Jeremiah 3 2

Jeremiah 3:2 kjv

Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

Jeremiah 3:2 nkjv

"Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: Where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them Like an Arabian in the wilderness; And you have polluted the land With your harlotries and your wickedness.

Jeremiah 3:2 niv

"Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.

Jeremiah 3:2 esv

Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been ravished? By the waysides you have sat awaiting lovers like an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom.

Jeremiah 3:2 nlt

"Look at the shrines on every hilltop.
Is there any place you have not been defiled
by your adultery with other gods?
You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a customer.
You sit alone like a nomad in the desert.
You have polluted the land with your prostitution
and your wickedness.

Jeremiah 3 verses

Jeremiah 3 2 Meaning

This verse serves as a powerful indictment of Judah's profound and pervasive spiritual unfaithfulness, depicting her as a shameless prostitute. It accuses the nation of openly engaging in widespread idolatry across the land, particularly on high places, and underscores the depth of their spiritual depravity and wilful betrayal of God's covenant, which has thoroughly defiled the land itself.

Jeremiah 3 2 Context

Jeremiah 3 opens with a powerful legal analogy comparing Israel's spiritual infidelity to a wife's divorce and potential return. Verse 2 specifically amplifies the extent of Judah's unfaithfulness by urging them to witness their own blatant idolatry. This is set against the backdrop of Josiah's reign (640-609 BCE), during which Jeremiah began his ministry. Although Josiah enacted significant religious reforms to abolish idolatry and restore temple worship, this verse, likely reflecting the pre-reform period or the nation's rapid relapse post-Josiah, highlights the deeply entrenched and widespread nature of pagan worship. The historical context includes rampant Baal and Asherah worship, often involving fertility cults and even child sacrifice on designated "high places," which represented a direct rejection of God's covenant with Israel. This verse stands as God's stark accusation, exposing the open, public, and persistent spiritual harlotry of Judah.

Jeremiah 3 2 Word analysis

• Lift up your eyes: (נשׂאי עיניך nasei eyneka) - A command, not a suggestion. It urges Judah to look objectively at their actions, to confront the undeniable evidence of their widespread spiritual defection, indicating that their sin was open and observable, not hidden.
• bare heights: (שׁפאים shpha'im) - Literally "open places" or "smooth hills." These were notorious locations for pagan worship and idolatry (e.g., cultic sites of Baal and Asherah), often involving sexual rituals. Their openness signifies the public, unconcealed nature of Judah's idolatry.
• see! (וראי u'r'ee) - An imperative verb, demanding an acknowledgment of what is overtly visible. It emphasizes the undeniable truth of the accusation.
• Where have you not been ravished?: (אנה לא שֻׁכַּלְתְּ anah lo shukkalt?) -
  • Ravished (שׁדד shadad, Niph'al passive of shadad): The root means "to deal violently with, spoil, destroy, lay waste." Here, in the context of harlotry, it means "violated" or "lain with." It signifies pervasive sexual activity (spiritually speaking). It highlights the extensive, shameless nature of their promiscuity with false gods – everywhere she turned, she indulged in idolatry. It's not a violation against her will but her willingly debasing herself.
• By the roadsides you have sat for them: (עַל דְּרָכִים יָשַׁבְתְּ לָהֶם al drakhim yashavt lahem) -
  • Roadsides: Signify public, accessible places, where prostitutes typically awaited customers. This depicts Judah's unashamed, public, and available pursuit of foreign gods and practices, open for anyone to see.
  • Sat for them: Implies a settled, ready posture, actively waiting and soliciting. It's not incidental or passive, but a deliberate seeking out of illicit relationships with idols.
• as an Arab in the wilderness: (כַּעְרַב בַּמִּדְבָּר ka'arav ba'midbar) -
  • Arab in the wilderness: This simile can be interpreted in several ways by scholars: A common image of an Arab bandit lurking in ambush, implying a predatory, waiting posture to seize "customers" (false gods) or practices for illicit gain, reflecting Judah's eager readiness to engage in idolatry. Simply someone waiting conspicuously and shamelessly in an open area for a rendezvous, reinforcing the public nature of her sin. The primary meaning relates to a "nomad" or "Bedouin," known for their freedom and often for ambushing travelers. This reflects Judah's eagerness to ensnare itself with idols, showing active, not passive, engagement in sin.
• you have polluted the land: (וַתַּחֲנִיפִי אֶרֶץ vattachnifi eretz) -
  • Polluted (חנף hanaph): To defile, to make profane, contaminate. This word is strongly linked to moral or ritual impurity that impacts the land itself, making it uninhabitable or bringing God's judgment (e.g., Num 35:33-34, Lev 18:25-28). It emphasizes that Judah's actions had dire spiritual and physical consequences, corrupting the sacred inheritance God had given them.
• with your vile harlotry and your wickedness: (בְּזִמָּתֵךְ וּבְרָעָתֵךְ b'zimmatēkh uvr'a'tēkh) -
  • Vile harlotry (זִמָּה zimmah): Literally "shameful deeds," "wicked schemes," often implying depraved sexual misconduct, fornication, or incest. In this spiritual context, it highlights the abominable, utterly disgraceful nature of their idolatry in God's sight, as severe as the most egregious moral transgressions.
  • Wickedness (רָעָה ra'ah): A broad term for evil, moral badness, calamity, or distress. It underscores that their spiritual unfaithfulness was not just an act of infidelity but a comprehensive moral failure, leading to profound moral and ethical decay within the nation.

Jeremiah 3 2 Bonus section

• The widespread use of the harlotry metaphor throughout the prophetic books (e.g., Hosea, Ezekiel, Isaiah) emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and Israel as a sacred marriage. Judah's idolatry was a direct breach of this marital fidelity, viewed by God as the ultimate betrayal.
• The "bare heights" or "high places" (בָּמוֹת bamot) were central to ancient Canaanite religion and cults, which Israel was expressly forbidden to emulate. Jeremiah's indictment serves as a polemic against these pagan practices and a condemnation of Israel's adoption of them.
• Despite this harsh indictment, Jeremiah's prophecy consistently interweaves warnings of judgment with messages of hope and calls to repentance (as seen later in Jeremiah 3 itself, especially 3:12-18). This demonstrates God's long-suffering and desire for His people's return, even in the face of such egregious unfaithfulness.

Jeremiah 3 2 Commentary

Jeremiah 3:2 powerfully articulates God's charge against Judah's brazen and extensive idolatry, using the metaphor of a harlot. The imagery of "bare heights" and "roadsides" vividly portrays the public and unashamed nature of their spiritual adultery, which was not hidden but displayed openly. The comparison to an "Arab in the wilderness" emphasizes Judah's proactive and even predatory eagerness to pursue false gods, lying in wait to engage in forbidden worship. This spiritual harlotry profoundly "polluted the land," bringing defilement and judgment upon it. The "vile harlotry" and "wickedness" reveal the depth of their depravity, stressing that their rejection of the One True God was not a minor slip but a comprehensive, disgraceful, and morally corrupt betrayal of the covenant relationship. It highlights the direct link between a nation's spiritual condition and its moral and physical health.