Jeremiah 31:22

How long wilt thou go hither and thither How long wilt thou hesitate to return? A sign follows, in order to induce Israel to complete her reconciliation with her offended God.

backsliding lit. back-turning, i.e. recusant, apostate.

the Lord hath created, etc.] No explanation that has been given of the latter part of the v. is quite satisfactory. But the sense clearly is that in some way the natural order of things shall be reversed. The best interpretation is perhaps that it shall be the bride that shall court her husband, i.e. "instead of shyly keeping aloof or worse (as hitherto), Israel, Jehovah's bride, shall with eager affection press around her divine husband" (Cheyne). Another explanation is that such is the Lord's condescension towards Israel, that He will for her glory allow the natural order to be reversed, and deign to accept protection (of His Temple, services, honour, etc.) at her hands. For this sense of cherishing, protecting, as belonging to the Heb. verb of the clause, we may compare Deuteronomy 32:10, "He (the Lord) ledhim (Israel) about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye"; and Psalms 32:10, "He that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compasshim about." Some commentators, by a very slight change in the Heb. vocalisation, obtain the rendering, a woman shall be turned into a man, i.e. shall be given the courage of a man, so that all fear and hesitation on her part may be at an end.