TRV
Translation
King James Version
And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
KJV (with Strong's)
And I saw H7200, when for all the causes H182 whereby backsliding H4878 Israel H3478 committed adultery H5003 I had put her away H7971, and given H5414 her a bill H5612 of divorce H3748; yet her treacherous H898 sister H269 Judah H3063 feared H3372 not, but went H3212 and played the harlot H2181 also.
Complete Jewish Bible
I saw that even though backsliding Isra'el had committed adultery, so that I had sent her away and given her a divorce document, unfaithful Y'hudah her sister was not moved to fear - instead she too went and prostituted herself.
Berean Standard Bible
She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
American Standard Version
And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot.
World English Bible Messianic
I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, didn’t fear; but she also went and played the prostitute.
Geneva Bible (1599)
When I sawe, howe that by all occasions rebellious Israel had plaied the harlot, I cast her away, and gaue her a bill of diuorcement: yet her rebellious sister Iudah was not afraied, but shee went also, and plaied the harlot.
Young's Literal Translation
And I see when (for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery) I have sent her away, and I give the bill of her divorce unto her, that treacherous Judah her sister hath not feared, and goeth and committeth fornication--she also.
In the KJVVerse 19,011 of 31,102
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Commentary on Jeremiah 3 verses 6–11
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.
7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
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.
I. Here is a short account of Israel, the ten tribes. Perhaps the prophet had been just reading the history of that kingdom when God came to him, and said, Hast thou seen what backsliding Israel has done? Jer 3:6. For he could not see it otherwise than in history, they having been carried into captivity long before he was born. But what we read in the histories of scripture should instruct us and affect us, as if we ourselves had been eye-witnesses of it. She is called backsliding Israel because that kingdom was first founded in an apostasy from the divine institutions, both in church and state. Now he had seen concerning them, 1. That they were wretchedly addicted to idolatry. They had played the harlot upon every high mountain and under every green tree (Jer 3:6), that is, they had worshipped other gods in their high places and groves; and no marvel, when from the first they had worshipped God by the images of the golden calves at Dan and Bethel. The way of idolatry is down-hill: those that are in love with images, and will have them, soon become in love with other gods, and will have them too; for how should those stick at the breach of the first commandment who make no conscience of the second? 2. That God by his prophets had invited and encouraged them to repent and reform (Jer 3:7): "After she had done all these things, for which she might justly have been abandoned, yet I said unto her, Turn thou unto me and I will receive thee." Though they had forsaken both the house of David and the house of Aaron, who both had their authority jure divino - from God, without dispute, yet God sent his prophets among them, to call them to return to him, to the worship of him only, not insisting so much as one would have expected upon their return to the house of David, but pressing their return to the house of Aaron. We read not that Elijah, that great reformer, ever mentioned their return to the house of David, while he was anxious for their return to the faithful service of the true God according as they had it among them. It is serious piety that God stands upon more than even his own rituals. 3. That, notwithstanding this, they had persisted in their idolatries: But she returned not, and God saw it; he took notice of it, and was much displeased with it, Jer 3:7, Jer 3:8. Note, God keeps account, whether we do or no, how often he has called to us to turn to him and we have refused. 4. That he had therefore cast them off, and given them up into the hands of their enemies (Jer 3:8): When I saw (so it may be read) that for all the actions wherein she had committed adultery I must dismiss her, I gave her a bill of divorce. God divorced them when he threw them out of his protection and left them an easy prey to any that would lay hands on them, when he scattered all their synagogues and the schools of the prophets and excluded them from laying any further claim to the covenant made with their fathers. Note, Those will justly be divorced from God that join themselves to such as are rivals with him. For proof of this go and see what God did to Israel.
