God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 3:8
8Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away because of her adultery and that I gave Israel her divorce papers. But treacherous Judah, her sister, wasn’t afraid. She also acted like a prostitute.
Jeremiah 3:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
- New International Version (NIV)I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery.
- English Standard Version (ESV)She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.
Context of Jeremiah 3:8
6When Josiah was king, the Lord asked me, “Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She went up every high mountain and under every large tree, and she acted like a prostitute there. 7I thought that after she had done all this that she would come back to me. But she didn’t come back, and her treacherous sister Judah saw her. Judah saw that I sent unfaithful Israel away because of her adultery and that I gave Israel her divorce papers. But treacherous Judah, her sister, wasn’t afraid. She also acted like a prostitute. 9Because she wasn’t concerned about acting like a prostitute, she polluted the land and committed adultery with standing stones and wood pillars. 10Even after all this, Israel’s treacherous sister Judah didn’t wholeheartedly come back to me. She was deceitful,” declares the Lord.
Read all of Jeremiah 3Jeremiah 3:8 word by word
וָאֵ֗רֶא כִּ֤י עַל־כָּל־אֹדוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִֽאֲפָה֙ מְשֻׁבָ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל שִׁלַּחְתִּ֕יהָ וָאֶתֵּ֛ן אֶת־סֵ֥פֶר כְּרִיתֻתֶ֖יהָ אֵלֶ֑יהָ וְלֹ֨א יָֽרְאָ֜ה בֹּֽגֵדָ֤ה יְהוּדָה֙ אֲחוֹתָ֔הּ וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ וַתִּ֥זֶן גַּם־הִֽיא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- when for all the causesאוֹדָה'ôdôth 'ôdôth · causeH182
- whereby backslidingמְשׁוּבָהmeshûbâh meshûbâh · faithlessnessH4878
- Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- committed adulteryנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
- I had put her awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: divorceH7971
- and givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- her a billסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
- of divorceכְּרִיתוּתkerîythûth · divorceH3748
- yet her treacherousבָּגַדbâgad · to act treacherouslyH898
- sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
- Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- fearedיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
- not, but wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- and played the harlotזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
Cross-references for Jeremiah 3:8
- 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.
- 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 18:9In Hezekiah’s fourth year as king (which was the seventh year in the reign of King Hoshea, son of Elah of Israel) King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked Samaria, blockaded it,
- Ezekiel 23:9“That is why I handed her over to her lovers, to the Assyrians whom she lusted after.
- Hosea 2:2“Plead with your mother; plead with her. She no longer acts like my wife. She no longer treats me like her husband. Tell her to stop acting like a prostitute. Tell her to remove the lovers from between her breasts.
- Hosea 3:4In the same way, the Israelites will wait a long time without kings or officials, without sacrifices or sacred stones, and without ephods or family idols.
- Hosea 4:15“Israel, you act like a prostitute. Don’t let Judah become guilty too. Don’t go to Gilgal. Don’t go to Beth Aven. Don’t take the oath, ‘As the Lord lives. …’
- Hosea 9:15“All Ephraim’s wickedness began in Gilgal; I hated the people there. I will force them out of my temple because of their wickedness, and I won’t love them anymore. All their officials are rebellious.
- Deuteronomy 24:1This is what you must do if a husband writes out a certificate of divorce, gives it to his wife, and makes her leave his house. (He divorced her because he found out something indecent about her and she no longer pleased him.)
- Isaiah 50:1This is what the Lord says: Where are your mother’s divorce papers? Did I give her any to get rid of her? To which of my creditors did I sell you? You were sold because of your sins. I got rid of your mother because of your rebellion.
- 2 Kings 17:19Even Judah didn’t obey the commands of the Lord their God but lived according to Israel’s customs.
- Ezekiel 23:11“Even though her younger sister Oholibah saw this, Oholibah lusted after men more than her sister did. Oholibah’s prostitution became worse than her sister’s prostitution.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 3:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8I had put her away - Given them up into the hands of the Assyrians.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Rather, “And I saw” that because apostate “Israel” had “committed adultery, I had put her away, and given her” the writing of her divorcement, “yet” false “Judah her sister feared not.” The expression, “For all the causes whereby,” is probably the actual formula with which writings of divorcement commenced.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. 8divorce: See 2 Kings 17:23.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. I saw that, though (whereas) it was for this very reason (namely), because backsliding (apostate) Israel had committed adultery I had put her away (2Ki 17:6, 18), and given her a bill of divorce, yet Judah, &c. (Eze 23:11, &c.). bill of divorce--literally, "a writing of cuttings off." The plural implies the completeness of the severance. The use of this metaphor here, as in the former discourse (Jr 3:1), implies a close connection between the…Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 3:8
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
Commentaries