The Meaning of Jeremiah 3:9 Explained

Jeremiah 3:9

KJV: And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

YLT: And it hath come to pass, from the vileness of her fornication, that the land is defiled, and she committeth fornication with stone and with wood.

Darby: And it came to pass through the lightness of her fornication that she polluted the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

ASV: And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it came to pass through the lightness  of her whoredom,  that she defiled  the land,  and committed adultery  with stones  and with stocks. 

What does Jeremiah 3:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Israel took her prostitution very lightly and committed spiritual fornication with the pagan idols of Canaan, which the stone pillars and tree groves and poles represented (cf. Jeremiah 2:27). [1]

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 3:9 mean?

So it came to pass through casual her harlotry that she defiled - the land and committed adultery with stones and trees
וְהָיָה֙ מִקֹּ֣ל זְנוּתָ֔הּ וַתֶּחֱנַ֖ף אֶת־ הָאָ֑רֶץ וַתִּנְאַ֥ף אֶת־ הָאֶ֖בֶן וְאֶת־ הָעֵֽץ

וְהָיָה֙  So  it  came  to  pass 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מִקֹּ֣ל  through  casual 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
זְנוּתָ֔הּ  her  harlotry 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: זְנוּת  
Sense: fornication, harlotry.
וַתֶּחֱנַ֖ף  that  she  defiled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: חָנֵף  
Sense: to be profaned, be defiled, be polluted, be corrupt.
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.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַתִּנְאַ֥ף  and  committed  adultery 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: נָאַף  
Sense: to commit adultery.
הָאֶ֖בֶן  stones 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
הָעֵֽץ  trees 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.