God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 3:2
2“Look at the bare hills, and see. You have had sex with men in every place. You sat by the roadside waiting for them like a nomad in the desert. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
Jeremiah 3:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Lift 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.
- New International Version (NIV)“Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been ravished? By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers like an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them Like an Arabian in the wilderness; And you have polluted the land With your harlotries and your wickedness.
Context of Jeremiah 3:2
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. “Look at the bare hills, and see. You have had sex with men in every place. You sat by the roadside waiting for them like a nomad in the desert. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and wickedness. 3So the rain has been withheld, and there have been no spring showers. Yet, you have the shameless look of a prostitute, and you refuse to blush. 4But now you are calling to me. You say, ‘Father! You have been my companion ever since I was young.
Read all of Jeremiah 3Jeremiah 3:2 word by word
שְׂאִֽי־עֵינַ֨יִךְ עַל־שְׁפָיִ֜ם וּרְאִ֗י אֵיפֹה֙ לֹ֣א שֻׁכַּ֔בְתְּ עַל־דְּרָכִים֙ יָשַׁ֣בְתְּ לָהֶ֔ם כַּעֲרָבִ֖י בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַתַּחֲנִ֣יפִי אֶ֔רֶץ בִּזְנוּתַ֖יִךְ וּבְרָעָתֵֽךְ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Lift upנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: lookH5375
- thine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- unto the high placesשְׁפִיshephîy · barenessH8205
- and seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- whereאֵיפֹה'êyphôh · where?H375
- thou hast not been lienשָׁכַבshâkab · to lie down: have sexH7901
- thou hast not been lienשָׁגֵלshâgal · to ravishH7693
- with. In the waysדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
- hast thou satיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- for them, as the Arabianעֲרָבִי‛ărâbîy ‛arbîy · ArabH6163
- in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- and thou hast pollutedחָנֵףchânêph · to polluteH2610
- the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- with thy whoredomsזְנוּתzenûth · fornicationH2184
- and with thy wickednessרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
Cross-references for Jeremiah 3:2
- Jeremiah 2:23“How can you say that you haven’t dishonored yourselves and haven’t followed other gods—the Baals? Look how you’ve behaved in the valley. Acknowledge what you’ve done. You are like a young camel that swiftly runs here and there.
- Ezekiel 8:4There I saw the glory of Israel’s God as I did in the vision that I saw in the valley.
- Luke 16:23He went to hell, where he was constantly tortured. As he looked up, in the distance he saw Abraham and Lazarus.
- Jeremiah 2:20“Long ago you broke off your yoke, tore off your chains, and said that you wouldn’t be a slave. You lay down and acted like a prostitute on every high hill and under every large tree.
- Deuteronomy 12:2Completely destroy all the worship sites on the high mountains, on the hills, and under every large tree. The people you’re forcing out worship their gods in these places.
- 1 Kings 11:3He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 wives who were concubines.
- 2 Kings 23:13The king made the illegal places of worship east of Jerusalem unclean. They were on the southern part of the Hill of Destruction. King Solomon of Israel had built them for Astarte (the disgusting goddess of the Sidonians), Chemosh (the disgusting god of Moab), and Milcom (the disgusting god of the Ammonites).
- Ezekiel 16:16You took some of your clothes and made your worship sites colorful. This is where you acted like a prostitute. Such things shouldn’t happen. They shouldn’t occur.
- Ezekiel 20:28I brought them to the land that I promised to give them. When they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, they made sacrifices and brought offerings there to make me angry. There they offered their sacrifices and poured out their wine offerings.
- Genesis 38:14she took off her widow’s clothes, covered her face with a veil, and disguised herself. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. (She did this because she realized that Shelah was grown up now, and she hadn’t been given to him in marriage.)
- Proverbs 7:11She is loud and rebellious. Her feet will not stay at home.
- Proverbs 23:28She is like a robber, lying in ambush. She spreads unfaithfulness throughout society.
- Ezekiel 16:24you built yourself platforms and illegal worship sites in every city square.
- 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 2:7I brought them into a fertile land to eat its fruit and its produce. They came and made my land unclean. They made my property disgusting.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 3:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2As the Arabian in the wilderness - They were as fully intent on the practice of their idolatry as the Arab in the desert is in lying in wait to plunder the caravans. Where they have not cover to lie in ambush, they scatter themselves about, and run hither and thither, raising themselves up on their saddles to see if they can discover, by smoke, dust, or other token, the approach of any travelers.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2These words are not the language of consolation to the conscience-stricken, but of vehement expostulation with hardened sinners. They prove, therefore, the truth of the interpretation put upon the preceding verse. As the Arabian - The freebooting propensities of the Bedouin had passed in ancient times into a proverb. As eager as the desert-tribes were for plunder, so was Israel for idolatry.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2As the Lord's bride (see Jeremiah 2:2), Israel was not supposed to worship other gods.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. high places--the scene of idolatries which were spiritual adulteries. In ... ways ... sat for them--watching for lovers like a prostitute (Ge 38:14, 21; Pr 7:12; 23:28; Eze 16:24, 25), and like an Arab who lies in wait for travellers. The Arabs of the desert, east and south of Palestine, are still notorious as robbers.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 3:2
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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