Jeremiah 3:8. And I saw, &c.— And I saw when on account of the adultery which backsliding Israel had committed, &c. Houbigant renders the words, I saw, in the third person; Nay, though she saw, that l had put away backsliding Israel, for all the adulteries, &c. read more
8. I saw that, though (whereas) it was for this very reason (namely), because backsliding (apostate) Israel had committed adultery I had put her away (2 Kings 17:6; 2 Kings 17:18), and given her a bill of divorce, yet Judah, c. (2 Kings 17:18- :, &c.). 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 former discourse (2 Kings 17:18- :), implies a close connection between the discourses. The... read more
Aspects of false religion 7:1-8:3All the messages in this section deal with departure from the Lord in religious practices, either in pagan rites or in the perversion of the proper worship of Yahweh that the Mosaic Law specified. All the material in this section fits conditions in Judah after 609 B.C., when Jehoiakim began allowing a return to pagan practices after the end of Josiah’s reforms. Another feature of this section is the large amount of prose material it contains, much more than the... read more
The persistent harlotry of Israel and Judah 3:6-10 read more
Yahweh decided to put away His unfaithful "wife" Israel, to divorce her. So He sent her off to Assyria in captivity. But observing the consequences of Israel’s conduct did not discourage Judah from following in her sister’s footsteps. She too became a spiritual harlot and betrayed the trust of her "husband." Yahweh’s relationship to both Israel and Judah was the same in that both kingdoms were His chosen people. We should not press the illustration too far or we come out with a picture of God... read more
The Prophet Sets Forth the Sin of the Nation and Points Out the Inevitable Result (Reign of Josiah, and Probably Before the Reforms of that King: cp. Jer 3:6)This section furnishes us with the gist of the prophet's testimony during the early years of his ministry, and doubtless represents the commencement of the roll written by Baruch at Jeremiah's dictation. In these five chapters he lays before his hearers the grossness of their conduct in deserting Jehovah, and urges repentance and amendment... read more
Jeremiah's Third Prophecy. The Fate of the Ten Tribes a Warning to JudahIn this prophecy, as in the last, idolatry is denounced under the figure of unfaithfulness to the marriage vow. But as a marked distinction, God here invites to repentance, and on this there hinges pardon.6-20. Israel and Judah have both forsaken their Divine Spouse, but forgiveness will follow repentance.7-11. Samaria, the capital of the kingdom of the Ten Tribes, after a stubborn resistance had been captured by Sargon,... read more
(8) And I saw, when for all the causes.—Better, perhaps (following a conjectural emendation, which gives a much better sense), And she saw that for all the causes. The technical fulness of the words suggests the thought that they were actually the customary formula with which every writing of divorcement began, recapitulating the offences which were alleged by the husband against the wife. The actual repudiation consisted, of course, in the bitter exile and loss of national life, which Hosea... read more
The Heavenly Guide (Sermon to the Young) Jeremiah 3:4 We are all travellers, but are not all travellingin the same direction. We need a guide. There is no difficulty in finding one. There is only one to be relied upon. I. Some of the Reasons Why we Need a Guide. 1. Our ignorance of the way. 2. Our liability to take the wrong path. 3. Our liability to leave the right path after we have chosen it. II. Some of the Reasons Why we Should Take God as Our Guide. 4. Because He knows the way. 5.... read more
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E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Jeremiah 3:8
And I saw. In transcribing from the ancient characters, Aleph (= a) was perhaps taken for Tau (= t), the two letters differing only in one minute stroke (=) and (=). This shows that the primitive reading was = "Though she saw". The Vulg, has preserved the ancient reading, which the Revised Version has put in the margin. given her a bill, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 24:1 ). Compare Isaiah 50:1 .Mark 10:4 . read more