Jeremiah 3:1

Faithfulness and loyalty Marriage

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? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.

² Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

³ Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD.
KJV: 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? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
WEB: “They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says the LORD.
ASV: They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man`s, will he return unto her again? will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith Jehovah.
DARBY: 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? Would not that land be utterly polluted? But thou hast committed fornication with many lovers; yet return to me, saith Jehovah.
BLB: They say, “If a man divorces his wife, and she goes from him and becomes another man’s, can he return to her again? Shall not that land be completely defiled? And you have played the harlot with many lovers, and yet return to Me?” A declaration of YHWH.

ÅB: Det heter: Når en mann lar sin hustru fare, og hun går fra ham og blir en annen manns, kan han da igjen komme tilbake til henne? Ville ikke da landet bli vanhelliget? Og du, du har drevet hor med mange venner og skulle enda komme tilbake til meg igjen? sier Herren.
OTB: Herren sier: “Hvis en mann skiller seg fra sin kone og hun forlater ham for å bli en annen manns kone, skal han vende tilbake til henne igjen? Ville ikke landet bli grundig besmittet? Likevel har du oppført deg som en skjøge med mange elskere; vil du vende tilbake til meg?” erklærer Herren.
B1930: Det heter: Når en mann lar sin hustru fare, og hun går fra ham og blir en annen manns, kan han da igjen komme tilbake til henne? Vilde ikke da landet bli vanhelliget? Og du, du har drevet hor med mange venner og skulde enda komme tilbake til mig igjen? sier Herren.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 24:1–4
When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
Read in context
Ezekiel 16:26
Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.
Read in context
Jeremiah 4:1
If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
Read in context
Ezekiel 23:4–49
And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.
Read in context
Jeremiah 2:20
For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.
Read in context
Ezekiel 16:28–29
Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.
Read in context
Deuteronomy 4:29–31
But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Read in context
Hosea 2:5–7
For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
Read in context