Jeremiah 3:20
Jeremiah 3:20 in Multiple Translations
But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.
¶ Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah.
Truly, as a wife is false to her husband, so have you been false to me, O Israel, says the Lord.
But just like a wife might betray her husband, you have betrayed me, people of Israel, declares the Lord.
But as a woman rebelleth against her husband: so haue yee rebelled against me, O house of Israel, sayeth the Lord.
But — a woman hath deceived her friend, So ye have dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, an affirmation of Jehovah.
“Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says the LORD.
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
But as a woman that despiseth her lover, so hath the house of Israel despised me, saith the Lord.
But you have abandoned me like wives who have abandoned their husbands.’ ” That is what Yahweh said, and I told it to the people of Israel.
Berean Amplified Bible — Jeremiah 3:20
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Jeremiah 3:20 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אָכֵ֛ן
בָּגְדָ֥ה
אִשָּׁ֖ה
מֵ/רֵעָ֑/הּ
כֵּ֣ן
בְּגַדְתֶּ֥ם
בִּ֛/י
בֵּ֥ית
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
נְאֻם
יְהוָֽה
אָכֵ֛ן
ʼâkên
H403
surely
Adv
בָּגְדָ֥ה
bâgad
H898
to act treacherously
V-Qal-Perf-3fs
אִשָּׁ֖ה
ʼishshâh
H802
woman
N-fs
מֵ/רֵעָ֑/הּ
rêaʻ
H7453
neighbor
Prep | N-ms | Suff
כֵּ֣ן
kên
H3651
right
Part
בְּגַדְתֶּ֥ם
bâgad
H898
to act treacherously
V-Qal-Perf-2mp
בִּ֛/י
Prep | Suff
בֵּ֥ית
bayith
H1004
place
N-ms
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
Israel
N-proper
נְאֻם
nᵉʼum
H5002
utterance
N-ms
יְהוָֽה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
The Lord
N-proper
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Jeremiah 3:20
אָכֵ֛ן
ʼâkên
H403
"surely"
Adv
The Hebrew word ʼâkên means surely or truly, often used for strong emphasis. It is used in the Bible to express certainty or contrast, like in Genesis 28:16 where Jacob says 'Surely the Lord is in this place'.
Definition: 1) surely, truly, indeed 1a) truly, indeed (strong assertive force) 1b) but indeed, but in fact (emphasizing a contrast)
Usage: Occurs in 17 OT verses. KJV: but, certainly, nevertheless, surely, truly, verily. See also: Genesis 28:16; Isaiah 40:7; Psalms 31:23.
בָּגְדָ֥ה
bâgad
H898
"to act treacherously"
V-Qal-Perf-3fs
To act treacherously means to be deceitful or unfaithful, as seen in Job 31:27-28, where Job denies acting treacherously. It involves covering or hiding one's true intentions, often to pillage or offend others.
Definition: 1) to act treacherously, deceitfully, deal treacherously 1a) (Qal) to act or deal treacherously, faithlessly, deceitfully, offend
Usage: Occurs in 39 OT verses. KJV: deal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully), offend, transgress(-or), (depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful(-ly, man), [idiom] very. See also: Exodus 21:8; Isaiah 24:16; Psalms 25:3.
אִשָּׁ֖ה
ʼishshâh
H802
"woman"
N-fs
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Definition: : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English. See also: Genesis 2:22; Genesis 34:4; Numbers 5:12.
מֵ/רֵעָ֑/הּ
rêaʻ
H7453
"neighbor"
Prep | N-ms | Suff
A neighbor or friend is what this word means, describing someone close to you. It can also refer to a companion, fellow citizen, or another person, and is often translated as brother or friend.
Definition: 1) friend, companion, fellow, another person 1a) friend, intimate 1b) fellow, fellow-citizen, another person (weaker sense) 1c) other, another (reciprocal phrase)
Usage: Occurs in 173 OT verses. KJV: brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, [idiom] (an-) other. See also: Genesis 11:3; Job 42:7; Psalms 12:3.
