The big picture
Jeremiah 3 opens in verse 1 with “They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 13 with “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God…”, and closes in verse 25 with “We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, Israel, land, backsliding, Judah. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Jeremiah · King James Version · 25Jeremiah 3:1-7
1–7: They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become…
Jeremiah 3:1–7 opens with “They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he…” and reaches “And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 3 develops its own movement around LORD, Israel, land, backsliding, Judah, with particular weight carried by harlot, high, land.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 4 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
“Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for…” Naming Arabian and Lift keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Jeremiah 3:1-7
King James Version1They 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.
Jeremiah 3:8-14
8–14: I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed…
Jeremiah 3:8–14 opens with “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her…” and reaches “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD ; for I am married unto you: and I will take you…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 3 develops its own movement around LORD, Israel, land, backsliding, Judah, with particular weight carried by LORD, backsliding, Israel.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a…” Naming Israel and Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with…” This familiar narrative signal moves the clock forward. What follows is a new scene, consequence, or answer to an earlier tension.
“And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith…” Naming Judah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Jeremiah 3:8-14
King James Version8And 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:
Jeremiah 3:15-21
15–21: I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you…
Jeremiah 3:15–21 opens with “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and…” and reaches “A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 3 develops its own movement around LORD, Israel, land, backsliding, Judah, with particular weight carried by LORD, land, house.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD , they shall…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.
“At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD ; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Jeremiah 3:15-21
King James Version15And 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.
Jeremiah 3:22-25
22–25: Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings…
Jeremiah 3:22–25 opens with “Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee…” and reaches “We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Jeremiah 3 develops its own movement around LORD, Israel, land, backsliding, Judah, with particular weight carried by LORD, fathers, salvation.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD…” Naming Return keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Jeremiah 3:22-25
King James Version22Return, 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Jeremiah 3:1 begins with “They 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…”
Where the chapter turns
Jeremiah 3:9 forms a natural hinge: “And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.”
The final note
Jeremiah 3:25 leaves the reader with “We 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…”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, Israel, land, backsliding, Judah, children help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does blame move through the conversation?
The man points to the woman and indirectly to God; the woman points to the serpent. Neither response repairs trust.
Where does mercy appear?
Continued life, the promise involving offspring, and clothing accompany the expulsion.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.