Jeremiah 3:20
18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance.
19 Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me.
But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.
21 A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD their God.
22 “Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.
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
- But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.
- KJV
- Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
- WEB
- “Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says the LORD.
- ASV
- Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah.
- DARBY
- Surely [as] a woman treacherously departeth from her companion, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah.
- BLB
- As surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you⁺ dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel!” A declaration of YHWH.
- ÅB
- Men sannelig, som en kvinne er troløs mot sin venn, slik har dere vært troløse mot meg, Israels hus! sier Herren.
- OTB
- Men akkurat som en kvinne er utro mot sin mann, så har du, Israel, vært utro mot meg,” erklærer Herren.
- B1930
- Men sannelig, som en kvinne er troløs mot sin venn, således har I vært troløse mot mig, Israels hus! sier Herren.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 48:8
You have never heard; you have never understood; for a long time your ears have not been open. For I knew how deceitful you are; you have been called a rebel from birth.
Read in contextJeremiah 5:11
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,” declares the LORD.
Read in contextJeremiah 3:8–10
She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
Read in contextMalachi 2:11
Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.
Read in contextHosea 5:7
They have been unfaithful to the LORD; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the New Moon will devour them along with their land.
Read in contextEzekiel 16:15–52
But because of your fame, you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot. You lavished your favors on everyone who passed by, and your beauty was theirs for the asking.
Read in contextJeremiah 3:1–2
“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.
Read in contextHosea 6:7
But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they were unfaithful to Me.
Read in context