כֵּ֣ן
kên
H3651
"right"
Part
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means 'so' or 'thus', often used to show agreement or confirmation, like in the book of Genesis. It can also mean 'rightly' or 'justly', as in doing something the correct way. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: adv adj 1) right, just, honest, true, veritable 1a) right, just, honest 1b) correct 1c) true, veritable
Usage: Occurs in 737 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, [phrase] (for-) asmuch as yet, [phrase] be (for which) cause, [phrase] following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), [idiom] the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, [phrase] there (where) -fore, this, thus, true, well, [idiom] you. See also: Genesis 1:7; Exodus 37:19; Judges 7:17.
בְּגַדְתֶּ֥ם
bâgad
H898
"to act treacherously"
V-Qal-Perf-2mp
To act treacherously means to be deceitful or unfaithful, as seen in Job 31:27-28, where Job denies acting treacherously. It involves covering or hiding one's true intentions, often to pillage or offend others.
Definition: 1) to act treacherously, deceitfully, deal treacherously 1a) (Qal) to act or deal treacherously, faithlessly, deceitfully, offend
Usage: Occurs in 39 OT verses. KJV: deal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully), offend, transgress(-or), (depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful(-ly, man), [idiom] very. See also: Exodus 21:8; Isaiah 24:16; Psalms 25:3.
בִּ֛/י
""
Prep | Suff
בֵּ֥ית
bayith
H1004
"place"
N-ms
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Definition: nm place, origin, between
Usage: Occurs in 1712 OT verses. KJV: court, daughter, door, [phrase] dungeon, family, [phrase] forth of, [idiom] great as would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter) house(-hold), inside(-ward), palace, place, [phrase] prison, [phrase] steward, [phrase] tablet, temple, web, [phrase] within(-out). See also: Genesis 6:14; Exodus 8:5; Numbers 1:45.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
"Israel"
N-proper
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Definition: A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently § Israel = "God prevails" 1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel 2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob 2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split 2b) the name used and given to the northern kingdom consisting of the 10 tribes under Jeroboam; the southern kingdom was known as Judah 2c) the name of the nation after the return from exile
Usage: Occurs in 2231 OT verses. KJV: Israel. See also: Genesis 32:29; Exodus 13:18; Exodus 40:38.
נְאֻם
nᵉʼum
H5002
"utterance"
N-ms
This word refers to an utterance or declaration from God, often through a prophet. It is used in the Bible to describe a revelation or message from God, like in Exodus or Numbers.
Definition: 1) (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet) 1a) utterance, declaration, revelation (of prophet in ecstatic state) 1b) utterance, declaration (elsewhere always preceding divine name)
Usage: Occurs in 358 OT verses. KJV: (hath) said, saith. See also: Genesis 22:16; Jeremiah 22:16; Psalms 36:2.
יְהוָֽה
Yᵉhôvâh
H3068
"The Lord"
N-proper
Yehovah is another name for God, often translated as 'the Lord'. It is a national name for God in the Jewish faith. This name is used throughout the Old Testament.
Definition: Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Usage: Occurs in 5522 OT verses. KJV: Jehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה). See also: Genesis 2:4; Genesis 24:42; Exodus 8:8.
Study Notes — Jeremiah 3:20
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Jeremiah 3:20 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 3:20
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 3:20
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:20
- Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:20
- Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:20
- Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 3:20
- Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 3:20
- Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:20
- Sermons on Jeremiah 3:20
Context — A Call to Repentance
18In 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 to your fathers as an inheritance.
19Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me.
20But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD.
