Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers— would you now return to me?” declares the LORD. New Living Translation “If a man divorces a woman and she goes and marries someone else, he will not take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, so why are you trying to come back to me?” says the LORD. English Standard Version “If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the LORD. Berean Standard Bible “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD. King James Bible They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. New King James Version “They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the LORD. New American Standard Bible God says, “If a husband divorces his wife And she leaves him And becomes another man’s wife, Will he return to her again? Would that land not be completely defiled? But you are a prostitute with many lovers; Yet you turn to Me,” declares the LORD. NASB 1995 God 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. NASB 1977 God 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. Legacy Standard Bible God 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 Yahweh. Amplified Bible That is to say, “If a man divorces his wife And she goes [away] from him And becomes another man’s [wife], Will he return to her again? [Of course not!] Will not that land [where such a thing happened] be completely desecrated? But you [rebelled against Me and you] are a prostitute with many lovers; Yet you turn to Me.” says the LORD. Christian Standard Bible If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn’t such a land become totally defiled? But you! You have prostituted yourself with many partners — can you return to me? This is the LORD’s declaration. Holman Christian Standard Bible If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn’t such a land become totally defiled? But you! You have played the prostitute with many partners— can you return to Me? This is the LORD’s declaration. American Standard Version They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, will he return unto her again? will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith Jehovah. Contemporary English Version The LORD said to the people of Israel: If a divorced woman marries, can her first husband ever marry her again? No, because this would pollute the land. But you have more gods than a prostitute has lovers. Why should I take you back? English Revised Version They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. GOD'S WORD® Translation A 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. Good News Translation The LORD says, "If a man divorces his wife, and she leaves him and becomes another man's wife, he cannot take her back again. This would completely defile the land. But, Israel, you have had many lovers, and now you want to return to me! International Standard Version "When a man divorces his wife, she leaves him and becomes another man's wife, will the first husband return to her again? The land would be deeply polluted, would it not? Since you have committed fornication with many lovers, would you now return to me?" declares the LORD. Majority Standard Bible “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD. NET Bible "If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and becomes another man's wife, he may not take her back again. Doing that would utterly defile the land. But you, Israel, have given yourself as a prostitute to many gods. So what makes you think you can return to me?" says the LORD. New Heart English Bible "They say, 'If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and become another man's, will he return to her again?' Wouldn't that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me," says the LORD. Webster's Bible Translation They say, If a man shall put away his wife, and she shall go from him, and become another man's, shall he return to her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. World English Bible “They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says Yahweh. Literal Translations Literal Standard Version“Saying, Behold, one sends his wife away, "" And she has gone from him, "" And she has been to another man, "" Does he return to her again? Is that land not greatly defiled? And you have committed whoredom with many lovers, "" And turn to Me again,” "" A declaration of YHWH. Young's Literal Translation Saying, 'Lo, one sendeth away his wife, And she hath gone from him, And she hath been to another man, Doth he turn back unto her again? Greatly defiled is not that land? And thou hast committed whoredom with many lovers, And turn again to Me, an affirmation of Jehovah. Smith's Literal Translation Saying, If a man shall send away his wife, and she went from him and she was to another man, shall he yet turn back to her? Being defiled, shall not that land be defiled? and thou committedst fornication with many shepherds; and turn back to me, says Jehovah. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleIt is commonly said: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and marry another man, shall he return to her any more? shall not that woman be polluted, and defiled? but thou hast prostituted thyself to many lovers: nevertheless return to me, saith the Lord, and I will receive thee. Catholic Public Domain Version “It is commonly said: ‘If a man has divorced his wife, and she departs from him, she will marry another man.’ So why would he return to her again? Is not that woman polluted and defiled? But you have fornicated yourself with many lovers. Even so, return to me, says the Lord, and I will accept you. New American Bible If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and then becomes the wife of another, Can she return to the first? Would not this land be wholly defiled? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers, and yet you would return to me!—oracle of the LORD. New Revised Standard Version If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s wife, will he return to her? Would not such a land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? says the LORD. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleIF a man put away his wife, and she go from him and become another man's wife, and he return to her again, behold, the land shall be defiled. But you have committed adultery with many rulers; return again to me, says the LORD. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated If a man will divorce his wife and she will go from unity with him and she will be with another man, if she returns to him again, behold the land shall certainly be defiled; and you have committed prostitution with many Shepherds. Return to me, says LORD JEHOVAH OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917saying: If a man put away his wife, And she go from him, And become another man's, May he return unto her again? Will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; And wouldest thou yet return to Me? Saith the LORD. Brenton Septuagint Translation If a man put away his wife, and she depart from him, and become another man's, shall she return to him any more at all? shall not that woman be utterly defiled? ye thou hast gone a-whoring with many shepherds, and hast returned to me, saith the Lord. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Wages of the Harlot1“ If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD. 2“Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.… Cross References Deuteronomy 24:1-4 If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. / If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife, / and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies, ... Hosea 2:2-3 Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not My wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adultery from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts. / Otherwise, I will strip her naked and expose her like the day of her birth. I will make her like a desert and turn her into a parched land, and I will let her die of thirst. Isaiah 50:1 This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away. Ezekiel 16:32 You adulterous wife! You receive strangers instead of your own husband! Matthew 5:31-32 It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ / But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Mark 10:2-12 Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired. / “What did Moses command you?” He replied. / They answered, “Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.” ... Luke 16:18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Romans 7:2-3 For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. / But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. Hosea 3:1 Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.” Isaiah 54:5-8 For your husband is your Maker—the LORD of Hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. / For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, like the rejected wife of one’s youth,” says your God. / “For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will bring you back. ... Ezekiel 23:1-4 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, / “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother, / and they played in Egypt, prostituting themselves from their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin bosoms caressed. ... Malachi 2:14-16 Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. / Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. / “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith. James 4:4 You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God. Revelation 2:4-5 But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. / Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Treasury of Scripture They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return to her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but you have played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, said the LORD. they say. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house… shall not that Jeremiah 3:9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. Jeremiah 2:7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. Leviticus 18:24-28 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: … but thou hast Jeremiah 2:20,23 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot… Deuteronomy 22:21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you. Judges 19:2 And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months. yet return Jeremiah 3:12-14,22 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever… Jeremiah 4:1,14 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove… Jeremiah 8:4-6 Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return? … Jump to Previous Greatly Harlot Husband Lovers Played Polluted Prostitute Wife Won't WouldestJump to Next Greatly Harlot Husband Lovers Played Polluted Prostitute Wife Won't WouldestJeremiah 3 1. God's great mercy to Judah the polluted land6. Judah is worse than Israel 12. The promises of the gospel to the penitent 20. Israel reproved, and called by God, makes a solemn confession of their sins If a man divorces his wife This phrase introduces a legal and relational scenario that was familiar in ancient Israelite society. The Hebrew word for "divorces" is "שָׁלַח" (shalach), which means to send away or dismiss. In the context of the Mosaic Law, divorce was permitted but regulated (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). The act of divorce was not taken lightly, as marriage was a covenantal relationship meant to reflect God's faithfulness to His people. This opening sets the stage for a discussion on faithfulness and covenant, both in human relationships and in the relationship between God and Israel. and she leaves him and marries another man should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— would you now return to Me?” declares the LORD (1) The parable of the guilty wife who is condemned in spite of all her denials is carried out to its logical results. They say.