Jeremiah 3:8

And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. I SAW - I saw that, though (whereas) it was for this very reason (namely), because backsliding (apostate) Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away (; ), and given her a bill of divorce, yet Judah feared not, etc. (, "When her sister Aholibah saw this, she (Aholah) was more corrupt in her inordinate love," etc.) BILL OF DIVORCE - literally, a 'writing of cuttings off.' The plural implies the completeness of the severance. The use of this metaphor here, as in the fo...

He then says, _And I saw _As he had said that the kingdom of Judah had seen what happened to Israel, so he now says, that he had seen both, _See _then _did I _Now, what does he declare that he had seen? Even that Judah had played the harlot; for he now speaks of Judah as of a woman. Then God says, that it was not a thing hid from him that Judah had surpassed the crimes of her sister, not through ignorance or deception, but through deliberate wickedness: See, he says, _did I, _that notwithstanding _all these things, _she _played the harlot _He thus explains more fully what he had briefly touched upon before. He had said, that Judah had seen, but this on account of its brevity might have appeared ambiguous: he therefore explains it more at large; “_See did _Judeah that I gave a bill of divorcement to her sister, because she had played the harlot; and yet she feared not;” that. is, she thou...

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....

Verse Jeremiah 3:8. _I HAD PUT HER AWAY_] Given them up into the hands of the Assyrians....

Rather, “And I saw” that because apostate “Israel” had “committed adultery, I had put her away, and given her” the writing of her divorcement, “yet” false “Judah her sister feared not.”...The expression, “For all the causes whereby,” is probably the actual formula with which writings of divorcement commenced....

EXPOSITION That this chapter (to which the first four verses of Jeremiah 4:1. ought to have been attached) belongs to the time of Josiah seems to be proved by Jeremiah 3:6, and the years immediately following the reformation are not obscurely referred to in Jeremiah 3:4, Jeremiah 3:10. Naegelsbach gives a striking distribution of its contents. The general subject is a call to "return." First, the prophet shows that, in spite of Deuteronomy 24:1, etc; a return is possible ...

AND I SAW, WHEN FOR ALL THE CAUSES, WHEREBY BACKSLIDING ISRAEL COMMITTED ADULTERY,.... Not only Judah saw, but God, who sees all things, saw the idolatry of the ten tribes which apostatized from him, and all the springs, causes, reasons, and occasions of it, and its consequences; and also the treachery, hardness, and idolatry of Judah: I HAD PUT HER AWAY, AND GIVEN HER A BILL OF DIVORCE; as men did, when they put away their wives, as they might lawfully do in case of adultery; and here being that which answered to it, spiritual adultery or idolatry, the Lord, who was married to this people, put them away from him, and caused them to be carried captive out of their own land into another, 2 Kings 17:6 which is meant by the bill of divorce; so the Targum, "I caused them to go into captivity, as those that give a bill of divorce (to their wives) and dismiss them:'

In this chapter, the sin of God's people is put in the strongest possible light. The figure used may be even said to be a coarse one, but man's sin is itself a coarse thing. The thoughts suggested in this chapter are not what the delicate might desire; but then there is no delicacy in sin. Jeremiah 3:1. _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?_ God himself seems here to be at a non plus. His people had gone away from him, they had acted unfaithfully to him, they had joined themselves unto other gods. The case was a very difficult one. If the Lord takes these people back again, will it not look like putting a premium upon sin? That is just the question that is constantly being raised. If God freely forgives great sinners, will it not look as if he treated

THE CALL TO REPENTANCE AND JUDGMENT ANNOUNCED (3:6-6:30) CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The contrast between backslidden Israel and treacherous Judah (Jeremiah 3:6) _ 2. The call to return and the promised glory (Jeremiah 3:12) 3. The future true repentance predicted and anticipated (Jeremiah 3:19) Jeremiah 3:6. The message which begins with the sixth verse was given to Jeremiah during the reign of Josiah. There is then, first of all, a contrast between Israel (the ten tribes) and her sister Judah. (Compare with Ezekiel 23:

ISRAEL'S SIN LESS THAN JUDAH'S. This passage interrupts the continuity of Jeremiah 3:19 with Jeremiah 3:5 (note also the interruptive introductory formula, Jeremiah 3:6), and seems to be a separate prophecy, though it employs the predominant figure of this section, _i.e._ the marriage of Yahweh and His people, and is probably by Jeremiah (to Jeremiah 3:16). The northern kingdom was faithless to this marriage, through the Baal-cult; Yahweh waited for her return in vain (Jeremiah 3:7 _mg.),_ and at length divorced her ...