Jeremiah 3:13

13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, says the LORD.

Jeremiah 3:13 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 3:13

Only acknowledge thine iniquity
Or, "know" F5 it; unless a man knows his sin, and is convicted of it, he will never repent of it, or turn from it; and when he is made sensible of it, and sorry for it, he ought to acknowledge and confess it before God, against whom he has sinned; this is what is insisted upon, and all that is insisted upon; and it is the least that can be done, and is what every sensible sinner will do, who upon it may expect the discovery of pardoning grace and mercy, ( Psalms 32:5 ) ( Psalms 51:3 Psalms 51:4 ) ( Proverbs 28:13 ) ( 1 John 1:9 ) : that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God;
against his law, his declared mind and will, and notwithstanding he is the Lord thy God; against a God of love, grace, and mercy, who had loaded them with his benefits, and followed them with his goodness; all which aggravates the sin they had been guilty of: and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree;
a phrase expressive of whoredom; it is an euphemism, the same with (Mylgr qwvyp) , as Jarchi observes, "the opening of the feet", to everyone that passes by, to be lain with, ( Ezekiel 16:25 ) and is to be understood of the multiplied idolatries of Israel; and that as harlots run about here and there, and prostitute themselves to whomsoever they meet with, so they worshipped the strange gods of the Heathens everywhere, in all their cities, upon every mountain and hill, and under every green tree; see ( Jeremiah 2:20 Jeremiah 2:28 ) so the Targum,

``and thou hast corrupted thy way, thou hast joined thyself to the people that worship idols under every green tree:''
and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord:
the voice of his command in the law, which forbids idolatry; and his voice by his prophets, which reproved them for it, and exhorted them to repentance; but they regarded neither.
FOOTNOTES:

F5 (yed) "scito", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus.

Jeremiah 3:13 In-Context

11 And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has shown herself less guilty than false Judah.
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, 'Return, faithless Israel, says the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, says the LORD; I will not be angry for ever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among strangers under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, says the LORD.
14 Return, O faithless children, says the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
15 "'And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.