Jeremías 3

1 Dicen: Si alguno dejare su mujer, y yéndose ésta de él se juntare a otro varón, ¿Por ventura volverá a ella más? ¿Por ventura no es ella tierra del todo amancillada? Tú, pues, has fornicado con muchos amigos; mas vuélvete a mí, dijo el SEÑOR

2 Alza tus ojos a los altos, y ve en qué lugar no te hayas publicado; para ellos te sentabas en los caminos, como árabe en el desierto; y con tus fornicaciones y con tu malicia has contaminado la tierra

3 Por esta causa las aguas han sido detenidas, y faltó la lluvia de la tarde; y has tenido frente de mala mujer, ni quisiste tener vergüenza

4 A lo menos desde ahora, ¿no clamarás a mí, Padre mío, guiador de mi juventud

5 ¿Por ventura guardará su enojo para siempre? ¿Eternalmente lo guardará? He aquí que has hablado y hecho cuantas maldades pudiste

6 Y me dijo el SEÑOR en días del rey Josías: ¿Has visto lo que ha hecho la rebelde Israel? Ella se va sobre todo monte alto y debajo de todo árbol umbroso, y allí fornica

7 Y dije después que hizo todo esto: Vuélvete a mí; mas no se volvió. Y lo vio la rebelde su hermana Judá

8 Que yo lo había visto; que por todas estas causas en las cuales fornicó la rebelde Israel, yo la envié, y le di la carta de su repudio; y no tuvo temor la rebelde Judá su hermana, sino que también fue ella y fornicó

9 Y sucedió que por juzgar ella cosa liviana su fornicación, la tierra fue contaminada, y adulteró con la piedra y con el leño

10 Y con todo esto, la rebelde su hermana Judá nunca se tornó a mí de todo su corazón, sino mentirosamente, dijo el SEÑOR

11 Y me dijo el SEÑOR: Se ha justificado su alma la rebelde Israel en comparación de la desleal Judá

12 Ve, y clama estas palabras hacia el aquilón, y di: Vuélvete, oh rebelde Israel, dijo el SEÑOR; no haré caer mi ira sobre vosotros, porque Misericordioso soy, dijo el SEÑOR, ni guardaré para siempre el enojo

13 Conoce, empero, tu iniquidad, porque contra el SEÑOR tu Dios te has rebelado, y tus caminos has derramado a los extraños debajo de todo árbol umbroso, y no oíste mi voz, dice el SEÑOR

14 Convertíos, oh hijos rebeldes, dijo el SEÑOR, porque yo soy vuestro Señor, y yo os tomaré uno de una ciudad, y dos de una familia, y os introduciré en Sion

15 Y os daré pastores según mi corazón, que os apacienten con ciencia y con inteligencia

16 Y acontecerá, que cuando os multiplicareis y creciereis en la tierra, en aquellos días, dijo el SEÑOR, no se dirá más: Arca del Pacto del SEÑOR; ni vendrá al pensamiento, ni se acordarán de ella, ni la visitarán, ni se hará más

17 En aquel tiempo llamarán a Jerusalén: Trono del SEÑOR, y todos los gentiles se congregarán a ella en el nombre del SEÑOR en Jerusalén; ni andarán más tras la dureza de su corazón malvado

18 En aquellos tiempos irán de la Casa de Judá a la Casa de Israel. Y vendrán juntamente de tierra del aquilón a la tierra que hice heredar a vuestros padres

19 Pero yo dije: ¿Cómo te pondré por hijos, y te daré la tierra deseable, la heredad de codicia de los ejércitos de los gentiles? Y dije: Padre mío me llamarás, y no te apartarás de en pos de mí

20 Mas como la mujer quiebra la fe de su compañero, así prevaricasteis contra mí, oh Casa de Israel, dijo el SEÑOR

21 Voz sobre las alturas fue oída, llanto de los ruegos de los hijos de Israel; porque han torcido su camino, del SEÑOR su Dios se han olvidado

22 Convertíos, hijos rebeldes, sanaré vuestras rebeliones. He aquí nosotros venimos a ti; porque tú eres el SEÑOR nuestro Dios

23 Ciertamente vanidad son los collados, la multitud de los montes; ciertamente en el SEÑOR nuestro Dios está la salvación de Israel

24 Confusión consumió el trabajo de nuestros padres desde nuestra juventud; sus ovejas, sus vacas, sus hijos y sus hijas

25 Yacemos en nuestra confusión, y nuestra afrenta nos cubre, porque pecamos contra el SEÑOR nuestro Dios, nosotros y nuestros padres, desde nuestra juventud y hasta este día; y no oímos la voz del SEÑOR nuestro Dios