II. Let us now see what was the case of Judah, the kingdom of the two tribes. She is called treacherous sister Judah, a sister because descended from the same common stock, Abraham and Jacob; but, as Israel had the character of a backslider, So Judah is called treacherous, because, though she professed to keep close to God when Israel had backslidden (she adhered to the kings and priests that were of God's own appointing, and did not withdraw from her allegiance, so that it was expected she should deal faithfully), yet she proved treacherous, and false, and unfaithful to her professions and promises. Note, The treachery of those who pretend to cleave to God will be reckoned for, as well as the apostasy of those who openly revolt from him. Judah saw what Israel did, and what came of it, and should have taken warning. Israel's captivity was intended for Judah's admonition; but it had not the designed effect. Judah feared not, but thought herself safe because she had Levites to be her priests and sons of David to be her kings. Note, It is an evidence of great stupidity and security when we are not awakened to a holy fear by the judgments of God upon others. It is here charged on Judah, 1. That when they had a wicked king that debauched them they heartily concurred with him in his debaucheries. Judah was forward enough to play the harlot, to worship any idol that was introduced among them and to join in any idolatrous usage; so that through the lightness (or, as some read it, the vileness and baseness) of her whoredom, or (as the margin reads it) by the fame and report of her whoredom, her notorious whoredom, for which she had become infamous, she defiled the land, and made it an abomination to God; for she committed adultery with stones and stocks, with the basest idols, those made of wood and stone. In the reigns of Manasseh and Amon, when they were disposed to idolatry, the people were so too, and all the country was corrupted with it, and none feared the ruin which Israel by this means had brought upon themselves. 2. That when they had a good king, that reformed them, they did not heartily concur with him in the reformation. This was the present case. God tried whether they would be good in a good reign, but the evil disposition was still the same: They returned not to me with their whole heart, but feignedly, Jer 3:10. Josiah went further in destroying idolatry than the best of his predecessors had done, and for his own part he turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul; so it is said of him, Kg2 23:25. The people were forced to an external compliance with him, and joined with him in keeping a very solemn passover and in renewing their covenants with God (Ch2 34:32, Ch2 35:17); but they were not sincere in it, nor were their hearts right with God. For this reason God at that very time said, I will remove Judah out of my sight, as I removed Israel (Kg2 23:27), because Judah was not removed from their sin by the sight of Israel's removal from their land. Hypocritical and ineffectual reformations bode ill to a people. We deceive ourselves if we think to deceive God by a feigned return to him. I know no religion without sincerity.
III. The case of these sister kingdoms is compared, and judgment given upon the comparison, that of the two Judah was the worse (Jer 3:11): Israel has justified herself more than Judah, that is, she is not so bad as Judah is. This comparative justification will stand Israel in little stead; what will it avail us to say, We are not so bad as others, when yet we are not really good ourselves? But it will serve as an aggravation of the sin of Judah, which was in two respects worse than that of Israel: - 1. More was expected from Judah than from Israel; so that Judah dealt treacherously, they vilified a more sacred profession, and falsified a more solemn promise, than Israel did. 2. Judah might have taken warning by the ruin of Israel for their idolatry, and would not. God's judgments upon others, if they be not means of our reformation, will help to aggravate our destruction. The prophet Ezekiel (Eze 23:11) makes the same comparison between Jerusalem and Samaria that this prophet here makes between Judah and Israel, nay, and (Eze 16:48) between Jerusalem and Sodom, and Jerusalem is made the worst of the three.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 6–11. Public domain.
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Clement of AlexandriaAD 215
The Instructor Book 1
Admonition, then, is loving care’s censure and produces understanding. Such is Christ the Educator in his admonitions, as when he says in the Gospel, “How often would I have gathered your children, as a bird gathers her young ones under her wings, and you would not!” And again, the Scripture admonishes, saying, “And they committed adultery with stock and stone and burned incense to Baal.” For it is a very great proof of God’s love that, though knowing well the shamelessness of the people who had kicked and bounded away, he nevertheless exhorts them to repentance. He says by Ezekiel, “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of scorpions. Nevertheless, speak to them, if by chance they will hear.” Further, to Moses he says, “Go and tell Pharaoh to send my people forth, but I know that he will not send them forth.”
Basil of CaesareaAD 379
LETTER 46
In addition to these things, “when people fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?” Why, then, is the virgin “turned away with a stubborn revolting,” even though she heard Christ, her spouse, saying through Jeremiah, “And when she had committed all these fornications, I said, ‘Return to me, and she did not return’?” “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?” Indeed, many safeguards against evil would you find in the divine Scripture and many remedies which from destruction bring salvation—the mysteries of death and resurrection, the words of the terrible judgment and everlasting punishment, the doctrines of repentance and the forgiveness of sin, those innumerable examples of conversion, the drachma, the sheep, the son who spent his livelihood with harlots, was lost and found, was dead and alive again. Let us use these safeguards against evil. Through them, let us heal our soul.
