Jeremiah 3:8

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

6Then the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there. 7I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. 9Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the Lord.

Jeremiah 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

• And I sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• that for allכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
• the adulteriesנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
• of faithlessמְשׁוּבָהmeshûbâh meshûbâh · faithlessnessH4878
• Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• I had sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: divorceH7971
• her awayשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: divorceH7971
• givenנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• her a writסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: documentH5612
• of divorceכְּרִיתוּתkerîythûth · divorceH3748
• treacherousבָּגַדbâgad · to act treacherouslyH898
• sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
• Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• did not fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fearH3372
• but she wentהָלַךְhâlak · to go: wentH1980
• and was a harlotזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
• alsoגַּםgam · alsoH1571

Cross-references for Jeremiah 3:8

• Jeremiah 3:1God says, “If a husband divorces his wife And she goes from him And belongs to another man, Will he still return to her? Will not that land be completely polluted? But you are a harlot with many lovers; Yet you turn to Me,” declares the Lord.
• 2 Kings 17:6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried Israel away into exile to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and Habor, on the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
• 2 Kings 18:9Now in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.
• Ezekiel 23:9Therefore, I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted.
• Hosea 2:2“Contend with your mother, contend, For she is not my wife, and I am not her husband; And let her put away her harlotry from her face And her adultery from between her breasts,
• Hosea 3:4For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols.
• Hosea 4:15Though you, Israel, play the harlot, Do not let Judah become guilty; Also do not go to Gilgal, Or go up to Beth-aven And take the oath: “As the Lord lives!”
• Hosea 9:15All their evil is at Gilgal; Indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels.
• Deuteronomy 24:1“When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house,
• Isaiah 50:1Thus says the Lord, “Where is the certificate of divorce By which I have sent your mother away? Or to whom of My creditors did I sell you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, And for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
• 2 Kings 17:19Also Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but walked in the customs which Israel had introduced.
• Ezekiel 23:11“Now her sister Oholibah saw this, yet she was more corrupt in her lust than she, and her harlotries were more than the harlotries of her sister.

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

• Backsliders
• Church
• Condescension of God
• Divorce
• Idolatry
• Impenitence

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Judah
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Adultery
• Confusion
• Fornication
• Marriage

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