Jeremiah 3 Commentary

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"Jeremiah on the Ruins of Jerusalem"
(Horace Vernet, 1844)

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD,
'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
-- Jeremiah 29:11
(Play beautiful related song by Marty Goetz and Misha)

Click chart to enlarge

Click chart to enlarge
Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission
Jeremiah Chart from Charles Swindoll

JEREMIAH: "PROPHET TO THE NATIONS" Sin - "I Will Punish" (Jer 9:25) Hope - "I Will Restore" (Jer 30:17) Judah & Jerusalem
Prophet Called Jer 1:1-1:19	Prophecies to Judah Jer 2:1-45:5				Prophecies to the Gentiles Jer 46:1-51:64	Prophet's Appendix Jer 52:1-52:34
Prophet's Commission Jer 1:1-19	Judah Condemned Jer 2:1-25:38	Jeremiah's Conflicts Jer 26:1-29:32	Jerusalem's Future Jer 30:1-33:26	Jerusalem's Fall Jer 34:1-45:5	Nations Condemned Jer 46:1-51:64	Historic Conclusion Jer 52:1-52:34
Before The Fall Of Jerusalem Jer 1:1-38:28				The Fall Jer 39:1-18	After The Fall
Call	Ministry					Retrospect
Nation of Judah					Surrounding Nations	Future of Babylon
627-582 BC Ministered 40+ Years!

Map of Israel at Time of Jeremiah
Source: ESV Global Study Bible

Source: ESV Global Study Bible

Jeremiah 3:1 God says, “If a husband divorces his wife And she goes from him And belongs to another man, Will he still return to her? Will not that land be completely polluted? But you are a harlot with many lovers; Yet you turn to Me,” declares the LORD.  

• If a husband: De 24:1-4 
• shall not that: Jer 3:9 2:7 Lev 18:24-28 Isa 24:5 Mic 2:10 
• but thou hast: Jer 2:20,23 De 22:21 Jdg 19:2 Eze 16:26,28,29 23:4-49 Ho 1:2 2:5-7 
• yet return: Jer 3:12-14,22 4:1,14 8:4-6 De 4:29-31 Isa 55:6-9 Eze 33:11 Ho 14:1-4 Zec 1:3 Lu 15:16-24 

Related Passages: 

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house, 2 and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3and if the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, 4 then her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. 

Jeremiah 2:2  “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, The love of your betrothals, Your following after Me in the wilderness, Through a land not sown. 

Jeremiah 2:32  “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me Days without number. 

Jeremiah 2:27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to Me, And not their face; But in the time of their trouble they will say, ‘Arise and save us.’ 

Jeremiah 2:35-36 Yet you said, ‘I am innocent; Surely His anger is turned away from me.’ Behold, I will enter into judgment with you Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’  36“Why do you go around so much Changing your way? Also, you will be put to shame by Egypt As you were put to shame by Assyria. 

METAPHOR OF
MARITAL INFIDELITY

The passage uses the metaphor of marital infidelity to condemn idolatry. The image of Judah as God’s unfaithful wife begins in the Pentateuch and is described in the Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea. Like a woman who thinks she can abandon her first husband, join herself to another man, but then resume her previous marriage when it suits her, so Israel thinks it can turn to other gods but then resume its covenant with YHWH, refusing to acknowledge guilt.

Philip Ryken - Jeremiah chapter 3 is about the way back home. At the end of verse 1 God’s people start to experience the first pangs of homesickness. They telephone God, long-distance, from a pay phone in a brothel. God is overheard to say, “You have lived as a prostitute with many lovers—would you now return to me?” (v. 1). (See Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope)

Warren Wiersbe - Jeremiah returned to the metaphor of marriage that he had used in 2:1-2 and 20, but this time he introduced the subject of divorce.

If a husband divorces his wife And she goes from him And belongs to another man, Will he still return to her? Answer is No! In Israel, if a divorced woman remarried, her first husband could not take her back because it was considered a defilement of the land. So the expected answer to God’s question is: “No, he would not return to her.”

God applies this to Judah, for the Husband is God and the Wife is Judah/Israel. Other man/lovers are idols (one meaning of Baal was "husband"), false gods, alliances with pagan nations. Judah had left God “belonged to another” (idolatry) and repeated this with “many lovers” (not just one act, but continual unfaithfulness). Spiritually, Judah had done far worse than the woman in the illustration.

Derek Kidner - This law, which forbade a divorced couple to reunite, was aimed against what would amount to virtually lending one’s partner to another—for if an authoritarian husband could dismiss his wife and have her back when the next man had finished with her, it would degrade not only her but marriage itself and the society that accepted such a practice. (See Jeremiah - Page 35)

David Guzik - This law of Deuteronomy 24:1-4 sounds strange to our modern age where it is not completely uncommon for a wife to return to her first husband after a second or third husband. The sense behind it was that it made the ideas of both marriage and divorce seem of little consequence, as if one might say: “I can divorce her, and remarry her later if I want to.” God wanted to speak that that thinking and say, “No you can’t treat divorce and remarriage so casually. I wont allow it.”. “This law, which forbade a divorced couple to reunite, was aimed against what would amount to virtually lending one’s partner to another…it would degrade not only her but marriage itself and the society that accepted such a practice.” (Kidner). “The precise reasons for this ancient law may have been various, among them being an attempt to preserve the second marriage.” (Thompson)

Will not that land be completely polluted? (chaneph) - Answer is Yes! God explicitly linked disobedience to this law about remarriage with the defilement of the land. Polluted means defiled/profaned, morally contaminated and describes that which has been made or has become unclean before a holy God. This is exactly what the Law stated “You shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God gives you. ” (Dt 24:4) Taking back a divorced wife who remarried was not just a private sin but would pollute the land itself The point is that sin is not contained, but defiles the environment where God’s people live.

