Jeremiah 3:9

Jeremiah 3:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
• New International Version (NIV)Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.

Context of Jeremiah 3:9

7I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. 8She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD. 11And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah.

Jeremiah 3:9 word by word

וְהָיָה֙ מִקֹּ֣ל זְנוּתָ֔הּ וַתֶּחֱנַ֖ף אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַתִּנְאַ֥ף אֶת־הָאֶ֖בֶן וְאֶת־הָעֵֽץ׃Read the interlinear

• Indifferent toהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• Indifferent toקֹלqôl qôl · frivolityH6963
• her own infidelityזְנוּתzenûth · fornicationH2184
• had defiledחָנֵףchânêph · to polluteH2610
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and committed adulteryנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
• with stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• and treesעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086

Cross-references for Jeremiah 3:9

• Ezekiel 23:10They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and put her to the sword. Thus she became a byword among women, and they executed judgment against her.
• Jeremiah 3:2“Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
• Jeremiah 2:7I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and bounty, but you came and defiled My land and made My inheritance detestable.
• Jeremiah 2:27say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Yet in the time of trouble, they say, ‘Rise up and save us!’
• Jeremiah 10:8But they are altogether senseless and foolish, instructed by worthless idols made of wood!
• Isaiah 57:6Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. Even to them you have poured out a drink offering and offered a grain offering. Should I relent because of these?
• Ezekiel 16:17You also took the fine jewelry of gold and silver I had given you, and you made male idols with which to prostitute yourself.
• Hosea 4:12My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.
• Habakkuk 2:19Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

Commentaries on Jeremiah 3:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The lightness of her whoredom - The grossness of her idolatry: worshipping objects the most degrading, with rites the most impure.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Lightness - Others render as in the margin. Defiled - Rather, profaned. The land especially consecrated to Yahweh‘s service was treated by Judah as a common land.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-11Verses 6-11 If we mark the crimes of those who break off from a religious profession, and the consequences, we see abundant reason to shun evil ways. It is dreadful to be proved more criminal than those who have actually perished in their sins; yet it will be small comfort in everlasting punishment, for them to know that others were viler than they.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9defiled the land: Because Israel turned away from their faith, fertile fields stopped producing crops, and sheep did not graze on green grass (Isaiah 57:6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. it--Some take this verse of Judah, to whom the end of Jr 3:8 refers. But Jr 3:10 puts Judah in contrast to Israel in this verse. "Yet for all this," referring to the sad example of Israel; if Jr 3:9 referred to Judah, "she" would have been written in Jr 3:10, not "Judah." Translate, "It (the putting away of Israel) had come to pass through ... whoredom; and (that is, for) she (Israel) had defiled the land" &c. [Maurer]. English Version, however, may be…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 3:9

• Backsliders
• Church
• Condescension of God
• Idolatry
• Impenitence

In the dictionaries

• Adultery
• Confusion
• Fornication
• Marriage
• Marry
• Reserve
• Defile; Defilement
• Forehead
• Godless
• Habaziniah

Commentaries on Jeremiah 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings