Jeremiah 3:9

Jeremiah 3:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
• New International Version (NIV)Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Israel treated it all so lightly—she thought nothing of committing adultery by worshiping idols made of wood and stone. So now the land has been polluted.

Context of Jeremiah 3:9

7And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8Then 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. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the Lord. 11Then the Lord said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Jeremiah 3:9 word by word

וְהָיָה֙ מִקֹּ֣ל זְנוּתָ֔הּ וַתֶּחֱנַ֖ף אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַתִּנְאַ֥ף אֶת־הָאֶ֖בֶן וְאֶת־הָעֵֽץ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass through the lightnessקֹלqôl qôl · frivolityH6963
• of her whoredomזְנוּתzenûth · fornicationH2184
• that she defiledחָנֵףchânêph · to polluteH2610
• the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• and committed adulteryנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
• with stonesאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• and with stocksעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086

Cross-references for Jeremiah 3:9

• Ezekiel 23:10They uncovered her nakedness, Took away her sons and daughters, And slew her with the sword; She became a byword among women, For they had executed judgment on her.
• Jeremiah 3:2“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.
• Jeremiah 2:7I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination.
• Jeremiah 2:27Saying to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave birth to me.’ For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble They will say, ‘Arise and save us.’
• Jeremiah 10:8But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine.
• Isaiah 57:6Among the smooth stones of the stream Is your portion; They, they, are your lot! Even to them you have poured a drink offering, You have offered a grain offering. Should I receive comfort in these?
• Ezekiel 16:17You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them.
• Hosea 4:12My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, And their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, And they have played the harlot against their God.
• Habakkuk 2:19Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’ Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, Yet in it there is no breath at all.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 3:9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The lightness of her whoredom - The grossness of her idolatry: worshipping objects the most degrading, with rites the most impure.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Lightness - Others render as in the margin. Defiled - Rather, profaned. The land especially consecrated to Yahweh‘s service was treated by Judah as a common land.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. 9defiled the land: Because Israel turned away from their faith, fertile fields stopped producing crops, and sheep did not graze on green grass (Isaiah 57:6).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. it--Some take this verse of Judah, to whom the end of Jr 3:8 refers. But Jr 3:10 puts Judah in contrast to Israel in this verse. "Yet for all this," referring to the sad example of Israel; if Jr 3:9 referred to Judah, "she" would have been written in Jr 3:10, not "Judah." Translate, "It (the putting away of Israel) had come to pass through ... whoredom; and (that is, for) she (Israel) had defiled the land" &c. [Maurer]. English Version, however, may be…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 3:9

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

In the dictionaries

• Adultery
• Confusion
• Fornication
• Marriage
• Marry
• Reserve
• Defile; Defilement
• Forehead
• Godless
• 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