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR AMERICA? When people disregard God’s moral standards and play "fast and loose" with their marriage vows, as is increasingly common in a postmodern society that rejects absolute truth, the result is not merely personal corruption but widespread moral pollution. What begins as individual disobedience ultimately spreads, so that the entire land becomes defiled, reflecting a culture that has collectively turned away from God’s design and authority.

LOOKING FOR LOVE
IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

But you are a harlot with many lovers - To call Judah a harlot is one of the strongest terms God could use for it means not only unfaithful but habitually, shamelessly unfaithful. It speaks of deliberate, repeated spiritual adultery. Many lovers -amplifies this sad truth emphasizing that Judah had not just had a single failure but had taken numerous "lovers" including Baal worship, pagan gods, political dependence on nations instead of God. Jeremiah 2:20 says "on every high hill And under every green tree You have lain down as a harlot." Clearly Yahweh (as Husband) see idolatry as personal betrayal, breaking a relationship (as does adultery). 

Warren Wiersbe - They had acted worse than common prostitutes who at least waited for lovers to come to them, for Judah had pursued false gods and repeatedly committed spiritual adultery with them. There was also sexual sin, for the pagan rites usually included consorting with prostitutes, both male and female. Idolatry and immorality often go together (ED: Read Ro 1:22,23,24+ = Since they went after idolatry God gave them over to the power of immorality!).

Philip Ryken - The children of Israel have been sleeping with every god they can get their hands on! They have become equal-opportunity worshipers. They do not have just one or two idols—they have a whole closet full of them. (See Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope)

In short, Judah’s countless idolatries reveal a heart completely given over to spiritual adultery.

Yet - This is a striking term of contrast which in effect overturns or reverses everything that has been said before (but see Guzik's note). In other words the Law says no return (Dt 24:1-4) and justice says judgment is deserved. In other words, according to the Law restoration should be impossible and according to justice her judgment would be deserved. But here the term "yet" shows God's grace breaking into judgment. 

David Guzik - God wanted His unfaithful people to know that though returning to the first husband might be wrong on a human level, it was not wrong between God and His people.

You turn to Me, declares the LORD - Turn means to return, to repent, to come back to a prior relationship. God is exposing Judah’s hypocrisy for they act as if they can casually return (without true repentance) as though nothing has happened. Jeremiah 3:3 says “You have a harlot’s forehead; you refuse to be ashamed.” In other words it is as if they think "You come back to Me as if this is acceptable!”

At the same time, this opens the door to grace. Even though they have no legal right to return because they had so deeply defiled themselves, God says later “Return, faithless Israel… For I am gracious.” (Jeremiah 3:12) and “I will heal your faithlessness.” (Jeremiah 3:22) In short, God invites back those who have no legal claim to return. What the Law forbids, grace invites and God calls back even those who have utterly broken covenant with Him.

Though justice says “no return,” God’s heart still says, “Come back to Me” but not casually, rather in true repentance.

The passage also establishes a tension that later chapters resolve. Although the Deuteronomic analogy would exclude the possibility of repentance and reconciliation between people and God, later passages in the chapter envision such restoration of the covenant relationship.

Warren Wiersbe - Instead of rejecting His people, however, the Lord patiently called for them to return and be restored as His wife. What grace! God had even caused a drought in the land, and the people had called out to Him for help (Jer. 3:4-5), but they had not really repented of their sins. Because of their covenant relationship with God, Judah called Him "Father" and "guide," which were titles Jewish wives sometimes used in addressing their husbands. But how could God give them covenant blessings when they were violating covenant commandments?

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David Guzik - The line, “Yet return to Me,” says the Lord is a bit of a mystery to translators. Some (as the NKJV and NLT) translate it as an invitation from God to Israel. Others (such as the NASB and ESV) translate it as an accusation, God accusing Israel of wanting to return to Him lightly or wrongly.

NASB: But you are a harlot with many lovers; yet you turn to Me

ESV: And would you return to Me?

NLT: But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, says the Lord. Yet I am still calling you to come back to me.

“Scholars are clearly divided on the issue, and the reason is understandable. The verb ‘return’ (sob) in the last line of v.1 is an infinitive that may allow for more than one rendering.” (Feinberg)

Since in the rest of the chapter God repeatedly does invite Israel to return to Him, and the thought of this return is presented in a good sense, it is best to take it as rendered in the NKJV: as a plea from God to His people for them to return to Him.

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Polluted (02610) chaneph  means to be defiled, to be profane, to pollute, to corrupt, to be godless. "This word most often appears in association with the defilement of the land, suggesting a tainting not by active commission but by passive contact with those committing sin." (Baker)  Chaneph denotes the pollution of the land through the shedding of blood (Nu. 35:33); through divorce (Jer. 3:1); and through breaking God's covenant (Isa. 24:5). The earth was "defiled" by the sins of Judah in the prophecy of Isaiah (Isa 24:5) and false prophets and priests were "profane" in Judah near the time of their exile to Babylon (Jer. 23:11). The land was considered "polluted" when adultery and wanton immorality were practiced. (Jer 3:1) The land "polluted" (Ps 106:38; Jer. 3:1, 9) as a result of sacrifice to idols and gross immorality. Baker adds that "Two notable exceptions to this linkage with the land further intensify the notion that the primary meaning is one of passive contamination. In Jeremiah, the Lord declared that the prophets and the priests were corrupted, seemingly by their association with the people's sin (Jer. 23:11)." (CWSD)  Breaking of marriage vows to marry another precludes a return to the first mate; in the same way a favored people who drifted back and forth between devotion to idols and the Lord, pollutes the land (Jeremiah 3:1).  The Hiphil stem describes the pollution of land. The murderer who had shed innocent blood was regarded as polluting the land (Numbers 35:33).