Gregory of NazianzusAD 390
ON THE WORDS OF THE GOSPEL, “WHEN JESUS HAD FINISHED THESE SAYINGS,” ORATION 37:19
It is not only bodily sin that is called fornication and adultery, but any sin you have committed, and especially transgression against that which is divine. Perhaps you ask how we can prove this. “They prostituted themselves,” it says “with things they made.” Don’t you see an impudent act of fornication? And again, “They committed adultery with pieces of wood.” Don’t you see a kind of adulterous religion? Do not then commit spiritual adultery, while keeping your bodies chaste.
John ChrysostomAD 407
LETTER TO THE FALLEN THEODORE 1:15
For the evils we have once perpetrated cannot provoke God so much as our being unwilling to make any change in the future. To sin may be a merely human failing, but to continue in the same sin ceases to be human and becomes altogether devilish. For observe how God by the mouth of his prophet blames this more than the other. “For,” we read, “I said unto her after she had done all these deeds of fornication, return to me, and yet she returned not.” … “Declare you first your iniquities that you may be justified.” Now this he demands from us in order to intensify our love toward him.
John ChrysostomAD 407
HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 74:3
He directs his speech to the city, in this way, too, being minded to correct his hearers, and said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” What is meant by this repetition? This is the manner of one pitying her and gently loving her. She is like a woman who is beloved. He always loved her indeed, yet she has despised him who loved her. Therefore at the point of being punished, he pleads, being now about to inflict the punishment. This he does also in the prophets, using these words, “I said, ‘she will return to me,’ but she did not return.”
John ChrysostomAD 407
HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 67:3-4
These two indeed are chief sins, engendered by violent lusts, the one of sexual desire, the other of the desire of money. Hear what God said to Jerusalem, “I said, after she had committed all these prostitutions, she will return to me, and she did not return.” When we have come back to the earnest love of God, he remembers not the former things. God is not as people. He reproaches us not with the past, neither does he say, when we repent, “Why were you absent for so long a time?” Only let us approach him as we ought. Let us cleave to him earnestly and rivet our hearts to his fear.…How many other such changes would you see, both to have taken place back then and now taking place every day? For this reason I say, “Neither let him on the cross despair, nor let him in the church be confident.” For to this last it is said, “Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” And to the other, “Shall not he that falls arise?” And, “Lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees.” Again, to these he said, “Watch”; but to those, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead.” These need to preserve what they have, and those to become what they are not. These need to preserve their health, those to be delivered from their infirmity, for they are sick. But many even of the sick become healthy, and of the healthy many, in being remiss, get sick.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 6 and following) And the Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: Have you seen what the adulteress Israel has done? She went upon every high hill and under every leafy tree and committed adultery there. And I said, after she had done all these things: Return to me, but she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw that I had dismissed the adulteress Israel and had given her a bill of divorce. But her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she also went and committed adultery. She defiled the land with her adulterous acts and committed adultery with stone and wood. And in all this, her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in falsehood, says the Lord. The torments of some are the remedies of others. And when a murderer is punished, he receives indeed what he has done, but others are deterred from the crime. Therefore, when the ten tribes, which were called Israel, were captured by the Assyrians and taken to Media, the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, which should have feared similar things and turned their whole minds towards God, overcame the crimes of the ten tribes. And they followed idols to such an extent that they placed a statue of Baal in the Temple of God, which is called an idol by Ezekiel, set up for zeal and emulation of the Lord. But it speaks under the figure of two sisters, because from one are generated Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by the stock, and the former is called the adversary, the latter the rebellious one. For the former completely turned away from God, immediately worshipping golden calves in Dan and Bethel. But the latter, in whose possession was the Temple and the true religion of God, gradually departed from the Lord (3 Kings 12). And for this reason, she is called the rebellious one. According to the spiritual interpretation, prophecy about heretics is this: those who, thinking themselves wise in heretical cunning, ascend the mind of pride with knowledge of a false name; and, defiled by the pleasures of this flesh, expose their fornication under every leafy and pleasant tree. When they are delivered to the devil for the destruction of the flesh, it often happens that the house of Judah, that is, the confession and true faith, is not at all frightened by their example but commits much greater evils. And they contaminate the land of the Church with the ease of their fornication, committing adultery with stone and wood, following the teachings that are against God. But if an ecclesiastical man wishes to correct someone who has gone astray, and to cut away the rotten flesh, and to bring back to repentance those who have followed falsehood: and nonetheless they continue to adhere to the ancient error under the guise of Ecclesiastical truth, it can be said of them: In all these things, her treacherous sister Judah has not turned back to me with her whole heart, but in deceit. But this prophecy was fulfilled during the time of Josiah, a righteous king, under whom Jeremiah began to prophesy.
