Jeremiah 3:3
Jeremiah 3:3 in Multiple Translations
Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.
Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a harlot’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
So the showers have been kept back, and there has been no spring rain; still your brow is the brow of a loose woman, you will not let yourself be shamed.
That's why no showers have been sent, and no spring rains have fallen. But you just stare back shamelessly like a prostitute; you refuse to accept you've done anything wrong.
Therefore the showres haue beene restrained, and the latter raine came not, and thou haddest a whores forehead: thou wouldest not bee ashamed.
And withheld are showers, and gathered rain hath not been. The forehead of a whorish woman thou hast, Thou hast refused to be ashamed.
Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed.
Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there hath been no latter rain? and thou hadst a harlot's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
Therefore the showers were withholden, and there was no lateward rain: thou hadst a harlot’s forehead, thou wouldst not blush.
That is why I have not sent you any rain at the times of the year when you needed it. But you are like prostitutes [MET] who are not at all ashamed for what they have done.
Berean Amplified Bible — Jeremiah 3:3
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 3:3 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/יִּמָּנְע֣וּ
רְבִבִ֔ים
וּ/מַלְק֖וֹשׁ
ל֣וֹא
הָיָ֑ה
וּ/מֵ֨צַח
אִשָּׁ֤ה
זוֹנָה֙
הָ֣יָה
לָ֔/ךְ
מֵאַ֖נְתְּ
הִכָּלֵֽם
וַ/יִּמָּנְע֣וּ
mânaʻ
H4513
to withhold
Conj | V-Niphal-ConsecImperf-3mp
רְבִבִ֔ים
râbîyb
H7241
shower
N-mp
וּ/מַלְק֖וֹשׁ
malqôwsh
H4456
spring rain
Conj | N-ms
ל֣וֹא
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
הָיָ֑ה
hâyâh
H1961
to be
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
וּ/מֵ֨צַח
mêtsach
H4696
forehead
Conj | N-ms
אִשָּׁ֤ה
ʼishshâh
H802
woman
N-fs
זוֹנָה֙
zânâh
H2181
to fornicate
V-Qal
הָ֣יָה
hâyâh
H1961
to be
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
לָ֔/ךְ
Prep | Suff
מֵאַ֖נְתְּ
mâʼên
H3985
to refuse
V-Piel-Perf-2fs
הִכָּלֵֽם
kâlam
H3637
be humiliated
V-Niphal-Inf-a
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Jeremiah 3:3
וַ/יִּמָּנְע֣וּ
mânaʻ
H4513
"to withhold"
Conj | V-Niphal-ConsecImperf-3mp
To withhold means to hold something back or keep it from someone. In the Bible, this word is used to describe God withholding something from people, or people withholding things from each other.
Definition: 1) to withhold, hold back, keep back, refrain, deny, keep restrain, hinder 1a) (Qal) to withhold 1b) (Niphal) to be withheld
Usage: Occurs in 29 OT verses. KJV: deny, keep (back), refrain, restrain, withhold. See also: Genesis 30:2; Proverbs 1:15; Psalms 21:3.
רְבִבִ֔ים
râbîyb
H7241
"shower"
N-mp
Describes a heavy rain shower that brings fertility and abundance, also used figuratively to describe a strong prophetic influence.
Definition: 1) copious showers, heavy showers 1a) as bringing fertility 1b) of prophetic influence (fig)
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: shower. See also: Deuteronomy 32:2; Jeremiah 3:3; Psalms 65:11.
וּ/מַלְק֖וֹשׁ
malqôwsh
H4456
"spring rain"
Conj | N-ms
The spring rain that helps crops grow is what this word describes, also used to symbolize eloquence in speech, like in Proverbs 16:15 and Hosea 6:3.
Definition: 1) latter rain, spring rain 1a) the March and April rains which mature the crops of Palestine
Usage: Occurs in 8 OT verses. KJV: latter rain. See also: Deuteronomy 11:14; Jeremiah 5:24; Proverbs 16:15.
ל֣וֹא
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
הָיָ֑ה
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
וּ/מֵ֨צַח
mêtsach
H4696
"forehead"
Conj | N-ms
The Hebrew word for forehead, referring to the open and prominent part of the face. In the Bible, it is used to describe the forehead of humans, like in Ezekiel 3:8-9. It represents the front of a person.
Definition: brow, forehead
Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: brow, forehead, [phrase] impudent. See also: Exodus 28:38; Jeremiah 3:3; Isaiah 48:4.
אִשָּׁ֤ה
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.
זוֹנָה֙
zânâh
H2181
"to fornicate"
V-Qal
To fornicate means to commit adultery or be unfaithful, often used to describe idolatry in the Bible. It can also refer to a person being a cult prostitute or causing others to be unfaithful.