CHANEPH - 9V - Num. 35:33; Ps. 106:38; Isa. 24:5; Jer. 3:1; Jer. 3:2; Jer. 3:9; Jer. 23:11; Dan. 11:32; Mic. 4:11

Jeremiah 3:2 “Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see; Where have you not been violated? By the roads you have sat for them Like an Arab in the desert, And you have polluted a land With your harlotry and with your wickedness.  

• Lift up: Jer 2:23 Eze 8:4-6 Lu 16:23 
• to: Jer 2:20 De 12:2 1Ki 11:3 2Ki 23:13 Eze 16:16,24,25 20:28 
• In the: Ge 38:14 Pr 7:11 23:28 Eze 16:24,25 
• you have polluted a land: Jer 3:1,9 2:7 

Related Passages: 

Genesis 38:14-16 So she (TAMAR) removed her widow’s garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face. 16 So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, “Here now, let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

Proverbs 7:10-12  And behold, a woman comes to meet him, Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.  11 She is boisterous and rebellious, Her feet do not remain at home;  12 She is now in the streets, now in the squares, And lurks by every corner. 

Ezekiel 16:25 “You built yourself a high place at the top of every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry.

VIVID METAPHORS DEPICT
JUDAH'S IDOLATRY

Lift up your eyes to the bare heights and see - This is a command for Judah to look around honestly for all they had to do was look around at these idolatrous practices on every high hill! The bare heights refer to the hilltops where pagan worship took place, places stripped of vegetation and used for idol worship (cf. 1 Kings 14:23; Hosea 4:13). 

Derek Kidner spares no words writing "This wife, this kingdom of Judah, was no passive shuttlecock between one husband and another, but brazenly promiscuous, installing her lovers, her gods and goddesses, on every hilltop." (See Jeremiah - Page 35)

Where have you not been violated? (shagal) - This is the imagery of prostitution or adultery. Violated (shagal) (or “lain with”) is not literal physical assault, but a metaphor for spiritual adultery—Israel’s repeated turning to idols and false gods. This is a rhetorical question expecting the answer “Nowhere, for you have been unfaithful everywhere.”

NET Note - Heb "Where have you not been ravished?" The rhetorical question expects the answer "nowhere," which suggests she has engaged in the worship of pagan gods on every one of the hilltops.

Philip Ryken - This verse alludes to the worship of Baal and Asherah, which included sex with temple prostitutes at hilltop shrines. The word “ravished” is especially powerful. It is an obscene word for sexual violence. Although God’s people have been looking for a good time, they have been getting raped. False gods are always abusive. (See Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope)

By the roads you have sat for them - NLT - "You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a customer." This is the picture of a prostitute who is eager to sell her wares, sitting by the road to actively solicit her clients! Woe! 

Like an Arab (NET - "thief"; CSB - "nomad") in the desert - The idea here is Judah was like a thief lying in wait to rob caravan. 

Philip Ryken probably has a more accurate interpretation - They are like Bedouin salesmen, advertising their wares, waiting for a caravan to pass by. They are just sitting there, trafficking in the world’s currency, waiting to make love to idols. (See Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope)

NET Note - Heb "You sat for them [the lovers, i.e., the foreign gods] beside the road like an Arab in the desert."

And you have polluted (chaneph) a land With your harlotry (zenunim) and with your wickedness

 violated. Lain with. The meaning is this: Israel by her idolatrous worship in the bare heights (high places) was like an Arab waiting to plunder a passing caravan or like a harlot soliciting clients (cf. Gen. 38:14). 

BARE HEIGHTS: Places where pagan gods were consulted and worshiped (v21 12:12 Nu23:3).

VIOLATED: = Lain with meaning that Israel by her idolatrous worship in the bare heights (high places) was like an Arab waiting to plunder a passing caravan (Lu10:30) or like a harlot soliciting clients (Ge38:14 Pr7:10,12). The connection of this imagery with ritual prostitution is made explicit in [Eze16:25].

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Violated (ravished)(04057) shagal is a strong and graphic Hebrew verb meaning to seize and violate sexually, denoting the forcible defilement of a woman and emphasizing both violence and humiliation. It is used in covenantal contexts to describe one of the severe curses of disobedience—“You shall betroth a wife, but another man will violate her” (Deuteronomy 28:30)—highlighting not merely personal tragedy but divine judgment through societal collapse and enemy domination. The term appears in war settings where invading forces brutalize women as part of conquest (Isaiah 13:16; Zechariah 14:2), underscoring the shame and devastation accompanying national defeat. In Jeremiah 3:2 the verb is employed figuratively (in the passive) to portray Israel’s spiritual condition, depicting the nation as having been morally and religiously defiled through persistent idolatry, thus extending the word beyond physical violation to covenant unfaithfulness. Linguistically, šhāg̠al is likely related to the Akkadian šhagālu, “to seize or take by force,” reinforcing the idea of aggressive appropriation. Because of its harsh and explicit nature, later scribal tradition often substituted the more general verb šākhav (“to lie with”), reflecting a sensitivity to its offensiveness, yet the original term remains deliberately vivid in order to convey the gravity of both physical violation and spiritual apostasy.