JeromeAD 420
Against the Pelagians 1. PROLOGUE. 2
“And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not returned to me with her whole heart, but feignedly.” It is a smaller sin to follow evil that you think is good than not to venture to defend what you know for certain is good. If we cannot endure threats, injustice and poverty, how shall we overcome the flames of Babylon? Let us not lose by hollow peace what we have preserved by war. I should be sorry to allow my fears to teach me faithlessness when Christ has put the true faith in the power of my choice.
John CassianAD 435
CONFERENCE 2:14.11
It is written in the law: “You shall not commit adultery.” This is rightly observed according to the simple meaning of the letter by one who is still in bondage to foul passions. But by one who has already forsaken these dirty acts and impure affections, it must be observed in the spirit, so that he may forsake not only the worship of idols but also all heathen superstitions and the observance of auguries and omens and all signs and days and times, or at any rate he should not be entangled in the conjectures of words and names that destroy the simplicity of our faith. This is the kind of fornication by which Jerusalem is said to have been corrupted, the fornication “on every high hill and beneath every leafing tree.” The Lord criticized Jerusalem for this through the words of the prophet, “Let them stand and save you, these astrologers who studied the stars and counted the months so as to tell from these what was coming to you.”
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 73:12
Those who place themselves far from your care and choose to serve idols will reap the destructive fruit of defection. He calls idolatry infidelity here. God likewise says also through Jeremiah, “She went up every high hill and under every green tree and was unfaithful there. I said, after all this infidelity of hers, ‘Return unto me,’ and she did not return.” Again, “She committed adultery with tree and stone,” meaning, “Leaving me, her spouse, she served false gods.” Accordingly, here too he called the worship of idols infidelity.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 3:8 powerfully articulates God's righteous judgment upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel for its persistent spiritual adultery—manifested as idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness—culminating in their "divorce" and exile. Despite witnessing this severe consequence, the Southern Kingdom of Judah, identified as Israel's "treacherous sister," tragically failed to learn from history, displaying a profound lack of reverential fear and continuing in similar patterns of idolatry and rebellion against the Lord. This verse underscores the immutable gravity of covenant breaking and the tragic consequences of unrepentant disobedience, setting the stage for Judah's own impending judgment.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 3:8 is profoundly enriched by its use of Metaphor, primarily employing the marriage covenant to depict the intimate and exclusive relationship between God and His people, Israel and Judah. God is portrayed as the faithful, wronged husband, while the nations are His unfaithful wives. Their "adultery" and "harlotry" serve as vivid metaphors for idolatry and covenant breaking, underscoring the depth of betrayal involved in their turning away from the one true God. Personification is also powerfully evident, as God is personified as a husband who experiences betrayal and issues a "bill of divorce," and the two nations are personified as sisters, one "backsliding" and the other "treacherous." The verse also employs a striking degree of Irony, as Judah, having been a direct witness to the devastating consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness, ironically chooses to follow the very same destructive path, demonstrating a tragic lack of wisdom, spiritual discernment, and a profound failure to learn from the past.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly illustrates the nature of God's covenant relationship with His people, highlighting His unwavering faithfulness contrasted with their persistent unfaithfulness. It underscores the gravity of sin, particularly idolatry, which God views as spiritual adultery—a betrayal of the deepest intimacy and exclusive devotion. While God is characterized by long-suffering and abundant mercy, His justice is also immutable; covenant breaking has severe and inevitable consequences, as tragically demonstrated by Israel's "divorce" and exile. Judah's failure to learn from this clear historical lesson reveals the human heart's stubborn propensity for rebellion and its desperate need for divine intervention and true, heartfelt repentance. The passage serves as a stark and timeless reminder that God's warnings are not idle threats but expressions of His righteous character, His commitment to His covenant, and His desire for His people's true well-being.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 3:8 stands as a potent and enduring warning for believers today, urging us to deeply examine the sincerity and depth of our own devotion and loyalty to God. Just as ancient Israel and Judah were called to exclusive fidelity to Yahweh, so too are we called to worship God alone, without divided loyalties or the subtle, often insidious, idolatries of our contemporary age—whether they manifest as an undue pursuit of money, power, comfort, approval, or self. The tragic failure of Judah to learn from Israel's devastating judgment serves as a sober and critical reminder that we must pay diligent attention to the lessons embedded in both biblical history and the consequences of sin observed in the lives of others. True wisdom involves not merely acknowledging divine warnings but allowing them to cultivate a profound, reverential "fear" of the Lord, which in turn leads to genuine repentance, a renewed commitment to walk in His righteous ways, and an undivided heart. This verse challenges us to prayerfully consider what "backsliding" or "harlotry" might subtly or overtly manifest as in our own lives and to actively pursue an uncompromising, wholehearted devotion to God.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "backsliding Israel" mean in this context?
