Jeremiah 3:7

I thought that they would return to me, so I said to them, ‘Come back to me!’ But they refused. So I sent them away to other countries, like a man writes a note saying that he is divorcing his wife and then sends his wife away because she has committed adultery [MET].

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

6One day when Josiah was the king of Judah, Yahweh said to me, “Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have turned away from me, like a woman who has abandoned her husband and sleeps with other men. They have gone up on every hilltop and under every big tree and worshiped idols there [MET].

8The people of Judah saw what I did to them. But they are just like the people of Israel. They are not afraid of what I will do to them. They also have turned away from me and are worshiping idols like women who abandon their husbands and go to other men [MET].

Read all of Jeremiah 3

Cross References

2 Kings 17:13Yahweh frequently sent his prophets and ◄seers/those who saw visions from Yahweh► to warn the people of Israel and the people of Judah. The message that Yahweh gave them was, “Turn away from all your evil behavior. Obey my commands and my laws, the laws that I told your ancestors to obey and which I told the prophets who served me to tell to you again.”

2 Chronicles 17:4Instead, he sought advice from the God whom his father had worshiped, and he obeyed God’s commands, and did not do the evil things that the kings of Israel continually did.

Jeremiah 3:8The people of Judah saw what I did to them. But they are just like the people of Israel. They are not afraid of what I will do to them. They also have turned away from me and are worshiping idols like women who abandon their husbands and go to other men [MET].

Ezekiel 23:2“You human, listen to this parable about Jerusalem and Samaria. Once there were two women, daughters of the same mother.

Hosea 6:1The Israeli people say, “Come, let’s return to Yahweh! He has caused us to be injured, but he will heal us. He has caused us to be wounded, but it is as though he will put bandages on our wounds [MET].

Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 3:7-12

Idolatries of Israel; The Treachery of Judah. ( b. c. 620.) 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… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Jeremiah 3:7