21A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD their God. 22“Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 48:8 | You have never heard; you have never understood; for a long time your ears have not been open. For I knew how deceitful you are; you have been called a rebel from birth. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 5:11 | For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,” declares the LORD. |
| 3 | Hosea 5:7 | They have been unfaithful to the LORD; for they have borne illegitimate children. Now the New Moon will devour them along with their land. |
| 4 | Malachi 2:11 | Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god. |
| 5 | Jeremiah 3:1–2 | “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD. “Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. |
| 6 | Ezekiel 16:15–52 | But because of your fame, you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot. You lavished your favors on everyone who passed by, and your beauty was theirs for the asking. You took some of your garments and made colorful high places for yourself, and on them you prostituted yourself. Such things should not have happened; never should they have occurred! You also took the fine jewelry of gold and silver I had given you, and you made male idols with which to prostitute yourself. You took your embroidered garments to cover them, and you set My oil and incense before them. And you set before them as a pleasing aroma the food I had given you—the fine flour, oil, and honey that I had fed you. That is what happened, declares the Lord GOD. You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough? You slaughtered My children and delivered them up through the fire to idols. And in all your abominations and acts of prostitution, you did not remember the days of your youth when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your own blood. Woe! Woe to you, declares the Lord GOD. And in addition to all your other wickedness, you built yourself a mound and made yourself a lofty shrine in every public square. At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty. With increasing promiscuity, you spread your legs to all who passed by. You prostituted yourself with your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, and increased your promiscuity to provoke Me to anger. Therefore I stretched out My hand against you and reduced your portion. I gave you over to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd conduct. Then you prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, because you were not yet satisfied. Even after that, you were still not satisfied. So you extended your promiscuity to Chaldea, the land of merchants—but even with this you were not satisfied! How weak-willed is your heart, declares the Lord GOD, while you do all these things, the acts of a shameless prostitute! But when you built your mounds at the head of every street and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were not even like a prostitute, because you scorned payment. You adulterous wife! You receive strangers instead of your own husband! Men give gifts to all their prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors. So your prostitution is the opposite of that of other women: No one solicited your favors, and you paid a fee instead of receiving one; so you are the very opposite! Therefore, O prostitute, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says: Because you poured out your wealth and exposed your nakedness in your promiscuity with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your children which you gave to them, therefore I will surely gather all the lovers with whom you found pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and expose you before them, and they will see you completely naked. And I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and those who shed blood; so I will bring upon you the wrath of your bloodshed and jealousy. Then I will deliver you into the hands of your lovers, and they will level your mounds and tear down your lofty shrines. They will strip off your clothes, take your fine jewelry, and leave you naked and bare. They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. Then they will burn down your houses and execute judgment against you in the sight of many women. I will put an end to your prostitution, and you will never again pay your lovers. So I will lay to rest My wrath against you, and My jealousy will turn away from you. Then I will be calm and no longer angry. Because you did not remember the days of your youth, but enraged Me with all these things, I will surely bring your deeds down upon your own head, declares the Lord GOD. Have you not committed this lewdness on top of all your other abominations? Behold, all who speak in proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ You are the daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters to your north; and your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters to your south. And you not only walked in their ways and practiced their abominations, but soon you were more depraved than they were. As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did as you and your daughters have done. Now this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them, as you have seen. Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have multiplied your abominations beyond theirs, and all the abominations you have committed have made your sisters appear righteous. So now you must bear your disgrace, since you have brought justification for your sisters. For they appear more righteous than you, because your sins were more vile than theirs. So you too must bear your shame and disgrace, since you have made your sisters appear righteous. |
| 7 | Hosea 6:7 | But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they were unfaithful to Me. |
| 8 | Jeremiah 3:8–10 | She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD. |
| 9 | Hosea 3:1 | Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and offer raisin cakes to idols. ” |
Jeremiah 3:20 Summary
[Jeremiah 3:20 is a verse where God is talking to His people, Israel, and He's saying that they have been unfaithful to Him, just like a wife would be unfaithful to her husband. This means that Israel has broken their promise to love and obey God, and instead, they have turned to other things for comfort and happiness, as seen in Jeremiah 2:13. God is hurt and disappointed by their actions, but He still loves them and wants them to come back to Him, as seen in Jeremiah 3:22. We can learn from this verse by examining our own relationship with God and making sure we are being faithful to Him, as commanded in Deuteronomy 6:5.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to betray God like a wife betrays her husband?