Jeremías 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

Exhortations to repentance. (1-5) Judah more guilty than Israel. (6-11) But pardon is promised. (12-20) The children of Israel express their sorrow and repentance. (21-25)

Verses 1-5 In repentance, it is good to think upon the sins of which we have been guilty, and the places and companies where they have been committed. How gently the Lord had corrected them! In receiving penitents, he is God, and not man. Whatever thou hast said or done hitherto, wilt thou not from this time apply to me? Will not this grace of God overcome thee? Now pardon is proclaimed, wilt thou not take the benefit? They will hope to find in him the tender compassions of a Father towards a returning prodigal. They will come to him as the Guide of their youth: youth needs a guide. Repenting sinners may encourage themselves that God will not keep his anger to the end. All God's mercies, in every age, suggest encouragement; and what can be so desirable for the young, as to have the Lord for their Father, and the Guide of their youth? Let parents daily direct their children earnestly to seek this blessing.

Verses 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.

Verses 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 them out from among the rest. The ark of the covenant was not found after the captivity. The whole of that dispensation was to be done away, which took place after the multitude of believers had been greatly increased by the conversion of the Gentiles, and of the Israelites scattered among them. A happy state of the church is foretold. He can teach all to call him Father; but without thorough change of heart and life, no man can be a child of God, and we have no security for not departing from Him.

Verses 21-25 Sin is turning aside to crooked ways. And forgetting the Lord our God is at the bottom of all sin. By sin we bring ourselves into trouble. The promise to those that return is, God will heal their backslidings, by his pardoning mercy, his quieting peace, and his renewing grace. They come devoting themselves to God. They come disclaiming all expectations of relief and succour from any but the Lord. Therefore they come depending upon him only. He is the Lord, and he only can save. It points out the great salvation from sin Jesus Christ wrought out for us. They come justifying God in their troubles, and judging themselves for their sins. True penitents learn to call sin shame, even the sin they have been most pleased with. True penitents learn to call sin death and ruin, and to charge upon it all they suffer. While men harden themselves in sin, contempt and misery are their portion: for he that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall find mercy.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 3

In this chapter the sins of the people of Israel and Judah are exposed; particularly their idolatry, signified by playing the harlot; which is aggravated by the number of lovers or idols they had worshipped; by the many places where they had committed it; by their impudence in doing it; and by the bad consequence of it, showers of rain being withheld from them on that account, Jer 3:1-3 and the grace of God towards them is abundantly declared by frequent calls unto them to repent and turn to him, and this after putting them away, which is not usual, Jer 3:1,8, the Lord expostulates with them, and puts words into their mouths, what they should say to him, even after they had spoken and done as evil things as they could, Jer 3:4,5 the sin of Judah is particularly aggravated, by having seen what Israel, or the ten tribes, had done; their impenitence, notwithstanding the divine call; their going into captivity for their sin; and yet all this had no effect on Judah, to restrain them from the like sins, and to engage them to repentance; so that, of the two, the men of Judah were most to blame, Jer 3:6-11, wherefore the prophet is bid to go towards the north, where Babylon lay, and Israel were carried captive, and call upon them to return to the Lord, and proclaim his grace and mercy to them, only insisting upon an acknowledgment of their sins, their idolatry and disobedience, Jer 3:12,13 and next the call to them to return is repeated; to which they are encouraged by observing the relations, they stood in to him, which continued, by promising to bring a remnant of them to Zion, and give them pastors approved of by him, and profitable to them, Jer 3:14,15 which respect Gospel times, and the latter day, when the ceremonial law would be abrogated, Jer 3:16, the Gentiles called, Jer 3:17 and an entire agreement between Judah and Israel, Jer 3:18 and yet the Lord expresses a concern how he should reckon them as his children, and treat them as such, who had behaved so ill towards him; but his grace gets over the difficulties; finds out a way, by putting it into their mouths to call him their Father, and not turn away from him, Jer 3:19 and this, notwithstanding their great treachery to him, perversion of their ways, and forgetfulness of the Lord, Jer 3:20,21, and they are again exhorted to repent and turn, with a promise of healing their backslidings, which has such an effect upon them, as to engage them to come to him, Jer 3:22 acknowledging their salvation is only in him, and not in their idols; and that sin was the cause of all their calamities; and that shame and confusion of face belonged unto them on that account, Jer 3:23-25.