SHAGAL - 4V Deut. 28:30; Isa. 13:16; Jer. 3:2; Zech. 14:2

Harlotry (02183) zenunim is a Hebrew noun derived from zānāh (זָנָה) denotes fornication or harlotry, but its significance extends far beyond physical immorality into the realm of covenant theology and spiritual allegiance. At its most basic, the term refers to sexual unfaithfulness that violates the exclusivity of the marriage relationship (Hos. 4:11). In this literal sense, it describes acts that break the one-flesh union established by God, highlighting the betrayal of intimacy, trust, and covenant loyalty. However, the dominant usage in Scripture is figurative, where the word becomes a powerful theological metaphor. It depicts Israel’s breach of her covenant relationship with Yahweh, who is portrayed as her Husband (cf. Jer. 2:2; Isa. 54:5). Thus, “fornication” comes to mean spiritual infidelity—giving to others the devotion, trust, and worship that belong to God alone.

ZENUNIM - 13X.11V -  harlotries(5), harlotry(8). Gen. 38:24; 2 Ki. 9:22; Jer. 3:2; Ezek. 23:11; Ezek. 23:29; Hos. 1:2; Hos. 2:2; Hos. 2:4; Hos. 4:12; Hos. 5:4; Nah. 3:4

This spiritual harlotry manifests in several interrelated ways:

Idolatry – The primary sense: Israel “prostitutes” herself by worshiping false gods, often at high places or through images (“stones and stocks,” Jer. 3:9). This is not merely religious error but covenant betrayal, exchanging the living God for lifeless substitutes.

Covenant rebellion – The term also encompasses a broader posture of disobedience and refusal to submit to God (Num. 14:33). It reflects a heart that has turned away, not just in worship but in will.

Moral corruption – Because idolatry reshapes behavior, this “fornication” includes the ethical decay that flows from abandoning God (Hos. 6:10). Spiritual unfaithfulness inevitably produces social and personal sin.

Misplaced trust and alliances – In passages like Ezekiel 23, the imagery includes reliance on foreign nations. Such alliances often involved invoking foreign deities and trusting human power instead of Yahweh. Thus, political compromise becomes another form of spiritual adultery.

Defilement of the land – This sin is not isolated to individuals; it spreads and contaminates the entire community and even the land itself (Jer. 3:2). The imagery conveys pervasive, public, and normalized unfaithfulness.

Importantly, this noun carries a covenantal weight: it is not merely wrongdoing, but personal betrayal against a relational God. It assumes prior knowledge of God, prior commitment to Him, and therefore a deeper level of guilt. The imagery of harlotry underscores the offensiveness of exchanging divine love for lesser “lovers.”

Finally, the term also implies consequences and inheritance of guilt—as seen when later generations bear the results of earlier spiritual unfaithfulness (Num. 14:33)—yet it simultaneously leaves room for restoration, as God repeatedly calls His people to put away their “whoredom” so that He may dwell among them again (Ezek. 43:9).

Summary: This word describes not only literal sexual immorality, but more profoundly the total abandonment of covenant loyalty to God—expressed through idolatry, rebellion, misplaced trust, and moral corruption—portrayed as spiritual adultery that defiles both people and land.

Jeremiah 3:3 “Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there has been no spring rain. Yet you had a harlot’s forehead; You refused to be ashamed.  

• the showers: Jer 9:12 14:4,22 Lev 26:19 De 28:23 Isa 5:6 Joe 1:16-20 Am 4:7 Hag 1:11 
• latter rain: Jer 5:24 
• a whore's: Jer 5:3 6:15 8:12 44:16,17 Eze 3:7 16:30-34 Zep 3:5 
• thou refusedst: Jer 5:3 Ne 9:17 Zec 7:11,12 Heb 12:25 

Therefore the showers have been withheld, And there has been no spring rain. Yet you had a harlot’s forehead; You refused to be ashamed

The "latter rain," falling in March and April, was essential to the maturing of crops for harvesting. Because of the rebellion and sin of Judah God withheld the rain, but Judah would not acknowledge God's hand in the days of drought. Just as a "harlot" (zanah, Heb., a fornicator) covers her wicked ways with self-righteousness, Judah refused to be "ashamed" (kalam, Heb., also meaning "humiliated") of her idolatries, even in the midst of God's judgment. Sin not only hardens the heart so that sinning becomes easier, but it produces a contemptuous spirit within that disdains God and His right to judge.

Vs. 3:3  Even God's withholding the showers (lit., latter rain), which came in March and April and helped bring the crops to fruition, did not bring the people to their senses. 

 

SHOWERS HAVE BEEN WITHHELD (14:1-6; Am4:7-8). This is the reverse of God's gracious response to his people in [Ho2:21 6:3].

AND THERE HAS BEEN NO SPRING RAIN (Dt11:14): The "latter rain," falling in March and April, was essential to the maturing of crops for harvesting. Because of the rebellion and sin of Judah God withheld the rain, but Judah would not acknowledge God's hand in the days of drought. Even such an obvious sign by God did not bring the people to their senses. 

YET YOU HAD A HARLOT'S FOREHEAD YOU REFUSED TO BE ASHAMED (Pr7:13): Just as a "harlot" (zanah, = fornicator) covers her wicked ways with self-righteousness, Judah refused to be "ashamed" (kalam, ="humiliated") of her idolatries, even in the midst of God's judgment. Sin not only hardens the heart so that sinning becomes easier, but it produces a contemptuous spirit within that disdains God and His right to judge.

 

Jeremiah 3:4 “Have you not just now called to Me, ‘My Father, You are the friend of my youth?  

