Jeremiah 3:22

Return, ye backsliding children, [and] I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou [art] the LORD our God.

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}.

"Return, backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding." "Here we are, we are coming to you, for you are ADONAI our God.

“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.

Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God.

Jeremiah 3:22 presents a poignant dialogue between the LORD and His wayward people, Judah. It encapsulates God's persistent invitation to repentance and the people's hopeful, albeit brief, response of recommitment.

Context

This verse is situated within a section of Jeremiah's prophecy (Jeremiah chapters 2-6) where God laments Judah's spiritual adultery and unfaithfulness. Despite God's unwavering covenant loyalty, Judah had continually turned to idolatry and rejected His commands, acting like a faithless wife. Jeremiah 3 specifically portrays God as pleading with Judah to return, drawing parallels with Israel's earlier unfaithfulness. The divine call in verse 22 is a tender, yet urgent, appeal for the "backsliding children" to turn back before judgment is fully executed, promising restoration if they genuinely repent.

Key Themes

  • Divine Invitation to Repentance: God, in His infinite mercy, does not abandon His people despite their rebellion. He actively calls them to turn from their wicked ways, offering grace and forgiveness rather than immediate judgment. This highlights God's character as compassionate and slow to anger.
  • Healing and Restoration: The promise, "I will heal your backslidings," signifies that God not only forgives sin but also restores the spiritual health and vitality lost through disobedience. It's a promise of holistic spiritual recovery, mending the broken relationship and removing the consequences of spiritual wandering.
  • Human Confession and Response: The people's reply, "Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God," represents an ideal, humble acknowledgment of their sin and a renewed commitment to God as their sole deity. This demonstrates the necessary human element in repentance: acknowledging guilt and returning to rightful allegiance.
  • Covenant Loyalty: Even in their backsliding, God reminds them of their foundational relationship – "thou art the LORD our God" – emphasizing His enduring covenant with them and His desire for them to live in accordance with that bond.

Linguistic Insights

The term "backsliding" (Hebrew: meshuvah - מְשׁוּבָה) literally means "turning away" or "apostasy." It describes a consistent pattern of straying from God's path, a spiritual wandering. The verb "heal" (Hebrew: rapha - רָפָא) is commonly used for physical healing but here applies to spiritual restoration, indicating that backsliding is a spiritual sickness that God alone can cure. The repeated call to "Return" (Hebrew: shuv - שׁוּב) is a foundational biblical concept of repentance, implying a complete turning around from a wrong direction back to God.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 3:22 serves as a timeless reminder of God's enduring grace and His readiness to receive those who have strayed. For individuals today, it underscores that no matter how far one has wandered from God, the path to return and healing is always open. It calls believers to regular self-examination and prompt repentance when spiritual complacency or disobedience sets in. The verse also encourages a genuine confession of God's sovereignty in our lives, affirming Him as "the LORD our God" in word and deed, and trusting in His power to forgive and restore.

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.

  • Hosea 14:1

    ¶ O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

  • Hosea 14:4

    ¶ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

  • Zechariah 13:9

    And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.

  • Hosea 6:1

    ¶ Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

  • Hosea 6:2

    After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

  • Jeremiah 30:17

    For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, [saying], This [is] Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

  • Hosea 3:5

    Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

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