Jeremiah 3:20

Jeremiah 3:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the Lord.'"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the Lord.

Context of Jeremiah 3:20

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. 19“I wanted to treat you like children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful property among the nations. I thought that you would call me Father and wouldn’t turn away from me. But like a wife who betrays her husband, so you, nation of Israel, betrayed me,” declares the Lord. 21The sound of crying is heard on the hills. It is the crying and the pleading of the people of Israel. They have become crooked and have forgotten the Lord their God. 22“Come back, you rebellious people, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful.” Here we are! We have come to you because you are the Lord our God.

Jeremiah 3:20 word by word

אָכֵ֛ן בָּגְדָ֥ה אִשָּׁ֖ה מֵרֵעָ֑הּ כֵּ֣ן בְּגַדְתֶּ֥ם בִּ֛י בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Surelyאָכֵן'âkên · surelyH403
• a wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• treacherouslyבָּגַדbâgad · to act treacherouslyH898
• departeth from her husbandרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
• with me, O houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Jeremiah 3:20

• Hosea 3:1Then the Lord told me, “Love your wife again, even though she is loved by others and has committed adultery. Love her as I, the Lord, love the Israelites, even though they have turned to other gods and love to eat raisin cakes.”
• 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 5:11The nations of Israel and Judah are unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.
• Isaiah 48:8You have never heard about them. You have never known about them. Your ears have never been open to hear them before. I know that you’ve acted very treacherously and that you have been called a rebel since you were born.
• Ezekiel 16:15“ ‘But you trusted your beauty, and you used your fame to become a prostitute. You had sex with everyone who walked by.
• Hosea 5:7They have been unfaithful to the Lord, because their children do not belong to him. Now their New Moon ⌞Festivals⌟ will devour them and their fields.
• Hosea 6:7“Like Adam, you rejected the promise. You were unfaithful to me.
• Malachi 2:11Judah has been unfaithful! A disgusting thing has been done in Israel and Jerusalem. Judah has dishonored the holy place that the Lord loves and has married a woman who worships a foreign god.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 3:20

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Surely as - Rather: “Just as.”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. 19-20But: this transitional word highlights the difference between what the Lord desired and the real situation. The Lord wanted to treat his people as his precious children, but he could not. The covenant marriage between God and his people was broken by the unfaithful wife. The Lord could not ignore this sin (Isaiah 48:8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Surely--rather, "But." husband--literally, "friend."Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 3:20

• Backsliders
• Church

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Adultery
• Confusion
• Marry
• Reserve
• Solomon, Song of
• Exodus, the Book of
• 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