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Selected Verse: Jeremiah 3:7 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Jer 3:7	Strong Concordance	And I said [0559] after [0310] she had done [06213] all these things, Turn [07725] thou unto me. But she returned [07725] not. And her treacherous [0901] sister [0269] Judah [03063] saw [07200] it.
	King James	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.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
I said-- (Kg2 17:13). sister-- (Eze 16:46; Eze 23:2, Eze 23:4).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

I said-- (Kg2 17:13).

sister-- (Eze 16:46; Eze 23:2, Eze 23:4).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Or, "And I said (i. e., within myself), After she has done all these things, she will return to me." But she did not return. Treacherous - literally, "Falsehood," i. e., false, faithless. The character of the two sisters is plainly marked. Samaria is apostate; she abandons Yahweh's worship altogether. Judah maintains the form only; her secret desires are set upon the orgies of pagan worship.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
And I said, sc. to myself, i.e., I thought. A speaking by the prophets (Rashi) is not to be thought of; for it is no summons, turn again to me, but only the thought, they will return. It is true that God caused backsliding Israel to be ever called again to repentance by the prophets, yet without effect. Meantime, however, no reference is made to what God did in this connection, only Israel's behaviour towards the Lord being here kept in view. The Chet. ותּראה is the later usage; the Keri substitutes the regular contracted form ותּרא. The object, it (the whoredom of Israel), may be gathered from what precedes. Jer 3:8 Many commentators have taken objection to the וארא, because the sentence, "I saw that I had therefore given Israel a bill of divorce," is as little intelligible as "and the faithless Judah saw it, and I saw it, for," etc. Thus e.g., Graf, who proposes with Ew. and Syr. to read ותּרא, "and she saw," or with Jerome to omit the word from the text. To this we may add, that either the change or the omission destroys the natural relation to one another of the clauses. In either case we would have this connection: "and the faithless one, her sister Judah, saw that, because the backslider Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away...yet the faithless one feared not." But thus the gist of the thing, what Judah saw, namely, the repudiation of Israel, would be related but cursorily in a subordinate clause, and the 7th verse would be shortened into a half verse; while, on the other hand, the 8th verse would be burdened with an unnaturally long protasis. Ros. is right in declaring any change to be unnecessary, provided the two halves of Jer 3:7 and Jer 3:8 are connected in this sense: vidi quod quum adulteram Israelitidem dimiseram, tamen non timeret ejus perfida soror Juda. If we compare Jer 3:7 and Jer 3:8 together, the correspondence between the two comes clearly out. In the first half of either verse Israel is spoken of, in the second Judah; while as to Israel, both verses state how God regarded the conduct of Israel, and as to Judah, how it observed and imitated Israel's conduct. וארא corresponds to ואמר in Jer 3:7. God thought the backsliding Israel will repent, and it did not, and this Judah saw. Thus, then, God saw that even the repudiation of the backsliding Israel for her adultery incited no fear in Judah, but Judah went and did whoredom like Israel. The true sense of Jer 3:8 is rendered obscure or difficult by the external co-ordination to one another of the two thoughts, that God has rejected Israel just because it has committed adultery, and, that Judah nevertheless feared not; the second thought being introduced by Vav. In reality, however, the first should be subordinated to the second thus: that although I had to reject Israel, Judah yet feared not. What God saw is not the adultery and rejection or divorce of Israel, but that Judah nevertheless had no fear in committing and persisting in the self-same sin. The כּי belongs properly to לא יראה, but this relation is obscured by the length of the prefixed grounding clause, and so לא יראה is introduced by ,על־כּל־אדות וגו' .