Jeremiah 3 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments
  • Jeremiah 3:1-5 open_in_new

    YHWH Lays Down His Final Terms (Jeremiah 3:1-5).

    The latter rains have failed to come because they have been faithless to YHWH, something that is evident to anyone who will look to the bare hills or the wayside resting places. For there their flagrant misbehaviour is made apparent. But if they will only return to Him, calling Him Father and taking Him as the guide of their youth, He may well yet be ready to listen to them. Their answer is, however, seen in their unresponsive attitudes.

    Jeremiah 3:1

    “They say, ‘If a man put away his wife,

    And she go from him, and become another man's,

    Will he return to her again?

    Will not that land be greatly polluted?'

    But you have played the harlot with many lovers,

    Yet return again to me”, the word of YHWH.'

    What ‘they said' was strictly in accordance with the Law. See Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Once a man had put away his wife and she had belonged to another, he was not allowed to take her back again. And yet YHWH's compassion was such that He was prepared, as it were, to set aside that Law and accept His people back from their lovers if only they would return to Him again. The door of mercy was still open, and this was to be seen as the dictate of YHWH (neum YHWH). It was not, of course, actually a breaking of the Law because no individual woman was involved, nor was an earthly marriage. Besides even on the facts Judah had not remarried. She had instead had many lovers. The real point is that God's covenant love was so great that He was willing to receive Judah back if only she will truly return to Him with all her heart.

    Jeremiah 3:2

    “Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see,

    Where have you not been lain with?

    By the ways have you sat for them,

    As an Arabian in the wilderness,

    And you have polluted the land with your whoredoms,

    And with your wickedness.”

    He charges them to look at the bare heights where they have been carrying out their lewd activities, and point out any place which was free from the taint of their sexual misbehaviour. There was none. And He calls on them to consider the resting places by the way where they have awaited prostitutes, in the same way as an Arabian in the wilderness (who, because they lived in the wilderness had to wait for their favours in places where prostitutes might be found) would do. Thus had they polluted the land by their irresponsible sexual activities and by their wicked ways.

    Alternately the reference to the Arabian in the wilderness may have in mind Arabians waiting in the wilderness for unsuspecting travellers to pass by whom they could rob. They wait for prostitutes like the Arabian waits for victims.

    Jeremiah 3:3

    “That is why the showers have been withheld,

    And there has been no latter rain,

    Yet you have a harlot's forehead,

    You refused to be ashamed.”

    And it was because they had polluted the land that the showers had been withheld and that there had been no latter rain (the March/April rain on which the final harvest depended). Yet even when they had become aware of this they were so hardened in sin that they had refused to be ashamed. ‘You have a harlot's forehead.' Unlike other women who were discreet and pure, covering their heads from the eyes of men, harlots brazenly bared their foreheads so that the men whom they sought would know that they were available. It was a sign that they too, like Judah, were hardened in sin.

    Jeremiah 3:4

    “Will you not from this time cry to me,

    ‘My Father, you are the guide of my youth?' ”

    But YHWH, ever patient in His faithfulness and compassion, still wants His people to turn to Him, so He asks them whether they will not from this time call to Him, saying, ‘My Father, You are the guide of my youth'. He wants them to look back to earlier days in the wilderness when they had initially sought the truth of YHWH, before they had become so hardened. If they will once again respond to Him as their Father on a continuing basis, He will gladly take them up.

    Jeremiah 3:5

    “Will he retain his anger for ever?

    Will he keep it to the end?

    Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things,

    And have had your way.”

    Jeremiah then adds the final words. Will YHWH retain His anger for ever? Will He keep it to the end? The answer, if only they will truly repent and turn to Him as their Father, is ‘No', but if they remain as they are it is ‘Yes'. For Jeremiah recognises that they are so steeped in sin that it is preventing their response. They have ‘spoken and done evil things', and have ‘continually had their own way'. It will not be easy for them to relinquish those ways and respond to God as their Father. So like Jesus would after him Jeremiah calls on his countrymen to respond to God as their heavenly Father, but similarly to Jesus He makes clear to them that it will depend on a true and obedient response. They cannot call Him Father and not do what He says.

  • Jeremiah 3:6-11 open_in_new

    YHWH Calls On Judah To Consider what Had Happened To Israel, Her Northern Neighbour, When She Had Failed To Turn Back To Him, Something That Judah Is Also Failing To Do (Jeremiah 3:6-11).

