The Meaning of Jeremiah 3:7 Explained

Jeremiah 3:7

KJV: And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

YLT: And I say, after her doing all these, Unto Me thou dost turn back, and she hath not turned back, and see it doth her treacherous sister Judah.

Darby: And I said, After she hath done all these things, she will return unto me; but she returned not. And her sister Judah, the treacherous, saw it.

ASV: And I said after she had done all these things, She will return unto me; but she returned not: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I said  after  she had done  all these [things], Turn  thou unto me. But she returned  not. And her treacherous  sister  Judah  saw  [it]. 

What does Jeremiah 3:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord had expected that Israel would return to Him eventually, but she had not. Obviously Israel"s actions did not surprise God, since He knows everything before it happens. This is an anthropomorphic way of describing God"s chagrin at Israel"s behavior. Furthermore, the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Israel"s treacherous sister, observed Israel"s unrepentant harlotry. As Israel was Apostasy personified, so Judah was Treachery personified (cf. Jeremiah 3:10-11; Jeremiah 3:20).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 3

1  God's great mercy to Judah the polluted land
6  Judah is worse than Israel
12  The promises of the gospel to the penitent
20  Israel reproved, and called by God, makes a solemn confession of their sins

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 3:7 mean?

And I said after she had done - all these [things] to Me Return but not She did return - and saw it treacherous her sister Judah
וָאֹמַ֗ר אַחֲרֵ֨י עֲשׂוֹתָ֧הּ אֶת־ כָּל־ אֵ֛לֶּה אֵלַ֥י תָּשׁ֖וּב וְלֹא־ שָׁ֑בָה [ותראה] (וַתֵּ֛רֶא) בָּגוֹדָ֥ה אֲחוֹתָ֖הּ יְהוּדָֽה

וָאֹמַ֗ר  And  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אַחֲרֵ֨י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
עֲשׂוֹתָ֧הּ  she  had  done 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֵ֛לֶּה  these  [things] 
Parse: Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
אֵלַ֥י  to  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
תָּשׁ֖וּב  Return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וְלֹא־  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁ֑בָה  She  did  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
[ותראה]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
(וַתֵּ֛רֶא)  and  saw  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בָּגוֹדָ֥ה  treacherous 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: בָּגֹוד  
Sense: treacherous, deceitful.
אֲחוֹתָ֖הּ  her  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
יְהוּדָֽה  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.