• Wilt thou: Jer 3:19 31:9,18-20 Ho 14:1-3 
• My father: Jer 2:27 
• the guide: Jer 2:2 Ps 48:14 71:5,17 119:9 Pr 1:4 2:17 Ho 2:15 Mal 2:14 

Have you not just now called to Me, ‘My Father, You are the friend of my youth

MY FATHER (v19 contrast 2:27) Compared to NT "Father" for God is relatively rare in OT. However, it often occurs in personal names--compound names that begin with Abi- (e.g., Abinadab and Abiram) refer to God as "(my) Father." Pious prayer language claiming God as Father is worthless without matching deeds (Ps66:18).  

THOU ART THE FRIEND OF MY YOUTH: Claiming intimate association (Ps55:13 Pr16:28 17:9 Mic7:5); perhaps even claiming to be the Lord's faithful wife (cf. Pr2:17).

Derek Kidner - What made it insufferable was the pious talk that went with it, appealing to Yahweh’s fatherhood, friendship and forbearance (Jer 3:4–5): talk which only added hypocrisy to infidelity.   (See Jeremiah - Page 35)

Jeremiah 3:5 ‘Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken And have done evil things, And you have had your way.”

• he reserve: Jer 3:12 Ps 77:7-9 85:5 103:8,9 Isa 57:16 64:9 
• thou hast spoken: Eze 22:6 Mic 2:1 7:3 Zep 3:1-5 

WILL HE BE ANGRY FOREVER (Ge6:5-8; 17:14 19:13,24-26 Jos7:1,25-26 Ps30:5 Isa30:18-19 Mt3:7-10): Not if God's people repent (v12-13)

Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken And have done evil things, And you have had your way

Jeremiah 3:6 Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there.

• backsliding: Jer 3:8,11-14 2:19 7:24 2Ki 17:7-17 Eze 23:11 
• she is: Jer 2:20 Isa 57:7 Eze 16:24,25,31 20:28 1Ki 14:23 
• played: Jer 3:1 

Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen what faithless Israel did? She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she was a harlot there

(vv. 6,7) The northern kingdom of Israel becomes a personification of "backsliding," (meshuvah, Heb., "apostasy"). They have given themselves over to the practice of the fertility cult (vv. 2, 8, 21; 2:20) and will not return to Yahweh. Her "treacherous" (bagad, Heb., "faithless, deceitful;" cf. Mal. 2:10-17) sister Judah is watching, yet does not learn from Israel's sin and God's judgment, for she also "played the harlot" (v. 8).

Vs. 3:6-6:30  A prophecy made sometime between 627 and 621 B.C. 

Vs. 3:6-10  The punishment of Israel (here meaning the Northern Kingdom) should have been a warning to Judah (the Southern Kingdom). 

Faithless Israel - KJV = "backsliding Israel". 

A prophecy made sometime between 627 and 621 B.C. The unfaithfulness of Judah (3:6-5:31) will ultimately bring the Babylonians as God's instrument of judgment (ch6). The northern kingdom of Israel [destroyed in 722-721 BC see v8, 11-12] becomes a personification of "backsliding," (meshuvah, = "apostasy"). They have given themselves over to the practice of the fertility cult (v2, 8, 21; 2:20) and will not return to Yahweh. Her "treacherous" (bagad, = faithless, deceitful cf. Mal2:10-17) sister Judah is watching, yet does not learn from Israel's sin and God's judgment, for she also "played the harlot" (v8).

Scofiled: The general character of the second message to Judah is: (1) reproach that the example of the LORD's chastening of the northern kingdom (2 Ki 17:1 - 18) has produced no effect upon Judah, e.g. 3:6 - 10; (2) warning of a like chastisement impending over Judah, e.g. vv. 15 - 17; (3) touching appeals to return to the LORD, e.g. 3:12 - 14; and (4) promises of final national restoration and blessing, e.g. 3:16 - 18.

 

 

Jeremiah 3:7 “I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

• Turn thou: 2Ki 17:13,14 2Ch 30:6-12 Ho 6:1-4 14:1 
• her treacherous: Jer 3:8-11 Eze 16:46 23:2-4 

I thought, ‘After she has done all these things she will return to Me’; but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it

The southern kingdom (v8, 10-11). Samaria (Israel's capital) and Jerusalem (Judah's capital) are similarly compared as adulterous sisters in Eze23. it. Israel's adultery.

Jeremiah 3:8 “And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also.

• when for: Jer 3:1 2Ki 17:6-18 18:9-11 Eze 23:9 Ho 2:2,3 3:4 4:15-17 9:15-17 
• and given her: De 24:1 Isa 50:1 
• feared not: 2Ki 17:19 Eze 23:11-21 Ho 4:15 

And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also

FOR ALL THE ADULTERIES: see Rev 2:22 

OF FAITHLESS ISRAEL: MESHUWBAH: apostasizing Israel who backslid & turned away from the Lord & His Truth

I HAD SENT HER AWAY:  Into exile in 721 B.C.

WRIT OF DIVORCE (v1 Dt24:1-14 Isa 50:1)

JUDAH DID NOT FEAR: She refused to learn from Israel's tragic experience.

Jeremiah 3:9 “Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.

• lightness: or, fame, Eze 23:10 
• she defiled: Jer 3:2 2:7 
• committed: Jer 2:27 10:8 Isa 57:6 Eze 16:17 Ho 4:12 Hab 2:19 

Because of the lightness of her harlotry, she polluted the land and committed adultery with stones and trees

This verse contains the solemn warning not to treat sin lightly. The people of Judah treated adultery casually (qol, Heb., "light, frivolous") and joined their sister in the practice of the fertility cult. There is also bitter irony here. Forsaking the "fountain of living waters" (2:13), Judah has turned to gods of "stones" and "trees" (cf. 2:27). These were instruments of the fertility cult.

