Jeremiah 3:1

The Polluted Land

1 God says, "¹If 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 ²are a harlot with many lovers; Yet you ³turn to Me," declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 3:1 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 3:1

They say, if a man put away his wife
Or, "saying" {w}; wherefore some connect those words with the last verse of the preceding chapter, as if they were a continuation of what the Lord had been there saying, that he would reject their confidences; so Kimchi; but they seem rather to begin a new section, or a paragraph, with what were commonly said among men, or in the law, and as the sense of that; that if a man divorced his wife upon any occasion, and she go from him;
departs from his house, and is separated from bed and board with him: and become another man's,
be married to another, as she might according to the law: shall he return unto her again?
take her to be his wife again; her latter husband not liking her, or being dead? no, he will not; he might not according to the law in ( Deuteronomy 24:4 ) and if there was no law respecting this, it can hardly be thought that he would, it being so contrary to nature, and to the order of civil society: shall not that land be greatly polluted?
either Judea, or any other, where such usages should obtain; for this, according to the law, was causing the land to sin, filling it with it, and making it liable to punishment for it; this being an abomination before the Lord. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, render it, "shall not that woman be defiled?" she is so by the latter husband; and that is a reason why she is not to be received by the former again, ( Deuteronomy 24:4 ) : but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers;
or served many idols; the number of their gods having been according to the number of their cities, ( Jeremiah 2:28 ) : yet return again to me, saith the Lord;
by repentance, and doing their first works, worshipping and serving him as formerly; so the Targum,

``return now from this time to my worship, saith the Lord.''

The Vulgate Latin version adds, "and I will receive thee"; this is an instance of great grace in the Lord, and which is not to be found among men.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 (rwmal) "dicendo", Montanus, Vatablus, Janius & Tremellius

Jeremiah 3:1 In-Context

1 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 .

2 "Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see; Where have you not been violated? By the roads you have sat for them Like an Arab in the desert, And you have polluted a land With your harlotry and with your wickedness.

3 "Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there has been no spring rain. Yet you had a harlot's forehead; You refused to be ashamed.

4 "Have you not just now called to Me, 'My Father, You are the friend of my youth?

5 'Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?' Behold, you have spoken And have done evil things, And you have had your way."

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 24:1-4
• 2. Jeremiah 2:20; Ezek 16:26, 28, 29
• 3. Jeremiah 4:1; Zechariah 1:3

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "saying"
• [b] Or "alienated"
• [c] Lit "companions"