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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 3:6-11

The date of this sermon must be observed, in order to the right understanding of it; it was in the days of Josiah, who set on foot a blessed work of reformation, in which he was hearty, but the people were not sincere in their compliance with it; to reprove them for that, and warn them of the consequences of their hypocrisy, is the scope of that which God here said to the prophet, and which he delivered to them. The case of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah is here compared, the ten tribes... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 3:12-19

Here is a great deal of gospel in these verses, both that which was always gospel, God's readiness to pardon sin and to receive and entertain returning repenting sinners, and those blessings which were in a special manner reserved for gospel times, the forming and founding of the gospel church by bringing into it the children of God that were scattered abroad, the superseding of the ceremonial law, and the uniting of Jews and Gentiles, typified by the uniting of Israel and Judah in their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 3:11

And the Lord said unto me ,.... To the Prophet Jeremiah, as in Jeremiah 3:6 and at or about the same time: the backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah ; that is, was comparatively more righteous; of the two she appeared the most righteous; though neither of them could vindicate their conduct, or justify themselves before God; see Luke 18:14 . Judah was most to blame, because that after Israel committed idolatry, and was carried captive, she took no... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 3:12

Go and proclaim these words towards the north ,.... With his face thitherwards, towards Babylon, which lay north of Judea, and was the metropolis of Assyria, where the ten tribes were carried captive; and though they were dispersed in the cities of Media and Persia, which lay eastward, yet Babylon being the head of the empire, respect is had to that; not that the prophet was to go thither to them, or to prophesy in the land of the north, as the Targum paraphrases the words: for the word... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 3:11

Backsliding Israel hath justified herself more - She was less offensive in my eyes, and more excusable, than treacherous Judah. So it is said, Luke 18:14 , the humbled publican went down to his house justified rather than the boasting Pharisee. The one was more to be pitied than the other, and more likely to receive the mercy of God. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 3:12

Proclaim these words toward the north - The countries where the ten tribes were then in captivity, Mesopotamia, Assyria, Media, etc., see 2 Kings 17:6 ; these lay north of Judea. How tender and compassionate are the exhortations in this and the following verses! Could these people believe that God had sent the prophet and yet prefer the land of their bondage to the blessings of freedom in their own country, and the approbation of their God? read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 3:11

Verse 11 We now see more clearly for what purpose Jeremiah compared the ten tribes with the kingdom of Judah; it was done in order to shew that the Jews, who wished to be deemed far more holy than others, were yet more perfidious and deserved a heavier punishment, because they acted so deceitfully with God. It may be here asked, why he pronounces the Jews worse than the Israelites, while they still continued in a sort of middle state of things. We indeed know that the kingdom of Judah was... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 3:12

Verse 12 The Prophet, after having shewn that the tribe of Judah deserved a heavier punishment than the ten tribes, and having mentioned the cause, that they had seen their brethren severely chastised and were not moved, now turns his discourse to the Israelites themselves, or the ten tribes, and promises that God would be propitious to them. The kingdom of Israel had now been overthrown, and the people had been banished into Assyria, Persia, and Media. They had been scattered, and the name of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Jeremiah 3:11

It is very noteworthy that Jeremiah should have still so warm a feeling for the exiles of the northern kingdom (more than a hundred years after the great catastrophe). Hath justified herself . "To justify" can mean "to show one's self righteous," as well as "to make one's self righteous," just as "to sanctify" can mean, "to show one's self holy" ( Isaiah 8:13 ), as well as "to make one's self holy." In spite of Israel's apostasy, she has shown herself less worthy of punishment than Judah,... read more

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