Worshiped pagan deities (2:27).

LIGHTNESS: HG dictionary is incorrect here (not qowl H6963) The Hebrew here is "qol" (only used here in OT) from root "qalal" =  be slight, trifling, of little account.
    This verse contains the solemn warning not to treat sin lightly. The people of Judah treated adultery casually (qol, Heb., "light, frivolous") and joined their sister in the practice of the fertility cult. There is also bitter irony here. Forsaking the "fountain of living waters" (2:13), Judah has turned to gods of "stones" and "trees" (cf. 2:27). These were instruments of the fertility cult.

 

Jeremiah 3:10 “Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the LORD. 

Judah: 2Ch 34:33 35:1-18 Ps 78:36,37 Isa 10:6 Ho 7:14 
feignedly: Heb. in falsehood, Ps 18:44 66:3 

Yet in spite of all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but rather in deception,” declares the LORD

IN DECEPTION: Judah's response to Josiah's reform measures (1:2) was superficial and hypocritical.

Jeremiah 3:11 And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

• The backsliding: Jer 3:8,22 Ho 4:16 11:7 
• justified: Eze 16:47,51,52 23:11 

And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah

FAITHLESS ISRAEL: MESHUWBAH: apostasizing Israel who has backslid and turned away from God & His Truth 

MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN TREACHEROUS JUDAH: See [v8 Eze16:51-52 23:11]

Jeremiah 3:12 “Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD; ‘I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,’ declares the LORD; ‘I will not be angry forever.  

• toward the north: Jer 3:18 23:8 31:8 2Ki 15:29 17:6,23 18:1 
• Return: Jer 3:1,7,22 4:1 Isa 44:22 Eze 33:11 Ho 6:1 14:1-3 
• and I will not: Jer 30:11 33:26 Eze 39:25 Ho 11:8,9 
• for I am: Jer 31:20 De 4:29-31 2Ch 30:9 Ps 86:5,15 103:8,17 145:8 Mic 7:18-20 Ro 5:20,21 
• I will: Jer 3:5 Ps 79:5 

Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD; ‘I will not look upon you in anger. For I am gracious,’ declares the LORD; ‘I will not be angry forever.

God extends His mercy toward guilty Jerusalem. Judgment has been deferred to provide adequate opportunity to return (i.e., repent). Israel rejected the pleas of God to return and she has been judged. Judah's only hope rests in the God whom her sister Israel rejected.

Vs. 3:12  toward the north. I.e., toward Assyria, which had taken Israel captive. A promise of eventual restoration follows. 

Ps103:8,v9; Je31:20 

GO & PROCLAIM (2:2) THESE WORDS TOWARD THE NORTH:  I.e., toward Assyria, which had taken Israel captive. A promise of eventual restoration follows. 
    
I WILL NOT LOOK UPON YOU IN ANGER FOR I AM GRACIOUS: God extends His mercy toward guilty Jerusalem. Judgment has been deferred to provide adequate opportunity to return (i.e., repent). Israel rejected the pleas of God to return and she has been judged. Judah's only hope rests in the God whom her sister Israel rejected.

Jeremiah 3:13 ‘Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the LORD your God And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the LORD.  

• acknowledge: Jer 3:25 31:18-20 Lev 26:40-42 De 30:1-3 Job 33:27,28 Pr 28:13 Lu 15:18-21 1Jn 1:8-10 
• and hast scattered: Jer 3:2,6 2:20,25 Eze 16:15,24,25 
• under every: De 12:2 

Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the LORD your God And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares the LORD

ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR INIQUITY: Ps32:5  Lv5:5,16:21 Lv26:40;Je3:13 Dt30:1,v2; Pr28:13;1Jn1:9 Nu5:7 Ezr10:11 Job33:27 Pr28:13 Je3:13 2Sa12:13;2Sa24:10, Ps38:18;Lu15:21 

SCATTERED YOUR FAVORS (Eze16:15 33-34):

Jeremiah 3:14 ‘Return, O faithless sons,’ declares the LORD; ‘For I am a master to you, And I will take you one from a city and two from a family, And I will bring you to Zion.’  

• O backsliding: Jer 2:19 
• for I am married: Jer 3:1,8 2:2 31:32 Isa 54:5 Ho 2:19,20 
• one of a city: Jer 23:3 31:8-10 Isa 1:9 6:13 10:22 11:11,12 17:6 24:13-15 Eze 34:11-14 Zec 13:7-9 Ro 9:27 11:4-6 

Return, O faithless sons,’ declares the LORD; ‘For I am a master to you, And I will take you one from a city and two from a family, And I will bring you to Zion

I AM A MASTER (NIV = husband, NKJV = married to) TO YOU: The Hebrew is ba'al = to be master over another. Instead of allowing God to be their husband, his people followed "the Baals" (Je 2:23 Jdg 2:11). 

AND I WILL TAKE YOU ONE FROM A CITY & 2 FROM A FAMILY & I WILL BRING YOU TO ZION: God chose to start over with a small remnant He would lead out of captivity. The promises of the old covenant would be superseded by the promises of the new covenant. Gentiles would come to Zion in a fellowship where evil would not exist. Election purposes hold true even when election people are faithless and have to be rejected for a remnant.

Jeremiah 3:15 “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.

• And I: Jer 23:4 1Sa 13:14 Isa 30:20,21 Eze 34:23 37:24 Mic 5:4,5 Joh 10:1-5 21:15-17 Eph 4:11,12 1Pe 5:1-4 
• which shall: Pr 10:21 Lu 12:42  Joh 21:15,17 Ac 20:28 1Co 2:6,12,13 3:1,2 Heb 5:12-14 1Pe 2:2 5:2 

Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.

