The Meaning of Jeremiah 3:21 Explained

Jeremiah 3:21

KJV: A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

YLT: A voice on high places is heard -- weeping, Supplications of the sons of Israel, For they have made perverse their way, They have forgotten Jehovah their God.

Darby: A voice is heard upon the heights, the weeping supplications of the children of Israel; for they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Jehovah their God.

ASV: A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Jehovah their God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A voice  was heard  upon the high places,  weeping  [and] supplications  of the children  of Israel:  for they have perverted  their way,  [and] they have forgotten  the LORD  their God. 

What does Jeremiah 3:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord could hear, in the future, the Israelites weeping and praying in repentance on the hilltops, where they had formerly committed spiritual adultery ( Jeremiah 3:2). They would finally realize that they had perverted their way and had forgotten Yahweh.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 3:11-25 - Pleading With Faithless Children
The people of the northern kingdom, to whom this appeal is especially addressed, were more excusable than Judah, because their privileges had been less. God judges us according to our opportunities. How precious the invitation and promise of Jeremiah 3:12! Confession is an essential condition that must be fulfilled by us. See 1 John 1:7. Zion shall yet be the center of a restored Israel, Jeremiah 3:14; Jeremiah 3:18. In Jeremiah 3:21-25 the voices of the people in confession and prayer mingle with Jehovah's encouraging their return. When we lie down in broken-hearted shame and penitence, we are very near to being lifted to the bosom of God. Compare Jeremiah 3:25 with Jeremiah 4:1. The return of the Chosen People to the God of their fathers will be the cause of revival and quickening throughout the earth. Compare Jeremiah 4:2 with Romans 11:12. [source]

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 3:21 mean?

A voice on the desolate heights was heard Weeping [and] supplications of the sons of Israel for they have perverted - their way they have forgotten Yahweh their God
ק֚וֹל עַל־ שְׁפָיִ֣ים נִשְׁמָ֔ע בְּכִ֥י תַחֲנוּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֤י הֶעֱוּוּ֙ אֶת־ דַּרְכָּ֔ם שָׁכְח֖וּ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם

ק֚וֹל  A  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
שְׁפָיִ֣ים  the  desolate  heights 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שְׁפִי  
Sense: bareness, smooth or bare height, bare place, high places, barren height.
נִשְׁמָ֔ע  was  heard 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְּכִ֥י  Weeping 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּכִי  
Sense: a weeping, weeping.
תַחֲנוּנֵ֖י  [and]  supplications 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: תַּחֲנוּן  
Sense: supplication, supplication for favour.
בְּנֵ֣י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הֶעֱוּוּ֙  they  have  perverted 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָוָה 
Sense: to bend, twist, distort.
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.
דַּרְכָּ֔ם  their  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
שָׁכְח֖וּ  they  have  forgotten 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: כָּשַׁח 
Sense: to forget, ignore, wither.
יְהֹוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם  their  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).