    YHWH here refers Judah back to consideration of the behaviour of Israel, her erstwhile northern neighbour whose land had been devastated and had by now been taken over by strangers. Because backsliding Israel had herself ‘played the harlot' on every high hill and every green tree, and had subsequently refused to turn back to YHWH, she had been punished and sent into exile. This was now intended to be an object lesson to ‘treacherous Judah'. For it was YHWH Who had given Israel a bill of divorce which had resulted in her exile among the nations. And yet even now it appeared that Judah had not learned her lesson and was demonstrating by her behaviour that Israel had been more righteous than ‘treacherous Judah', in that, while following in the ways of Israel, Judah was feigning a response to YHWH that was not genuine. This will then later lead on to the question as to what that would mean for Judah (Jeremiah 4:3 ff.), but first the issue must be pressed home, accompanied by a remarkable promise of future hope.

    Jeremiah 3:6

    ‘Moreover YHWH said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She went up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there she played the harlot.”

    During the days when Josiah the king was on the throne YHWH, with a view to giving a message to Judah, asked Jeremiah whether he had noted what backsliding Israel had done. She had gone up on every high hill and under every green tree where she had ‘played the harlot'. (Compare Jeremiah 2:20 where the same was then true of Judah). In other words the whole of Israel, apart from the few who had heeded the teaching of the prophets like Hosea and Amos, had been following idolatrous practises.

    Jeremiah 3:7

    “And I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to me', but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.'

    But YHWH then informed Jeremiah (speaking anthropomorphically) that He had consoled Himself with the thought that Israel would eventually realise their folly and return to Him. Once they had sated themselves with these things surely they would return! But the truth had turned out to be that they did not return. And not only did they not return but the fact was observed by their treacherous sister Judah (many of whom probably visited the shrines at Bethel and Gilgal for the syncretistic feasts). The description of Judah as ‘treacherous' (it will be repeated three times) indicates that what He is now saying is really aimed at Judah.

    Jeremiah 3:8

    “And I saw, when, for the very reason that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet treacherous Judah her sister did not fear, but she also went and played the harlot.”

    But although Judah had observed what Israel had done in committing adultery against YHWH, and had noted that as a result YHWH had given to Israel a certificate of divorce (sending her into exile), ‘treacherous Judah' did not learn from it and become faithful to YHWH, but instead, she also went and ‘played the harlot'. She too committed adultery against YHWH.

    Jeremiah 3:9

    “And it came about that through the lightness of her whoredom (i.e. Israel's casual attitude towards her whoredom), the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with trees.'

    The result of Israel's light-hearted attitude towards her ‘whoredom' (that is, to her seeking to Baal and Asherah through ritual sexual misbehaviour) was that the land was polluted, and ‘she committed adultery with stones and trees'. The reference is seemingly to the fact that the sacred prostitutes with whom they mated represented Baal and Asherah who in turn were represented by stone pillars and wooden images.

    Jeremiah 3:10

    “And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not returned to me with her whole heart, but feignedly (in pretence),” the word of YHWH (neum YHWH).'

    And yet even with this vivid example before her, treacherous sister Judah also did not genuinely return to YHWH, but only pretended to do so - and this was stated to be so on ‘the word of YHWH' (neum YHWH).

    Jeremiah 3:11

    ‘And YHWH said to me, “Backsliding Israel has showed herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.”

    Consequently YHWH sums up the situation by declaring that ‘backsliding Israel had showed herself to be more righteous than treacherous Judah'. Better an honest sinner than a hypocrite! And Judah's failure was made all the worse because they had already had the warning which Israel's fate should have brought home to them, and because they had experienced the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah.. Note the threefold description of Judah as ‘treacherous' demonstrating the completeness of her treachery.

  • Jeremiah 3:12-19 open_in_new

    A Brief Glimpse Of The Future Establishment Of The Everlasting Kingdom (Jeremiah 3:12-19).

    Having established that Judah was even more guilty than Israel YHWH now breaks into the message of gloom by demonstrating hope for the future for Israel. On the basis of His great mercy He called through Jeremiah for Israel's return to the land. This was a flash-forward into the future. While at present she was in exile, if she would only admit her backsliding and repent He promises that He will bring her back and will once again be a husband to her (compare the inference in Jeremiah 2:2, and Hosea 1-3). Then He will give to her shepherds according to His own heart who will feed her in knowledge and understanding. And in that day Israel will no more be dependent on the presence of the Ark of the Covenant of YHWH (which was seen by them as the throne of YHWH), nor will they even think of it or miss it, because the whole of Jerusalem will have become (will ‘be called') ‘The Throne of YHWH'. Then all nations will gather to Jerusalem, and Israel will no longer walk in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, but will rather be one with Judah, something which will be made possible by their looking to YHWH as their Father and truly following Him.