Jeremiah expresses compassion with the promise of new shepherds (ra`ah, Heb.). These new shepherds will exhibit the heart of God and will feed the people of Judah with wisdom and understanding.

SHEPHERDS: Rulers. Jeremiah expresses compassion with the promise of new shepherds. These new shepherds will exhibit the heart of God and will feed the people of Judah with wisdom and understanding like David (1Sa13:14 Eze34:23 Ho3:5).
 

Jeremiah 3:16 “It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again. 1

• when: Jer 30:19 31:8,27 Isa 60:22 61:4 Eze 36:8-12 37:26 Ho 1:10,11 Am 9:9,14,15 Zec 8:4,5 10:7-9 
• say: Jer 7:4 Zep 3:11 Mt 3:9 
• The ark: Isa 65:17 66:1,2 Mt 1:11  Joh 4:20-24 Heb 9:9-12 10:8,9,19-21 

It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again.

Vs. 3:16-17  When Christ returns, the ark of the covenant will not be missed or replaced, for Christ enthroned will be worshiped in Jerusalem. 

IN THOSE DAYS WHEN: When? The Messianic Reign (v18; 31:29), the Kingdom of God on earth. PTL! That's why they won't miss the shadow (the ark) because now they have the One Who the ark prefigured in their very midst! (cp Col2:17)
    
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD: The ark of the covenant, formerly symbolizing God's royal presence (1Sa 4:3), will be irrelevant when the Messiah comes. Christ enthroned will be worshiped in Jerusalem. 
 

Jeremiah 3:17 “At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the LORD,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of the LORD; nor will they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart.

• the throne: Jer 14:21 17:12 31:23 Ps 87:3 Isa 6:1 66:1 Eze 1:26 43:7 Ga 4:26 
• and all the nations: Isa 2:2-4 49:18-23 60:3-9 66:20 Mic 4:1-5 Zec 2:11 8:20-23 
• to the name: Isa 26:8 56:6 59:19 
• walk: Jer 7:24 9:14 11:8 16:12 18:12 Ge 8:21 Nu 15:39 Ro 1:21 6:14 2Co 10:4,5 Eph 4:17-19 
• imagination: or, stubbornness, De 29:29 *marg: Jdg 2:19 Ps 78:8 

At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the LORD,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of the LORD; nor will they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart

The sovereign God will one day reveal Himself as King over all nations. The Lord had been "enthroned between the cherubim" above the ark (1Sa4:4), but Jerusalem itself would someday be his throne.

ALL THE NATION WILL BE GATHERED TO IT TO JERUSALEM (Zec2:11)

STUBBORNNESS OF THEIR EVIL HEART: commonly used phrase referring to Israel's disobedience and often involving the worship of pagan gods (3:17 9:14; 11:8; 13:10; 16:12; 18:12; 23:17).

Jeremiah 3:18 “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 your fathers as an inheritance.  

• In: Jer 30:3 50:4,20 Isa 11:11-13 Eze 37:16-22 39:25-28 Ho 1:11 11:12 Zec 10:6 
• with: or, to
• out: Jer 3:12 23:8 31:8 Am 9:15 

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 your fathers as an inheritance

LAND OF THE NORTH [v12, 31:8 16:15 Zec2:6] Where they had been exiles 

 In the Messianic age God's divided people will again be united (see, e.g., Isa11:12; Eze37:15-23 Ho1:11).

Jeremiah 3:19 “Then I said, ‘How I would set you among My sons And give you a pleasant land, The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!’ And I said, ‘You shall call Me, My Father, And not turn away from following Me.’ 

• How: Jer 5:7 Ho 11:8 
• put thee: Jer 3:4 31:9,20 Joh 1:11-13 2Co 6:17,18 Ga 3:26 4:5-7 Eph 1:5 1Jn 3:1-3 
• pleasant land: Heb. land of desire, Jer 12:10 Ps 106:24 Eze 20:6 Da 8:9 11:16,41,45 
• goodly heritage: Heb. heritage of glory, or beauty, Pr 3:35 1Pe 1:3,4 
• Thou shalt: Jer 3:4 Isa 63:16 64:8 Mt 6:8,9 Ro 8:15-17 Ga 4:5 
• shalt not: Jer 32:39,40 Heb 10:39 
• from me: Heb. from after me

Then I said, ‘How I would set you among My sons And give you a pleasant land, The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!’ And I said, ‘You shall call Me, My Father, And not turn away from following Me

SONS: Israel was the Lord's firstborn (Ex 4:22 Ho11:1).

PLEASANT LAND (Ps106:24 Zec7:14 Je3:19): desirable - implying a hoping or looking forward. Speaks of a treasure (something of great value) and of fruitfulness & agricultural productivity.

BEAUTIFUL INHERITANCE: Judah, Jerusalem, the people themselves--ideally, all were beautiful in God's eyes (6:2 11:16). 

Jeremiah 3:20 “Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover, So you have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.  

• husband: Heb. friend, Ho 3:1 
• so have: Jer 3:1,2,8-10 5:11 Isa 48:8 Eze 16:15-52 Ho 5:7 6:7 Mal 2:11 

Surely, as a woman treacherously departs from her lover, So you have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD

This verse is a concise summary of the story told in Ho1-3.
Bagad means literally treachery, betrayal, and denotes unfaithfulness in relationship. See [Isa 48:1-9]. On backsliding, [Je2:1--3:5]. Going to God in repentance cures this sin against Him.