--Better, So to speak, as introducing a new application of the figure. The direct reference is to Deuteronomy 24:4, which forbade the return to the past husband as an abomination, a law which the recent discovery of the Book of the Law (2Kings 22:10-11) had probably brought into prominence. But there is also an obvious allusion to the like imagery in Hosea. There the prophet had done, literally or in parable, what the law had forbidden (Hosea 2:16; Hosea 3:3), and so had held out the possibility of return and the hope of pardon. Jeremiah has to play a sterner part. and to make the apostate adulteress at least feel that she had sinned too deeply to have any claims to forgiveness. It might seem as if Jehovah could not now return to the love of His espousals, and make her what she once had been. Yet return again to me, saith the Lord.--The words sound in the English like a gracious invitation, and--in spite of the authority of many interpreters who take it as an indignant exclamation, and return to me! an invitation given in irony, and so equivalent to rejection, as though that return were out of the question--it must, I think, be so taken. The prophet has, as we have seen, the history of Hosea in his mind, where there had been such a call to return (Hosea 2:19; Hosea 3:3), and actually refers to it and repeats it in Jeremiah 3:7; Jeremiah 3:12; Jeremiah 3:14. It surely implies a want of insight into the character of Jeremiah to suppose that he ever came before men as proclaiming an irrevocable condemnation, excluding the possibility of repentance. . . . Verse 1. - They say, etc.; as the margin of Authorized Version correctly states, the Hebrew simply has "saying." Various ingenious attempts have been made to explain this. Hitzig, for instance, followed by Dr. Payne Smith, thinks that "saying" may be an unusual equivalent for "that is to say," "for example," or the like; while the Vulgate and Rashi, followed by De Wette and Rosenmüller, assume an ellipsis, and render, "It is commonly said," or "I might say." But far the most natural way is to suppose that "saying" is a fragment of the superscription of the prophecy, the remainder of which has been accidentally placed in ver. 6, and that we should read, "And the word of the Lord came unto me in the days of Josiah the king, saying." So J. D. Michaelis, Ewald, Graf, Naegelsbach. If a man put away his wife. The argument is founded on the law of Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which forbade an Israelite who had divorced his wife to take her again, if in the interval she had been married to another. The Jews had broken a still more sacred tie, not once only, but repeatedly; they worshipped "gods many and lords many;" so that they had no longer any claim on Jehovah in virtue of his "covenant" with his people. Shall he return, etc.? rather, Ought he to return? The force of the term is potential (comp. Authorized Version of Genesis 34:7, "which thing ought not to be done"). Shall not in the next clause is rather would not. Yet return again to me. So Peshito, Targum, Vulgate, and the view may seem to be confirmed by the invitations in vers. 12, 14, 22. But as it is obviously inconsistent with the argument of the verse, and as the verb may equally well be the infinitive or the imperative, most recent commentators render, "And thinkest thou to return to me?" (literally, and returning to me! implying that the very idea is inconceivable). Probably Jeremiah was aware that many of the Jews were dissatisfied with the religious condition of the nation (comp. ver. 4).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew “Ifהֵ֣ן (hên) Interjection Strong's 2005: Lo! behold! a man אִ֣ישׁ (’îš) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person divorces יְשַׁלַּ֣ח (yə·šal·laḥ) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out his wife אִשְׁתּוֹ֩ (’iš·tōw) Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female and she leaves וְהָלְכָ֨ה (wə·hā·lə·ḵāh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk him מֵאִתּ֜וֹ (mê·’it·tōw) Preposition-m | Direct object marker | third person masculine singular Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case to marry וְהָיְתָ֣ה (wə·hā·yə·ṯāh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be another, אַחֵ֗ר (’a·ḥêr) Adjective - masculine singular Strong's 312: Hinder, next, other can he ever ע֔וֹד (‘ō·wḏ) Adverb Strong's 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more return הֲיָשׁ֤וּב (hă·yā·šūḇ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again to her? אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ (’ê·le·hā) Preposition | third person feminine singular Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to Would not הֲל֛וֹא (hă·lō·w) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no such הַהִ֑יא (ha·hî) Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are a land הָאָ֣רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land be completely חָנ֥וֹף (ḥā·nō·wp̄) Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Strong's 2610: To be polluted or profane defiled? תֶּחֱנַ֖ף (te·ḥĕ·nap̄) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 2610: To be polluted or profane But you וְאַ֗תְּ (wə·’at) Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person feminine singular Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you have played the harlot זָנִית֙ (zā·nîṯ) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine singular Strong's 2181: To commit adultery, to commit idolatry with many רַבִּ֔ים (rab·bîm) Adjective - masculine plural Strong's 7227: Much, many, great lovers— רֵעִ֣ים (rê·‘îm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow and you would return וְשׁ֥וֹב (wə·šō·wḇ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again to Me?” אֵלַ֖י (’ê·lay) Preposition | first person common singular Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to declares נְאֻם־ (nə·’um-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 5002: An oracle the LORD. יְהֹוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel Links Jeremiah 3:1 NIVJeremiah 3:1 NLT Jeremiah 3:1 ESV Jeremiah 3:1 NASB Jeremiah 3:1 KJV Jeremiah 3:1 BibleApps.com Jeremiah 3:1 Biblia Paralela Jeremiah 3:1 Chinese Bible Jeremiah 3:1 French Bible Jeremiah 3:1 Catholic Bible OT Prophets: Jeremiah 3:1 They say If a man put away (Jer.) |
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