God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 3:12
12Go and proclaim these things to the north: “ ‘Come back, unfaithful Israel. It is the Lord speaking. I will no longer frown on you because I’m merciful,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will no longer be angry with you.
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
10Even after all this, Israel’s treacherous sister Judah didn’t wholeheartedly come back to me. She was deceitful,” declares the Lord. 11Then the Lord said to me, “Unfaithful Israel was less guilty than treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these things to the north: “ ‘Come back, unfaithful Israel. It is the Lord speaking. I will no longer frown on you because I’m merciful,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will no longer be angry with you. 13Admit that you’ve done wrong! You have rebelled against the Lord your God. You have given yourself to strangers under every large tree. You have not obeyed me,’ declares the Lord. 14“Come back, you rebellious people,” declares the Lord. “I’m your husband. I will take you, one from every city and two from every family, and 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 nation of Judah will live with the nation of Israel. They will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave their ancestors as their own property.
- Jeremiah 23:8Instead, their oaths will be, ‘The Lord brought the descendants of the nation of Israel out of the land of the north and all the lands where he had scattered them. As the Lord lives….’ At that time they will live in their own land.
- Jeremiah 31:8“I will bring them from the land of the north. I will gather them from the farthest parts of the earth. Blind people and lame people will return together with pregnant women and those in labor. A large crowd will return here.
- 2 Kings 15:29In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, and the entire territory of Naphtali. He also took the people away to Assyria as captives.
- 2 Kings 17:6In Hoshea’s ninth year as king of Israel, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took the Israelites to Assyria as captives. He settled them in Halah, along the Habor River in Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
- 2 Kings 18:1King Hoshea, son of Elah, had been king in Israel for three years when King Hezekiah, son of Ahaz of Judah, began to rule as king.
- Jeremiah 3:1A saying: If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, her first husband shouldn’t go back to her again. The land would become thoroughly polluted. “You have acted like a prostitute who has many lovers. And now you want to come back to me!” declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 4:1The Lord declares, “If you come back, Israel, if you come back to me, if you take your disgusting idols out of my sight and you don’t wander away from me,
- Isaiah 44:22I made your rebellious acts disappear like a thick cloud and your sins like the morning mist. Come back to me, because I have reclaimed you.
- Ezekiel 33:11“Tell them, ‘As I live, declares the Almighty Lord, I don’t want wicked people to die. Rather, I want them to turn from their ways and live. Change the way you think and act! Turn from your wicked ways! Do you want to die, people of Israel?’
- Hosea 6:1Let’s return to the Lord. Even though he has torn us to pieces, he will heal us. Even though he has wounded us, he will bandage our wounds.
- Hosea 14:1Israel, return to the Lord your God. You have stumbled because of your sins.
- Jeremiah 30:11I am with you, and I will rescue you,” declares the Lord. “I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will correct you with justice. I won’t let you go entirely unpunished.
- Jeremiah 33:26Then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David. I would not let any of David’s descendants rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, I will restore their fortunes and love them.”
- Ezekiel 39:25“So this is what the Almighty Lord says: Now I will bring back Jacob’s captives and have compassion for the whole nation of Israel. I will stand up for my holy name.
- Hosea 11:8“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboim? I have changed my mind. I am deeply moved.
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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