Jeremiah 3:21 A voice is heard on the bare heights, The weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel; Because they have perverted their way, They have forgotten the LORD their God.  

• A voice: Jer 30:15-17 31:9,18-20 50:4,5 Isa 15:2 Eze 7:16 Zec 12:10-14 2Co 7:10 
• for they have: Nu 22:32 Job 33:27 Pr 10:9 19:3 Mic 3:9 
• and they have: Jer 2:32 Isa 17:10 Eze 23:35 Ho 8:14 13:6 

A voice is heard on the bare heights, The weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel; Because they have perverted their way, They have forgotten the LORD their God.

Judah is pictured on the sanctuaries of the hilltops weeping and pleading for favor. They have discovered that their gods are phony and they have "perverted" (`avah, Heb., "to bend" or "twist") and forgotten the ways of God. The actual sanctuaries may have been destroyed by Josiah's reform. Still they come, drawn by their confusion and forgetfulness of God.

WEEPING: A description of repentance, verbalized in v22 Judah is pictured on the sanctuaries of the hilltops weeping and pleading for favor. They have discovered that their gods are phony and they have "perverted" (`avah = "to bend" or "twist") and forgotten the ways of God. The actual sanctuaries may have been destroyed by Josiah's reform. Still they come, drawn by their confusion and forgetfulness of God.

    Mt Henry on [V21-25] Sin is turning aside to crooked ways. And forgetting the Lord our God is at the bottom of all sin. By sin we bring ourselves into trouble. The promise to those that return is, God will heal their backslidings, by his pardoning mercy, his quieting peace, and his renewing grace. They come devoting themselves to God. They come disclaiming all expectations of relief and succour from any but the Lord. Therefore they come depending upon Him only. He is the Lord, and He only can save. It points out the great salvation from sin Jesus Christ wrought out for us. They come justifying God in their troubles, and judging themselves for their sins. True penitents learn to call sin shame, even the sin they have been most pleased with. True penitents learn to call sin death and ruin, and to charge upon it all they suffer. While men harden themselves in sin, contempt and misery are their portion: for he that covers his sins shall not prosper  but he that confesseth and forsaketh them, shall find mercy. (Pr28:13)

Jeremiah 3:22 “Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You; For You are the LORD our God.  

• Return: Ho 6:1 14:1,4 
• we: Jer 31:18 Isa 27:8 Song 1:4 Ho 3:5 6:1,2 13:4 14:8 Zec 13:9 

Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to You; For You are the LORD our God

RETURN (Lxx epistrepho: APM) O FAITHLESS SONS: Return, faithless . . . faithlessness. Each of these three words is derived from the same Hebrew root, producing a striking series of puns. 

I WILL HEAL YOUR FAITHLESSNESS (backsliding) (Jehovah Rapha Ex15:26 cp  Je30:17 33:6 Ho6:1 14:1, 4). 

This will be fulfilled at the Second Coming when all Israel is saved.
 

Jeremiah 3:23 “Surely, the hills are a deception, A tumult on the mountains. Surely in the LORD our God Is the salvation of Israel.  

• in vain: Jer 3:6 10:14-16 Ps 121:1,2 Isa 44:9 45:20 46:7,8 Eze 20:28 Jon 2:8,9 
• in the Lord: Jer 14:8 Ps 3:8 37:39,40 121:1,2 Isa 12:2 43:11 45:15,17 63:1,16 Ho 1:7 Joh 4:22 

Surely, the hills are a deception, A tumult on the mountains. Surely in the LORD our God Is the salvation of Israel.

3:23 from the hills.  It is not the hills "from whence cometh my help" (contrast Psalm 121:1, which is often incorrectly punctuated and thus misread to imply that hills can somehow convey spiritual strength). The fact is that the hills and other such high places were centers of idol worship and spiritual adultery--even of physical whoredoms--leading to God's eventual judgment on both Israel and Judah.

The hills and other high places were centers of idol worship and spiritual adultery (even physical whoredoms) leading to God's eventual judgment on both Israel and Judah. Our salvation is not in idols and the worship of false gods, but in a covenant relationship with the living God.

 

Jeremiah 3:24 “But the shameful thing has consumed the labor of our fathers since our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

• Jer 11:13 Eze 16:61,63 Ho 2:8 9:10 10:6 

But the shameful thing has consumed the labor of our fathers since our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

shameful thing. A reference to Baal worship. 

Jeremiah 3:25 “Let us lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. And we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

• lie down: Jer 2:26 6:26 Ezr 9:6-15 Ps 109:29 Isa 50:11 La 5:16 Eze 7:18 Da 12:2 Ro 6:21 
• for we have sinned: Jer 2:17,19 De 31:17,18 Ezr 9:6 Eze 36:32 
• we and our: Jer 2:2 Ezr 9:7 Ne 9:32-34 Ps 106:7 Isa 48:8 La 5:7 Da 9:6-9 
• and have not: Jer 22:21 Jdg 2:2 Pr 5:13 Da 9:10 

Let us lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. And we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

 

It was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him

The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. -- God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father -- far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come -- By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created by Him and for Him.

      Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living -- In Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority. -- Of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

COL. 1.19. John 3.35.--Phil 2.9-11.-- Eph 1.21.--Col. 1.16. Ro. 14.9.-- Col. 2.10.--John 1.16. 
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Write...the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall take place after these things.

Men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God -- what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

      See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.-- And he who has seen has borne witness, and his witness is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.

      For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty -- that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

REV 1.19. 2 Pe. 1.21.--1Jn 1.3. Lu. 24.39, 40.--John 19.35. 2 Pe. 1.16.-- 1 Co. 2.5.