Answer: "Backsliding Israel" refers to the Northern Kingdom of Israel's persistent and deliberate turning away from God, a pattern of spiritual regression from the covenant relationship they had with Yahweh. The term "backsliding" (Hebrew: mᵉshûwbâh) implies a repeated and ingrained pattern of apostasy, a consistent failure to uphold their end of the covenant, particularly through widespread idolatry and the adoption of pagan worship practices from surrounding nations. This spiritual unfaithfulness is often depicted as a profound betrayal of a marriage vow, making their "backsliding" a form of spiritual adultery against God, their divine husband, who had chosen them as His own.
How does God "put away" or "divorce" a nation, and what does the "bill of divorce" signify?
Answer: God "put away" or "divorced" the Northern Kingdom of Israel through the Assyrian conquest and subsequent exile in 722 BC. This is a powerful metaphorical application of the ancient Israelite legal practice of divorce, where a husband could give his wife a "bill of divorce" (Hebrew: kᵉrîythûwth) to legally end their marriage, as outlined in Deuteronomy 24:1-4. In Jeremiah 3:8, this vivid imagery signifies the termination of Israel's privileged covenant relationship with God due to their chronic and unrepentant spiritual infidelity. The "bill of divorce" represents the formal declaration of God's righteous judgment and the severe consequences of their unfaithfulness, leading to their removal from the promised land and dispersion among the nations. It underscores the profound seriousness with which God views covenant breaking and idolatry, demonstrating that even His chosen people are not exempt from the consequences of their actions.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 3:8, with its stark portrayal of Israel's spiritual adultery and God's righteous judgment, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in several transformative ways. First, Jesus Christ emerges as the faithful Bridegroom who perfectly embodies the covenant fidelity that Israel and Judah so tragically lacked. While ancient Israel "played the harlot," Christ remained perfectly obedient to the Father in every respect, fulfilling the law and the prophets not by breaking them, but by completing their ultimate purpose (e.g., Matthew 5:17). Second, the "bill of divorce" and the judgment upon Israel powerfully foreshadow the ultimate judgment for sin that Christ Himself bore on the cross. He willingly became the "curse for us" (Galatians 3:13), taking upon Himself the divine wrath for humanity's pervasive spiritual adultery and rebellion, thereby making a way for reconciliation. Third, through Christ's perfect sacrifice and resurrection, a new covenant is established, one infinitely superior to the old. This covenant is not written on tablets of stone but is miraculously inscribed on the hearts and minds of believers (Hebrews 8:6-13), offering true forgiveness of sins and the promise of an enduring, genuine relationship with God, unlike the failed covenant of the past. Finally, Christ's overarching mission is to gather a new people, His Church, whom He lovingly cleanses and sanctifies, ultimately presenting her to Himself as a pure, spotless, and glorious bride, without stain or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:25-27). Thus, where Israel and Judah failed in their covenant faithfulness, Christ perfectly fulfills it, providing the sole means for all who believe to be reconciled to God and enter into an eternal, unbreakable covenant relationship with Him.