    In these words YHWH makes clear His future intentions for His people, and seeks to arouse Judah to jealousy. Initially His words were a call to return accompanied by glowing promises, but when that call failed to achieve its purpose it became a prophetic indication of what the future would hold.

    Jeremiah 3:12

    “Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,' says YHWH, ‘I will not look in anger on you, for I am merciful,' says YHWH, ‘I will not keep my anger for ever.' ”

    Jeremiah is commanded to go and ‘proclaim words towards the north' for it was to the north that Israel had been taken captive (2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 17:23). Such proclamations to a far off people are found regularly in the prophets, for the prophets were acting in the Name of YHWH, and could therefore be sure that their words would eventually be fulfilled because they were His word which went forth from His mouth and would prosper in the way to which He sent it (Isaiah 55:10-13). And this proclamation to Israel was to be that they should return from their backsliding with the assurance that if they did so YHWH would no longer look on them with anger (view their sin with antipathy), which would be as a consequence of His great compassion. As the Merciful One He would not retain His anger for ever.

    ‘Return you backsliding Israel.' The Hebrew is emphatic and poignant. Shubah meshubah yisrael (return O turning away Israel').

    Jeremiah 3:13

    “Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against YHWH your God, and have scattered your ways to strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,” the word of YHWH.'

    Nevertheless their return was conditional on their acknowledging their iniquity, and admitting that they had transgressed against YHWH, and had had sexual relationships with (‘scattered their ways to') strangers under every green tree, thus failing to be obedient to His voice. There could be no return without repentance and a full admission of guilt. This again was ‘the word of YHWH' (neum YHWH).

    Jeremiah 3:14-15

    “Return, O backsliding children,” says YHWH, “for I am a husband to you, and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion, and I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

    So YHWH calls for the return of Israel, His backsliding children in exile, on the grounds that He is their ‘husband', a word expressing His tender love and concern for them (compare Hosea 1:3). They are not being called back to slavery, but to a loving family relationship. Yet He recognises that all will not return, and He informs them that He will therefore call from among them a remnant, one from a city, two from a family, and will bring them to Zion, and there He would give them shepherds after His own heart who would provide them with true knowledge and understanding. The idea would appear to be in order to arouse Judah to jealousy.

    This prophecy was in fact initially fulfilled in that many Israelites would have made their way back to Palestine in ones and twos once Cyrus's policies had made it possible, and would have united with the men of Judah in re-establishing the land. This is demonstrated by their presence there in the time of Jesus. Initially the shepherds after His own heart would be the later prophets and the later godly rulers like Zerubbabel, but finally they would be Jesus Christ and His Apostles. It was they who would provide true knowledge and understanding. But the final reference, as what follows makes clear, is to the heavenly Zion, for only there could the promises reach their final fulfilment. This is confirmed in Hebrews 11:10-14 where the land to be received by Abraham and his descendants is ‘a heavenly country', and in the transference of the true Jerusalem from earth to Heaven (Galatians 4:21-31; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 21-22), something already made clear in Isaiah.

    Jeremiah 3:16

    “And it will come about, when you are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days,” says YHWH, “they will no more say, ‘The ark of the covenant of YHWH', nor will it come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made any more.”

    As always with the prophets, Jeremiah spoke of the coming eternity in terms connected with this earth. God's promises were to be seen as firmly rooted in reality, and not in some world of the gods beyond the skies. But when Israel/Judah did later multiply and increase in the land it was only once again to sink into failure. That is why in the end the multiplying and increasing will take place in the new Heaven and the new earth (Revelation 7:9), and the land in which they will increase will be ‘the better country' that Abraham was seeking (Hebrews 11:10-14).

    This verse has within it the ring of eternity. In that future day earthly symbols will no longer be required, but will be gone for ever. And that would be true even of the holy ‘Ark of the Covenant of YHWH' which was seen as YHWH's earthly throne (and disappeared at the time of the Babylonian captivity). It would neither come to mind, or be remembered or be missed, or have reference made to it, because (as Jeremiah 3:17 makes clear) they would be enjoying something even more glorious, the real presence of YHWH upon His throne in the new Jerusalem where they would walk in His light and see His face (Revelation 21:22-23; Revelation 22:3-5). ‘There will be no curse any more, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it --' (Revelation 22:3), and His people will be there as His bride (compare Jeremiah 3:14, and see Revelation 19:7-10; Revelation 21:2).