Definition: 1) to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be a harlot, act as a harlot, commit fornication 1a2) to commit adultery 1a3) to be a cult prostitute 1a4) to be unfaithful (to God) (fig.) 1b) (Pual) to play the harlot 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to commit adultery 1c2) to force into prostitution 1c3) to commit fornication
Usage: Occurs in 81 OT verses. KJV: (cause to) commit fornication, [idiom] continually, [idiom] great, (be an, play the) harlot, (cause to be, play the) whore, (commit, fall to) whoredom, (cause to) go a-whoring, whorish. See also: Genesis 34:31; Isaiah 57:3; Psalms 73:27.
הָ֣יָה
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
לָ֔/ךְ
""
Prep | Suff
מֵאַ֖נְתְּ
mâʼên
H3985
"to refuse"
V-Piel-Perf-2fs
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to say no or reject something. It is used in Exodus 23:5 to describe refusing to help someone in need. God commands people to not refuse help.
Definition: (Piel) to refuse
Usage: Occurs in 39 OT verses. KJV: refuse, [idiom] utterly. See also: Genesis 37:35; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 77:3.
הִכָּלֵֽם
kâlam
H3637
"be humiliated"
V-Niphal-Inf-a
To be humiliated means to be insulted or shamed, as seen in the Bible's use of this word to describe people's reactions to their mistakes. It is about feeling ashamed or reproached.
Definition: 1) to insult, shame, humiliate, blush, be ashamed, be put to shame, be reproached, be put to confusion, be humiliated 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to be humiliated, be ashamed 1a2) to be put to shame, be dishonoured, be confounded 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to put to shame, insult, humiliate, cause shame to 1b2) to exhibit shame 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be insulted, be humiliated 1c2) to be put to shame, be dishonoured, be confounded
Usage: Occurs in 38 OT verses. KJV: be (make) ashamed, blush, be confounded, be put to confusion, hurt, reproach, (do, put to) shame. See also: Numbers 12:14; Proverbs 25:8; Psalms 35:4.
Study Notes — Jeremiah 3:3
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Jeremiah 3:3 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 3:3
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 3:3
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
- Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
- Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
- Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 3:3
- Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
- Sermons on Jeremiah 3:3
Context — The Wages of the Harlot
1“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.
2“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.
3Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.
4Have you not just called to Me, ‘My Father, You are my friend from youth. 5Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?’ This you have spoken, but you keep doing all the evil you can.”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leviticus 26:19 | I will break down your stubborn pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze, |
| 2 | Jeremiah 14:4 | The ground is cracked because no rain has fallen on the land. The farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 28:23 | The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 5:24 | They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’ |
| 5 | Isaiah 5:6 | I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.” |
| 6 | Jeremiah 14:22 | Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things. |
| 7 | Haggai 1:11 | I have summoned a drought on the fields and on the mountains, on the grain, new wine, and oil, and on whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all the labor of your hands.” |
| 8 | Amos 4:7 | “I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered. |
| 9 | Joel 1:16–20 | Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes— joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins; the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered away. How the cattle groan! The herds wander in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering. To You, O LORD, I call, for fire has consumed the open pastures and flames have scorched all the trees of the field. Even the beasts of the field pant for You, for the streams of water have dried up, and fire has consumed the open pastures. |
| 10 | Ezekiel 16:30–34 | 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! |
Jeremiah 3:3 Summary
[This verse, Jeremiah 3:3, is saying that because God's people refused to obey Him and instead worshiped other gods, He withheld the rain and blessings they needed, similar to what happened in Deuteronomy 11:16-17. Even though they were suffering the consequences of their actions, they still refused to be ashamed of their sins. This is a reminder that our actions have consequences, but God is always willing to forgive and restore us if we repent and turn back to Him (1 John 1:9).]
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did God withhold the showers and spring rains from His people?
God withheld the showers and spring rains as a consequence of the people's disobedience and spiritual adultery, as seen in Jeremiah 3:3, similar to the way He disciplined Israel in Deuteronomy 28:23-24 for their disobedience.
What is meant by the 'brazen look of a prostitute' in this verse?
The 'brazen look of a prostitute' refers to the shameless and unrepentant attitude of God's people, who continued to sin without remorse, much like the prostitute in Proverbs 7:13 who 'casts down her eyelids' to seduce her victims.
How can we apply this verse to our own lives?
We can apply Jeremiah 3:3 to our own lives by recognizing the importance of humility and repentance, as seen in 1 John 1:9, and being willing to acknowledge and turn from our sins, rather than continuing in shameless disobedience.
Is God's judgment in this verse permanent, or is there hope for restoration?
While God's judgment in Jeremiah 3:3 is severe, there is always hope for restoration and forgiveness, as seen in Jeremiah 3:4 and other verses like Joel 2:12-13, which encourage repentance and promise God's mercy and restoration.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I may be disobedient to God, and how can I repent and turn back to Him?
- How can I cultivate a humble and repentant heart, rather than a shameless and unrepentant one?
- What are some ways I can 'lift up my eyes to the barren heights' and recognize the spiritual dryness in my own life, as mentioned in Jeremiah 3:2?