In Jeremiah 3:20, God is saying that His people, Israel, have been unfaithful to Him, just like a wife would be unfaithful to her husband, as seen in Malachi 2:14-15, where it talks about the covenant of marriage and how it reflects our relationship with God.
Is God saying that Israel's actions are as bad as adultery?
Yes, God is comparing Israel's actions to adultery, which is a serious offense, as seen in Exodus 20:17, where it is listed as one of the Ten Commandments, showing how seriously God takes faithfulness and covenant-keeping.
How can we apply this verse to our own lives?
We can apply Jeremiah 3:20 to our own lives by examining our loyalty and faithfulness to God, just as the Israelites were called to be faithful to God, as seen in Deuteronomy 6:5, where we are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength.
What is the tone of God's voice in this verse?
The tone of God's voice in Jeremiah 3:20 is one of sorrow, hurt, and disappointment, as seen in the following verses, Jeremiah 3:21-22, where God expresses His desire for His people to return to Him and be healed.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I may be betraying God's trust in my own life, and how can I turn back to Him?
- How does God's comparison of Israel's actions to a wife's betrayal make me think about my own relationship with God?
- What does it mean for me to be faithful to God, and how can I demonstrate that faithfulness in my daily life?
- How can I balance the reality of God's hurt and disappointment with the truth of His love and desire to restore me?
Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 3:20
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband,.... Or, "her friend" (i); who loves her, takes care of her, and provides for her, and goes after another man, and cohabits with him; which
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 3:20
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. Surely - rather, But. Husband - literally, friend.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:20
God hereby telling her what she had formerly been, endeavours to engage her to what she ought to be, namely, considering her former unfaithfulness in time past, how she ought to carry it for the future. See .
Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:20
Jeremiah 3:20 Surely [as] a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.Ver. 20. Surely as a treacherous wife, &c.] This ye have done, but that is your present grief, and now you look upon your former disloyalties with a lively hatred of them, holding that the time past of your life may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, &c.
Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:20
(20) Surely as a wife . . .—In the midst of the bright vision of the future there comes unbidden the thought of the dark present: the faithless wife is not yet restored to her true friend and husband. Her guilt must be again pressed home upon her, so as to lead her to repentance.
Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 3:20
20. O house of Israel] Israel as including Judah.
Barnes' Notes on Jeremiah 3:20
Surely as - Rather: “Just as.”
Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:20
20. Surely as — Rather, Just as. Husband — Hebrew, friend. Israel has been false to the holiest obligations, and this would seem to close the door of hope for her return.
Sermons on Jeremiah 3:20
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Awful Consequences of Backsliding by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the consequences of backsliding from God. He tells the story of Jonah, who tried to run away from God's command and ended up in a storm at se |
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Genesis #23 Ch. 40-41 Joseph Glorified by Chuck Missler | In this sermon on Genesis chapters 40 and 41, Chuck Misler explores the story of Joseph and his interpretation of dreams for the butler and the baker. He highlights the significanc |
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Free Grace Salvation by James Bourne | James Bourne preaches about the profound message of salvation by grace, emphasizing the hopelessness of sinners under conviction and the necessity of understanding God's mercy and |
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The Sin That Makes God Cry by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher discusses how the people of God had become weary and bored with their worship and service. They doubted God's love for them and questioned where the ev |
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The Heavenly Calling - Part 16 by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the purpose of the Christian life, which is to reveal Christ and bring pleasure to Him. The speaker acknowledges that believers often struggl |
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Malachi on Repentance and Faithfulness by Stephen Kaung | In this sermon, Brother Stephen Kahn begins by praying for the congregation to be filled with God's love and to be able to hear His voice. He emphasizes the importance of serving G |
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God's Truth: Rebellion and Patriotism by Russell Kelfer | In this sermon, the speaker discusses five qualities that are best developed in a nation during times of struggle: submission, goodness, respect, commitment, and prayer. He emphasi |