Jeremiah 3 11

Jeremiah 3:11 kjv

And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

Jeremiah 3:11 nkjv

Then the LORD said to me, "Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Jeremiah 3:11 niv

The LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.

Jeremiah 3:11 esv

And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Jeremiah 3:11 nlt

Then the LORD said to me, "Even faithless Israel is less guilty than treacherous Judah!

Jeremiah 3 verses

Jeremiah 3 11 Meaning

Jeremiah 3:11 conveys a divine pronouncement from the Lord through Jeremiah, declaring that the Northern Kingdom of Israel, despite its persistent "backsliding" and idolatry which led to its destruction, was comparatively "more righteous" or less culpable than the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This statement is not an endorsement of Israel's righteousness, but rather a stark indictment of Judah. Judah's sin was deemed more egregious because, having witnessed God's judgment upon Israel for similar apostasy, they still failed to genuinely repent and turned to even deeper "treachery" and covenant unfaithfulness. The verse highlights Judah's hardened heart and deliberate disobedience in the face of a clear divine warning embodied in Israel's downfall.

Jeremiah 3 11 Context

Jeremiah 3 is situated within a series of prophetic condemnations and laments regarding Judah's unfaithfulness to God, depicted primarily through the metaphor of spiritual adultery. Jeremiah addresses Judah directly, contrasting their actions with those of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Chapter 3 begins by comparing Judah's pervasive idolatry to a harlot (vv. 1-5), and then in verses 6-10, the Lord directly recounts Israel's "backsliding" (v. 6) and Judah's witnessing of Israel's divorce and exile as a consequence of her unfaithfulness (vv. 8-9). Despite this severe object lesson, Judah did not return to the Lord "with her whole heart" (v. 10), but "treacherously." Verse 11 delivers the Lord's direct conclusion: Israel, though having fallen away, is judged as less blameworthy than Judah, who persisted in deeper betrayal after having seen Israel's fate and failing to take heed. This declaration serves as a severe warning to Judah, highlighting the greater culpability that comes with increased knowledge and privileged access to God's judgments and warnings. Historically, this prophecy occurs when Judah is still intact but facing increasing external threats, having already seen the Northern Kingdom conquered by Assyria over a century prior (722 BCE).

Jeremiah 3 11 Word analysis

• And the Lord said to me (וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלָי - vayyo’mer YHWH ’elay):

  • This common prophetic formula emphasizes the divine origin and authority of the message. It signifies a direct, unmediated communication from God to Jeremiah, asserting that the following declaration is not Jeremiah's personal opinion but a revelation from the sovereign God of Israel.

• ‘Backsliding (מְשֻׁבָה - meshuvah):

  • Meaning "turning away," "apostasy," "backsliding," or "faithlessness."
  • It describes Israel's consistent deviation from the covenant relationship with God, characterized by worship of other gods and disobedience to divine laws.
  • The term highlights a spiritual regression, a turning away from the path they once walked or were commanded to walk. It implies a departure from loyalty rather than outright malicious opposition.

• Israel (יִשְׂרָאֵל - Yisrael):

  • Refers specifically to the Northern Kingdom, the ten tribes, which had fallen to Assyria in 722 BCE.
  • Her judgment and exile are presented as a historical precedent and a stern warning for Judah.

• has shown herself more righteous (הִצְדִּקָה - hitzdika):

  • From the root צדק (tsadaq), meaning "to be righteous" or "to justify."
  • This is a comparative, not absolute, statement. It does not mean Israel was truly righteous, but rather that, in comparison to Judah, she appeared to be so.
  • The implication is that Israel's sin was, in a sense, less culpable because Judah, after witnessing Israel's punishment, chose a deeper and more conscious form of spiritual infidelity. Judah had "more light" (witnessed divine judgment) and yet still chose profound darkness.

• than treacherous (בֹּגֶדֶת - bogedet):

  • From the root בגד (bagad), meaning "to deal treacherously," "to betray," "to be faithless."
  • This word implies a more active, deliberate, and profound betrayal than "backsliding." It suggests a breach of trust, an intentional breaking of the covenant, often with malice or cunning.
  • The nuance points to Judah's hypocrisy, where outward religious practices masked a deeply disloyal heart.

• Judah (יְהוּדָה - Yehudah):

  • Refers to the Southern Kingdom, the remaining two tribes, which still stood at the time of Jeremiah's prophecy.
  • This direct indictment challenges Judah's potential complacency, as they often felt superior to the exiled Northern Kingdom due to their possession of the Temple and Davidic monarchy.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah": This phrase sets up a powerful rhetorical contrast. It functions as a polemic against Judah's presumed moral superiority. The seemingly paradoxical statement serves to shock and awaken the complacent audience. The emphasis is on Judah's greater culpability due to their refusal to learn from divine warning and their progression into deeper, more intentional unfaithfulness. The terms "backsliding" versus "treacherous" mark a distinction in the perceived gravity of sin from God's perspective: Israel drifted away, while Judah actively betrayed after clear signs of God's judgment.

Jeremiah 3 11 Bonus section

• Polemics against Complacency: This verse serves as a direct challenge to Judah's theological and spiritual arrogance. They likely viewed themselves as superior or more favored by God simply because they still possessed the Temple and Jerusalem, whereas Israel had been utterly destroyed. God, through Jeremiah, dismantles this false sense of security and exposes their spiritual state as even worse than that of their "sister" who had already faced judgment.
• Divine Pedagogy: God often uses the fate of some as a lesson for others. Israel's downfall was not merely punishment for her sin, but also a profound warning designed to lead Judah to repentance. Judah's failure to heed this warning exacerbated their guilt.
• Nature of Sin: The contrast between "backsliding" (meshuvah) and "treacherous" (bogedet) illustrates degrees of sin and culpability from God's perspective. While "backsliding" implies a turning away or apostasy, "treachery" suggests a deeper, more active, and calculated betrayal of trust, especially in light of foreknowledge of consequences. This speaks to the qualitative difference in the two nations' offenses in God's eyes.
• The Deceptive Heart: The greater "treachery" of Judah also alludes to their ability to outwardly maintain a veneer of piety or alliance with God (e.g., in the Temple, among their prophets) while their hearts were far from Him (Jer 3:10). This hypocrisy rendered their betrayal more offensive than Israel's more overt, albeit still grievous, idolatry.

Jeremiah 3 11 Commentary

Jeremiah 3:11 serves as a stark divine judgment, comparing the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. God declares Israel, though notorious for "backsliding" (repeatedly straying from Him), to be comparatively less guilty, or "more righteous," than Judah. This is not to absolve Israel, but to magnify Judah's culpability. Judah had the profound disadvantage of witnessing God's judgment on Israel through exile, a direct consequence of their idolatry and unfaithfulness. Despite this living object lesson of divine wrath, Judah failed to genuinely repent; instead, they engaged in deeper and more insidious forms of "treachery," marked by hypocrisy and a continued hardening of heart. The verse underscores that greater privilege and knowledge—in Judah's case, having seen divine punishment meted out to a covenant partner—lead to greater responsibility, and therefore, more severe judgment for failure to respond appropriately. It highlights God's justice, where knowledge of His warnings increases the weight of rebellion.