- How can I balance God's judgment and discipline with His mercy and love, as seen in this verse and others like Psalm 103:8-10?
Gill's Exposition on Jeremiah 3:3
Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain,.... There were two seasons of the year when rain in common fell upon the land of Israel, called the former and the
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 3:3
Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
Therefore the showers have been withholden, viz. by me, according to my threatening, ,24, i.e. a drought sent upon thee, either as a punishment of thy wickedness; thus public sins bring public judgments; or as an aggravation of it; and then it must be read though, as it often is; q. d. notwithstanding the great drought; and this the last words of the verse seem to favour. There hath been no latter rain: this, added to showers before mentioned, seems to imply there had been no former nor latter rain, the former for the springing of the corn, the latter for the plumping and ripening it; this coming a little before harvest. Thou hadst a whore’ s forehead: for all this, thou didst still remain impudent and obstinate, as ashamed of nothing, ; thus proverbially expressed, because shame doth first and mostly appear in the forehead. Thus antichrist’ s impudence is expressed, . And some ancient heretics were called effrontes.
Trapp's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
Jeremiah 3:3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’ s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.Ver. 3. Therefore the showers have been withholden.] Drought and dearth have ensued upon thy sin. By showers here understand the former rain, called also the seeds’ rain. And there hath been no latter rain.] That commonly came a little before harvest, and was much desired. And thou hadst a whore’ s forehead.] Quam pudet non esse impudentem; that can blush no more than a sackbut. We have heard, saith a reverend writer, of virgins, which at first seemed modest, blushing at the motions of an honest love, who, being once corrupt and debauched, have grown flexible to easy entreaties to unchastity, and from thence boldly lascivious, so as to solicit others, so as to prostitute themselves to all comers, yea, as the casuists complain of some Spanish brothels, to an unnatural filthiness. The modest beginnings of sin will make way for immodest proceedings. Let men take heed of that αδιατρεψια, i.e., inverecundia, shamelessness, that Caligula liked so well in himself, and that the heretics, called Effrontes, professed. It is a hard thing to have a brazen face and a broken heart. Augustine.
Dr Hall’ s Remedy of Profan., p. 179.
Ellicott's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
(3) Therefore the showers . . .—Outward calamities were looked upon as chastisements for these sins. There had apparently been a severe drought in the reign of Josiah (Jeremiah 9:12; Jeremiah 25:1-6). There had been no showers in spring, no “latter rain” in autumn. So like calamities are described in Amos 4:7; Haggai 1:11; Joe 1:18-20. The influence of the newly-discovered book of Deuteronomy (2 Chronicles 34:14; 2 Kings 22:8) had doubtless given a fresh emphasis to this view of natural disasters.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
Verse 3. There hath been no latter rain] The former rain, which prepared the earth for tillage, fell in the beginning of November, or a little sooner; and the latter rain fell in the middle of April, after which there was scarcely any rain during the summer.
Cambridge Bible on Jeremiah 3:3
3. no latter rain] See ch. Jeremiah 5:24, and for the general thought cp. Amos 4:6 ff. The wholly different rendering of the clause by LXX, though doubtless wrong, suggests an original Hebrew with the sense, And thy many friends (lovers or idols) were a snare to thee.
Whedon's Commentary on Jeremiah 3:3
3. Showers have been withholden — Perhaps, in some cases, in an extraordinary and miraculous way, as in the time of Ahab; and yet the statement should by no means be confined to so narrow an application.
Sermons on Jeremiah 3:3
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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A Whore's Forehead by Thomas Brooks | Thomas Brooks delivers a poignant sermon titled 'A Whore's Forehead,' emphasizing the alarming lack of shame in society regarding sin, as illustrated by the scriptures from Jeremia |
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If My People Humble Themselves - Part 2 by Shane Idleman | This sermon delves into the destructive nature of pride, highlighting personal struggles with pride and the impact it has on relationships, families, and spiritual life. It emphasi |
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(1 Kings) Elijah's Early Ministry by David Guzik | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Elijah and the widow's son from the Bible. The preacher highlights how the widow's faith in God deepens after witnessing the mir |
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Life of Tyndale and the Reformation by Ian Murray | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the life and work of William Tyndale, a key figure in the Reformation. Tyndale was a scholar who translated the New Testament into English in |
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Be Filled With the Holy Spirit - 5 by Zacharias Tanee Fomum | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the concept of success and how it relates to time. They explain that success is often measured by personal growth and opportunities, and that |
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Timeless Truths From Rend the Heavens by Shane Idleman | Shane Idleman shares 'Timeless Truths From Rend the Heavens,' emphasizing the spiritual battles we face and the importance of seeking God diligently. He recounts testimonies of hea |
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Rain at Last! by F.B. Meyer | F.B. Meyer emphasizes the dire consequences of sin as illustrated by the drought in Israel during Elijah's time, contrasting the self-indulgence of King Ahab with Elijah's earnest |