    We must always remember that the prophets as they looked forward saw heavenly realities in terms of this earth. They had no concept of a Heaven beyond to which human beings could go. That was something that had not yet been revealed and was outside the range of their thinking, and it was well that it was so, for had they enunciated such an idea it would immediately have been mixed up in men's minds with polytheistic ideas about the world of the gods, and have been seen as supporting Baalism. Thus their ideas were firmly rooted in terms of this earth, but would eventually develop into the idea of ‘the new Heaven and the new earth' (Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 2. Peter Jeremiah 3:13; Revelation 21:1). It was there that the promises to Abraham would be fulfilled (Hebrews 11:10-14). For the coming of an everlasting kingdom required an everlasting environment.

    As we look back on history we can see how the promises made through the prophets were slowly being fulfilled. Initial fulfilment came in the return of the people of Israel/Judah back to Palestine and the re-establishment of the Davidic rule and of God's Law. This was then followed, once that Israel had once again failed, by the establishment of the new Israel by Jesus Christ, the son of David (John 15:1-6; Matthew 16:18; Matthew 21:43; Galatians 3:29; Galatians 6:16; Ephesians 2:11-22; 1 Peter 5:9; 1 Peter 1:1; James 1:1) proclaiming truth and understanding. And that, as Jesus made clear, would achieve its final fulfilment in the new Heaven and the new earth. That is why we are to set our minds on things above and build up treasure in Heaven (Colossians 1:1-3; Matthew 6:19).

    Jeremiah 3:17

    “At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of YHWH, and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of YHWH, to Jerusalem, nor will they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.”

    And at that time there will be a new Jerusalem, a heavenly Jerusalem, which will be called ‘The Throne of YHWH' (see Revelation 22:3). This was something already clearly depicted by Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 4:2-6; Isaiah 11:1-9; Isaiah 33:20-24; Isaiah 65:18-25, none of which could be literally fulfilled on this earth. And to this new Jerusalem will be gathered men and women of all nations, gathered to the Name of YHWH, and they will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their own hearts (see Revelation 21:24; Revelation 21:27).

    Jeremiah 3:18

    “In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers.”

    In that day there will no longer be division and disunity. Israel and Judah will once again be united, and they will come again out of the land of the north to which they had been exiled (so Judah's exile is already in mind) to the land given as an inheritance to their fathers. This certainly happened when, once Cyrus was on the throne, exiles were allowed to return to their own lands, and the Jews became one people, so much so that by the time of Jesus most could not be sure of their tribal connections, which were lost in antiquity (with the result that those who could make those connections saw themselves as superior to the others). But as previously YHWH's deliverance would fail to achieve its purpose because of man's rebellion, with the result that the promises were transferred to the new Heaven and the new earth, to the new land given to their fathers for an inheritance (Hebrews 11:10-14; Revelation 21).

    Jeremiah 3:19

    “And I said, ‘How I will put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations!' and I said, ‘You will call me My Father, and will not turn away from following me.' ”

    YHWH's intentions for them were good. They would be set among the people of the world (‘among the children' connects with ‘my Father' demonstrating that here ‘Father' has in mind God as the Lord of creation) in a pleasant land, a goodly heritage, one which was either given to them by the hosts of the nations, or one that was outstanding among the hosts of the nations, depending on how we interpret the words.

    One point being established here was that God as Creator was the Father of all the people in the world (they were His children), but that the nations as a whole had turned away from Him and had refused to follow Him. Israel were to be different. They were to call Him ‘my Father', and were to follow Him and walk in obedience to Him (as children were expected to be obedient to their fathers).

    And there, He said, ‘You will call Me ‘My Father' and will not turn away from following Me.' It is hardly necessary to point out that this was precisely the message that Jesus Christ came to bring, arriving in the land to which they had gathered and laying great emphasis on God as the heavenly Father of His believing people. And those who did respond did not turn away from following Him, even in the most adverse circumstances of severe persecution. But again its final fulfilment awaits the new Heaven and the new earth ‘wherein dwells righteousness' (2 Peter 3:13), for only there will sin be finally done away.

    ‘A goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations.' This is literally ‘a heritage of the beauty of the beauties (tsebi tsibeoth) of the nations'. We could paraphrase as ‘the beautiful heritage outstanding among the beautiful heritages of the nations', or as ‘the most beautiful heritage among those of the nations' (Hebrew regularly expressed adjectival thought in genitival phrases. Thus seeing ‘heritage of the beauty' as signifying ‘beautiful heritage', and ‘beauty of the beauties' as signifying ‘very beautiful'). The translation ‘host of the nations' comes from repointing tsibeoth (beauties) as tsebaoth (hosts)).