions as a Call and Response structure, with God's imperative call to "Return" met by the people's (idealized) declaration, "Behold, we come unto thee." This dramatic exchange highlights the dynamic of repentance and divine grace, showing that God's initiative requires a human response. Furthermore, Metaphor is central to the broader context and implicitly present here; "backsliding" itself is a powerful metaphor for spiritual wandering, apostasy, and disloyalty, while God's promise to "heal" it employs the metaphor of spiritual sickness and recovery, likening sin to a debilitating disease that requires divine cure. The use of Direct Address ("ye backsliding children," "we come unto thee") creates a sense of immediacy and personal engagement, drawing the audience directly into the divine-human dialogue.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Jeremiah 3:22 profoundly illustrates the core theological truth of God's enduring covenant faithfulness and His boundless mercy, even in the face of persistent human rebellion. It reveals that God's primary desire is for reconciliation and restoration, not condemnation, as He actively pursues His wayward people with an insistent invitation to return. This verse establishes a fundamental pattern of biblical repentance: God initiates the call, promises comprehensive healing, and humanity is expected to respond with humble confession and renewed allegiance. It underscores that true spiritual healing is a divine work, mending the profound damage caused by sin and restoring the broken relationship between Creator and creature. The declaration "thou art the LORD our God" is a powerful affirmation of monotheism and exclusive devotion, a cornerstone of Israelite theology that contrasts sharply with the pervasive idolatry of the time, demanding singular loyalty to Yahweh alone.
Reflection and Application
Jeremiah 3:22 offers a timeless message of profound hope and a compelling call to introspection for every believer in every generation. It reminds us that our spiritual journey is often marked by seasons of closeness and, regrettably, seasons of "backsliding," whether through active disobedience, spiritual apathy, or subtle, imperceptible drifts from God's truth and His ways. Regardless of how far we may perceive ourselves to have wandered, this verse assures us with divine certainty that God's arms remain perpetually open, His invitation to return is constant and unwavering, and His power to heal is absolute and comprehensive. It challenges us to honestly assess our own hearts: Where have we strayed from His path? What subtle or overt idols have we allowed to displace God's rightful, supreme place in our lives and affections? The promise of healing is not merely a superficial forgiveness, but a profound restoration of spiritual vitality, a mending of the very fabric of our relationship with God, and a renewal of our inner being. It calls for a humble, immediate, and decisive response, a genuine turning back to the One who alone is "the LORD our God," trusting implicitly in His infinite capacity to make us whole and complete again.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "backsliding" mean in a biblical context?
In a biblical context, particularly in the Old Testament prophetic books, "backsliding" (Hebrew: mᵉshûwbâh or shôwbâb) refers to a state of spiritual apostasy or a persistent, deliberate turning away from God. It describes a pattern of unfaithfulness, disobedience, and often, idolatry, where an individual or a nation deviates from the covenant relationship with Yahweh. It's not merely an occasional sin or a momentary lapse, but a sustained drift or active rebellion against God's commands and His rightful, supreme place in one's life. Jeremiah frequently uses this potent term to describe Judah's spiritual condition, highlighting their repeated failure to remain loyal to God despite His unwavering faithfulness, as vividly seen in Jeremiah 2:19.
Is God's promise to "heal your backslidings" conditional?
Yes, God's promise to "heal your backslidings" is explicitly conditional upon the people's "return." The verse states, "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." This grammatical structure clearly indicates a cause-and-effect relationship: the divine healing and restoration are offered if they respond to the call to repentance and turn back to God. This aligns perfectly with a consistent biblical principle that while God's grace is boundless and His mercy abundant, His full restorative power and covenant blessings are experienced by those who humble themselves, confess their sin, and turn back to Him in faith and obedience. This reciprocity is a hallmark of the covenant relationship, where human responsibility to respond in faith and obedience is met by divine grace and faithfulness, as also powerfully articulated in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Jeremiah 3:22, with its poignant call to "Return" and the compassionate promise of divine "healing" from "backslidings," finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The spiritual sickness of humanity, our inherent "backsliding" from God's perfect standard, and our pervasive tendency towards idolatry are comprehensively addressed and remedied in Christ. He is the perfect Lamb of God whose sacrificial death on the cross fully atones for our apostasy, enabling genuine reconciliation and restoration of relationship with the Father, as triumphantly proclaimed in 2 Corinthians 5:21. The "healing" promised by God in Jeremiah is actualized in the New Covenant, established through Christ's shed blood, where not only are sins forgiven, but the Holy Spirit is given to indwell and transform hearts, empowering believers to truly "return" and walk in newness of life, fulfilling the ancient prophecy that God would give a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27 finds its ultimate fulfillment here). Jesus Himself is the ultimate embodiment of God's persistent call, inviting all who are weary, burdened, and backslidden to come to Him for rest and spiritual renewal (Matthew 11:28). In Christ, the declaration "thou art the LORD our God" takes on new depth and universal significance, as believers acknowledge Jesus as Lord and God, through whom alone we have access to the Father and the way to eternal life (John 14:6). Thus, the ancient plea for Israel's return becomes a universal invitation to all humanity to turn to Christ for complete spiritual restoration, eternal life, and an unbroken relationship with the living God.