ו yb decud literally: that for all the reasons, because the backslider had committed adultery, I put her away and gave her a bill of divorce; yet the faithless Judah feared not. In plain English: that, in spite of all my putting away the backsliding Israel, and my giving her...because she had committed adultery, yet the faithless Judah feared not. On ספר כּריתוּת, cf. Deu 24:1, Deu 24:3. Jer 3:9 In Jer 3:9 Judah's fornication with the false gods is further described. Here מקּל זנוּתהּ ereH is rather stumbling, since ob vocem scortationis cannot well be simply tantamount to ob famosam scortationem; for קול, voice, tone, sound, din, noise, is distinct from שׁם or שׁמע, fame, rumour. All ancient translators have taken קל from קלל, as being formed analogously to עז ,תּם ,חם; and a Masoretic note finds in the defective spelling קל an indication of the meaning levitas. Yet we occasionally find קול, vox, written defectively, e.g., Exo 4:8; Gen 27:22; Gen 45:16. And the derivation from קלל gives no very suitable sense; neither lightness nor despisedness is a proper predicate for whoredom, by which the land is polluted; only shame or shameful would suit, as it is put by Ew. and Graf. But there is no evidence from the usage of the language that קל has the meaning of קלון. Yet more inadmissible is the conjecture of J. D. Mich., adopted by Hitz., that of reading מקּל gnidaer fo taht, stock, for מקּל, a stock being the object of her unchastity; in support of which, reference is unfairly made to Hos 4:12. For there the matter in hand is rhabdomancy, with which the present passage has evidently nothing to do. The case standing thus, we adhere to the usual meaning of קל: for the noise or din of her whoredom, not, for her crying whoredom (de Wette). Jeremiah makes use of this epithet to point out the open riotous orgies of idolatry. תּחנף is neither used in the active signification of desecrating, nor is it to be pointed ותּחנף (Hiph.). On the last clause cf. Jer 2:27. Jer 3:10 But even with all this, i.e., in spite of this deep degradation in idolatry, Judah returned not to God sincerely, but in hypocritical wise. "And yet with all this," Ros., following Rashi, refers to the judgment that had fallen on Israel (Jer 3:8); but this is too remote. The words can bear reference only to that which immediately precedes: even in view of all these sinful horrors the returning was not "from the whole heart," i.e., did not proceed from a sincere heart, but in falsehood and hypocrisy. For (the returning being that which began with the abolition of idolatrous public worship in Josiah's reformation) the people had returned outwardly to the worship of Jahveh in the temple, but at heart they still calve to the idols. Although Josiah had put an end to the idol-worship, and though the people too, in the enthusiasm for the service of Jahveh, awakened by the solemn celebration of the passover, had broken in pieces the images and altars of the false gods throughout the land, yet there was imminent danger that the people, alienated in heart from the living God, should take the suppression of open idolatry for a true return to God, and, vainly admiring themselves, should look upon themselves as righteous and pious. Against this delusion the prophet takes his stand.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

And I said, sc. to myself, i.e., I thought. A speaking by the prophets (Rashi) is not to be thought of; for it is no summons, turn again to me, but only the thought, they will return. It is true that God caused backsliding Israel to be ever called again to repentance by the prophets, yet without effect. Meantime, however, no reference is made to what God did in this connection, only Israel's behaviour towards the Lord being here kept in view. The Chet. ותּראה is the later usage; the Keri substitutes the regular contracted form ותּרא. The object, it (the whoredom of Israel), may be gathered from what precedes.

Jer 3:8

Many commentators have taken objection to the וארא, because the sentence, "I saw that I had therefore given Israel a bill of divorce," is as little intelligible as "and the faithless Judah saw it, and I saw it, for," etc. Thus e.g., Graf, who proposes with Ew. and Syr. to read ותּרא, "and she saw," or with Jerome to omit the word from the text. To this we may add, that either the change or the omission destroys the natural relation to one another of the clauses. In either case we would have this connection: "and the faithless one, her sister Judah, saw that, because the backslider Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away...yet the faithless one feared not." But thus the gist of the thing, what Judah saw, namely, the repudiation of Israel, would be related but cursorily in a subordinate clause, and the 7th verse would be shortened into a half verse; while, on the other hand, the 8th verse would be burdened with an unnaturally long protasis. Ros. is right in declaring any change to be unnecessary, provided the two halves of Jer 3:7 and Jer 3:8 are connected in this sense: vidi quod quum adulteram Israelitidem dimiseram, tamen non timeret ejus perfida soror Juda. If we compare Jer 3:7 and Jer 3:8 together, the correspondence between the two comes clearly out. In the first half of either verse Israel is spoken of, in the second Judah; while as to Israel, both verses state how God regarded the conduct of Israel, and as to Judah, how it observed and imitated Israel's conduct. וארא corresponds to ואמר in Jer 3:7. God thought the backsliding Israel will repent, and it did not, and this Judah saw. Thus, then, God saw that even the repudiation of the backsliding Israel for her adultery incited no fear in Judah, but Judah went and did whoredom like Israel. The true sense of Jer 3:8 is rendered obscure or difficult by the external co-ordination to one another of the two thoughts, that God has rejected Israel just because it has committed adultery, and, that Judah nevertheless feared not; the second thought being introduced by Vav. In reality, however, the first should be subordinated to the second thus: that although I had to reject Israel, Judah yet feared not. What God saw is not the adultery and rejection or divorce of Israel, but that Judah nevertheless had no fear in committing and persisting in the self-same sin. The כּי belongs properly to לא יראה, but this relation is obscured by the length of the prefixed grounding clause, and so לא יראה is introduced by ,על־כּל־אדות וגו' .ו yb decud literally: that for all the reasons, because the backslider had committed adultery, I put her away and gave her a bill of divorce; yet the faithless Judah feared not. In plain English: that, in spite of all my putting away the backsliding Israel, and my giving her...because she had committed adultery, yet the faithless Judah feared not. On ספר כּריתוּת, cf. Deu 24:1, Deu 24:3.

Jer 3:9

In Jer 3:9 Judah's fornication with the false gods is further described. Here מקּל זנוּתהּ ereH is rather stumbling, since ob vocem scortationis cannot well be simply tantamount to ob famosam scortationem; for קול, voice, tone, sound, din, noise, is distinct from שׁם or שׁמע, fame, rumour. All ancient translators have taken קל from קלל, as being formed analogously to עז ,תּם ,חם; and a Masoretic note finds in the defective spelling קל an indication of the meaning levitas. Yet we occasionally find קול, vox, written defectively, e.g., Exo 4:8; Gen 27:22; Gen 45:16. And the derivation from קלל gives no very suitable sense; neither lightness nor despisedness is a proper predicate for whoredom, by which the land is polluted; only shame or shameful would suit, as it is put by Ew. and Graf. But there is no evidence from the usage of the language that קל has the meaning of קלון. Yet more inadmissible is the conjecture of J. D. Mich., adopted by Hitz., that of reading מקּל gnidaer fo taht, stock, for מקּל, a stock being the object of her unchastity; in support of which, reference is unfairly made to Hos 4:12. For there the matter in hand is rhabdomancy, with which the present passage has evidently nothing to do. The case standing thus, we adhere to the usual meaning of קל: for the noise or din of her whoredom, not, for her crying whoredom (de Wette). Jeremiah makes use of this epithet to point out the open riotous orgies of idolatry. תּחנף is neither used in the active signification of desecrating, nor is it to be pointed ותּחנף (Hiph.). On the last clause cf. Jer 2:27.

Jer 3:10

But even with all this, i.e., in spite of this deep degradation in idolatry, Judah returned not to God sincerely, but in hypocritical wise. "And yet with all this," Ros., following Rashi, refers to the judgment that had fallen on Israel (Jer 3:8); but this is too remote. The words can bear reference only to that which immediately precedes: even in view of all these sinful horrors the returning was not "from the whole heart," i.e., did not proceed from a sincere heart, but in falsehood and hypocrisy. For (the returning being that which began with the abolition of idolatrous public worship in Josiah's reformation) the people had returned outwardly to the worship of Jahveh in the temple, but at heart they still calve to the idols. Although Josiah had put an end to the idol-worship, and though the people too, in the enthusiasm for the service of Jahveh, awakened by the solemn celebration of the passover, had broken in pieces the images and altars of the false gods throughout the land, yet there was imminent danger that the people, alienated in heart from the living God, should take the suppression of open idolatry for a true return to God, and, vainly admiring themselves, should look upon themselves as righteous and pious. Against this delusion the prophet takes his stand.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
And I said - By the prophets Elijah, Elisha, Hosea, Amos, etc.; for all these prophesied to that rebellious people, and exhorted them to return to the Lord.

