Christian Standard Bible
Jeremiah 3:12
12Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say, ‘Return, unfaithful Israel. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not look on you with anger, for I am unfailing in my love. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not be angry forever.
Jeremiah 3:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Go 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Go, proclaim this message toward the north: “ ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will not be angry forever.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, "'Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever.
Context of Jeremiah 3:12
10Yet in spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah didn’t return to me with all her heart — only in pretense.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 11The Lord announced to me, “Unfaithful Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, proclaim these words to the north, and say, ‘Return, unfaithful Israel. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not look on you with anger, for I am unfailing in my love. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will not be angry forever. 13Only acknowledge your guilt — you have rebelled against the Lord your God. You have scattered your favors to strangers under every green tree and have not obeyed me. This is the Lord’s declaration. 14“‘Return, you faithless children — this is the Lord’s declaration — for I am your master, and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
Read all of Jeremiah 3Jeremiah 3:12 word by word
הָלֹ֡ךְ וְקָֽרָאתָ֩ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֨ים הָאֵ֜לֶּה צָפ֗וֹנָה וְ֠אָמַרְתָּ שׁ֣וּבָה מְשֻׁבָ֤ה יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה לֽוֹא־אַפִּ֥יל פָּנַ֖י בָּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־חָסִ֤יד אֲנִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א אֶטּ֖וֹר לְעוֹלָֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Goהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
- and proclaimקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call outH7121
- these wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- toward the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828
- and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- thou backslidingמְשׁוּבָהmeshûbâh meshûbâh · faithlessnessH4878
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- I will not cause mine angerפָּנֶהpânîym · face: angryH6440
- to fallנָפַלnâphal · to fall: angryH5307
- mercifulחָסִידchâsîyd · piousH2623
- I will not keepנָטַרnâţar · to keepH5201
- for everעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
Cross-references for Jeremiah 3:12
- Jeremiah 3:18In those days the house of Judah will join with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land I have given your ancestors to inherit.’”
- Jeremiah 23:8but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the land of the north and from all the other countries where I had banished them.’ They will dwell once more in their own land.”
- Jeremiah 31:8Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land. I will gather them from remote regions of the earth — the blind and the lame will be with them, along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth. They will return here as a great assembly!
- 2 Kings 15:29In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee — all the land of Naphtali — and deported the people to Assyria.
- 2 Kings 17:6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He deported the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, along the Habor (Gozan’s river), and in the cities of the Medes.
- 2 Kings 18:1In the third year of Israel’s King Hoshea son of Elah, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah.
- Jeremiah 3:1If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn’t such a land become totally defiled? But you! You have prostituted yourself with many partners — can you return to me? This is the Lord’s declaration.
- Jeremiah 4:1If you return, Israel — this is the Lord’s declaration — you will return to me, if you remove your abhorrent idols from my presence and do not waver,
- Isaiah 44:22I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.
- Ezekiel 33:11Tell them, ‘As I live — this is the declaration of the Lord God — I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel?’
- Hosea 6:1Come, let’s return to the Lord. For he has torn us, and he will heal us; he has wounded us, and he will bind up our wounds.
- Hosea 14:1Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity.
- Jeremiah 30:11For I will be with you — this is the Lord’s declaration — to save you! I will bring destruction on all the nations where I have scattered you; however, I will not bring destruction on you. I will discipline you justly, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.
- Jeremiah 33:26then I might also reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David. That is, I would not take rulers from his descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But in fact, I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.”
- Ezekiel 39:25“So this is what the Lord God says: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have compassion on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name.
- Hosea 11:8How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I surrender you, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? I have had a change of heart; my compassion is stirred!
Commentaries on Jeremiah 3:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Proclaim these words toward the north - The countries where the ten tribes were then in captivity, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Media, etc., see 2 Kings 17:6; these lay north of Judea. How tender and compassionate are the exhortations in this and the following verses! Could these people believe that God had sent the prophet and yet prefer the land of their bondage to the blessings of freedom in their own country, and the approbation of their God?Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12The north - The ten tribes, settled by Salmanezer in the north of Assyria. I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you - literally, I will not cause my face “to fall upon you:” i. e., “I will not receive you with averted looks.” The “and” before this clause should be omitted, as also before the next clause, “I will not keep ” I will not keep - All God‘s promises and threats are conditional upon man‘s conduct.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-20Verses 12-20 See God's readiness to pardon sin, and the blessings reserved for gospel times. These words were proclaimed toward the north; to Israel, the ten tribes, captive in Assyria. They are directed how to return. If we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive them. These promises are fully to come to pass in the bringing back the Jews in after-ages. God will graciously receive those that return to him; and by his grace, he takes…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12In this decree, the Lord invites the survivors of unfaithful Israel from a century ago to return home. God's unchanging character is merciful, and He wants to offer salvation and restoration (Jeremiah 12:15; 31:20; 33:26; 2 Kings 17:6; Psalm 86:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. Go--not actually; but turn and proclaim towards the north (Media and Assyria, where the ten tribes were located by Tiglath-pileser and Shalmaneser, 2Ki 15:29; 17:6; 18:9, 11). Return ... backsliding--Hebrew, Shubah, Meshubah, a play on sounds. In order to excite Judah to godly jealousy (Ro 11:14), Jehovah addresses the exiled ten tribes of Israel with a loving invitation. cause ... anger to fall--literally, "I will not let fall My countenance"…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 3:12
In the dictionaries
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
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