Jeremiah 3
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
2Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
4Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
5Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.
6The 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.
7And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8And 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.
9And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
11And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
12Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
13Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
14Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
15And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
17At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
18In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
19But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.
20Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
21A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.
22Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
23Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
24For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH306819× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- אֵתʼêthH85319× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- לֹאlôʼH380818× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- כִּיkîyH35889× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- אֵלʼêlH4139× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- שׁוּבshûwbH77259× in this chapter
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
- יִשְׂרָאֵלYisrâʼêlH34788× in this chapter
Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
- כֹּלkôlH36058× in this chapter
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
- נְאֻםnᵉʼumH50028× in this chapter
an oracle
- אָמַרʼâmarH5598× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- עַלʻalH59218× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- אֶרֶץʼeretsH7767× in this chapter
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
- הָלַךְhâlakH19806× in this chapter
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
- אֱלֹהִיםʼĕlôhîymH4306× in this chapter
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
- אָבʼâbH15× in this chapter
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
- בֵּןbênH11215× in this chapter
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
- הָיָהhâyâhH19615× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- יְהוּדָהYᵉhûwdâhH30635× in this chapter
Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
- מְשׁוּבָהmᵉshûwbâhH48785× in this chapter
apostasy
- הוּאhûwʼH19314× in this chapter
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
- זָנָהzânâhH21814× in this chapter
to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah)
- חָנֵףchânêphH26104× in this chapter
to soil, especially in a moral sense
- יוֹםyôwmH31174× in this chapter
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
- לֵבlêbH38204× in this chapter
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything
- עוֹדʻôwdH57504× in this chapter
properly, iteration or continuance; used only adverbially (with or without preposition), again, repeatedly, still, more
- עָשָׂהʻâsâhH62134× in this chapter
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
- קוֹלqôwlH69634× in this chapter
a voice or sound
- קָרָאqârâʼH71214× in this chapter
to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
- רָאָהrâʼâhH72004× in this chapter
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
- בָּגַדbâgadH8984× in this chapter
to cover (with a garment); figuratively, to act covertly; by implication, to pillage
- בַּיִתbayithH10043× in this chapter
a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)
- דֶּרֶךְderekH18703× in this chapter
a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
- אָחוֹתʼâchôwthH2693× in this chapter
a sister (used very widely (like brother), literally and figuratively)
- אַחַרʼacharH3103× in this chapter
properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
- אָכֵןʼâkênH4033× in this chapter
firmly; figuratively, surely; also (advers.) but
- נָעוּרnâʻûwrH52713× in this chapter
(only in plural collectively or emphatic form) youth, the state (juvenility) or the persons (young people)
- נָתַןnâthanH54143× in this chapter
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
- עֵץʻêtsH60863× in this chapter
a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)
- רַעraʻH74513× in this chapter
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
- אִשָּׁהʼishshâhH8023× in this chapter
a woman