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⁴ And the names [08034] of them were Aholah [0170] the elder [01419], and Aholibah [0172] her sister [0269]: and they were mine, and they bare [03205] sons [01121] and daughters [01323]. Thus were their names [08034]; Samaria [08111] is Aholah [0170], and Jerusalem [03389] Aholibah [0172].

² Son [01121] of man [0120], there were two [08147] women [0802], the daughters [01323] of one [0259] mother [0517]:

⁴⁶ And thine elder [01419] sister [0269] is Samaria [08111], she and her daughters [01323] that dwell [03427] at thy left hand [08040]: and thy younger [06996] sister [0269], that dwelleth [03427] at thy right hand [03225], is Sodom [05467] and her daughters [01323].

¹³ Yet the LORD [03068] testified [05749] against Israel [03478], and against Judah [03063], by [03027] all the prophets [05030], and by all the seers [02374], saying [0559], Turn [07725] ye from your evil [07451] ways [01870], and keep [08104] my commandments [04687] and my statutes [02708], according to all the law [08451] which I commanded [06680] your fathers [01], and which I sent [07971] to you by [03027] my servants [05650] the prophets [05030].

⁸ And I saw [07200], when for all the causes [0182] whereby backsliding [04878] Israel [03478] committed adultery [05003] I had put her away [07971], and given [05414] her a bill [05612] of divorce [03748]; yet her treacherous [0898] sister [0269] Judah [03063] feared [03372] not, but went [03212] and played the harlot [02181] also.

¹⁰ And yet for all this her treacherous [0901] sister [0269] Judah [03063] hath not turned [07725] unto me with her whole heart [03820], but feignedly [08267], saith [05002] the LORD [03068].

²⁷ Saying [0559] to a stock [06086], Thou art my father [01]; and to a stone [068], Thou hast brought me forth [03205]: for they have turned [06437] their back [06203] unto me, and not their face [06440]: but in the time [06256] of their trouble [07451] they will say [0559], Arise [06965], and save [03467] us.

¹² My people [05971] ask [07592] counsel at their stocks [06086], and their staff [04731] declareth [05046] unto them: for the spirit [07307] of whoredoms [02183] hath caused them to err [08582], and they have gone a whoring [02181] from under their God [0430].

¹⁶ And the fame [06963] thereof was heard [08085] in Pharaoh's [06547] house [01004], saying [0559], Joseph's [03130] brethren [0251] are come [0935]: and it pleased [03190] [05869] Pharaoh [06547] well [03190] [05869], and [05869] his servants [05650].

²² And Jacob [03290] went near [05066] unto Isaac [03327] his father [01]; and he felt [04959] him, and said [0559], The voice [06963] is Jacob's [03290] voice [06963], but the hands [03027] are the hands [03027] of Esau [06215].

⁸ And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe [0539] thee, neither hearken [08085] to the voice [06963] of the first [07223] sign [0226], that they will believe [0539] the voice [06963] of the latter [0314] sign [0226].

⁹ And it came to pass through the lightness [06963] of her whoredom [02184], that she defiled [02610] the land [0776], and committed adultery [05003] with stones [068] and with stocks [06086].

³ And if the latter [0314] husband [0376] hate [08130] her, and write [03789] her a bill [05612] of divorcement [03748], and giveth [05414] it in her hand [03027], and sendeth [07971] her out of his house [01004]; or if the latter [0314] husband [0376] die [04191], which took [03947] her to be his wife [0802];

¹ When a man [0376] hath taken [03947] a wife [0802], and married [01166] her, and it come to pass that she find [04672] no favour [02580] in his eyes [05869], because he hath found [04672] some [01697] uncleanness [06172] in her: then let him write [03789] her a bill [05612] of divorcement [03748], and give [05414] it in her hand [03027], and send [07971] her out of his house [01004].

⁷ And I said [0559] after [0310] she had done [06213] all these things, Turn [07725] thou unto me. But she returned [07725] not. And her treacherous [0901] sister [0269] Judah [03063] saw [07200] it.