Jeremiah 3:22 kjv
Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
Jeremiah 3:22 nkjv
"Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings." "Indeed we do come to You, For You are the LORD our God.
Jeremiah 3:22 niv
"Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the LORD our God.
Jeremiah 3:22 esv
"Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness." "Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God.
Jeremiah 3:22 nlt
"My wayward children," says the LORD,
"come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts."
"Yes, we're coming," the people reply,
"for you are the LORD our God.
Jeremiah 3 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 3:22 | Return, O backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. | |
| Hos 14:4 | I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. | Echoes the healing promise. |
| Isa 44:22 | I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. | Similar call to return with assurance of forgiveness. |
| Joel 2:13 | And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. | Emphasizes the inward nature of repentance. |
| Acts 3:19 | Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; | New Testament call to repentance and its outcome. |
| Jer 3:14 | Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: | Identifies the covenant relationship. |
| Psa 103:3 | Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; | God's healing nature as a basis for return. |
| Isa 1:18 | Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. | Assurance of forgiveness upon return. |
| Jer 8:4 | Yea, they have opened their mouth against me, and none is there that repents, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle. | Contrasts the people's refusal to repent. |
| Jer 5:6 | Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and the evening wolf shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities; every one that goeth out shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased. | Consequence of continued backsliding. |
| Jer 5:20-25 | The Lord details their unfaithfulness and its punishment. | Illustrates the "scattering" from verse 22. |
| Prov 2:17 | Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. | Similar depiction of spiritual unfaithfulness. |
| Mal 3:7 | Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. | Parallel call to return and its divine response. |
| 2 Chron 30:9 | For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find mercy before them that have taken them captives, and shall return unto this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him. | Judah's return under Hezekiah shows the potential. |
| Eph 2:1-5 | Describes God's action in restoring those who were spiritually dead. | God's initiating grace in restoration. |
| Ps 51:7 | Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. | Desire for cleansing through repentance. |
| 1 Cor 6:11 | And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. | The believer's cleansing through Christ. |
| John 15:4-5 | Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. | Spiritual fruitfulness through connection with Christ. |
| Jer 14:8 | O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of affliction, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry only for a night? | Lament over God's perceived distance due to sin. |
| Jer 17:1-4 | The sin of Judah written on their hearts. | Shows the deep-rooted nature of their sin. |
Jeremiah 3 verses
Jeremiah 3 22 Meaning
This verse expresses a desperate plea for God's people to return to Him, recognizing their iniquity and the spiritual barrenness resulting from their sin. It highlights that their seeking other deities or practices, symbolized by "running to and fro" or "scattering," is futile and only leads to their own destruction, contrasting with the joy and abundance found in true repentance and returning to the Lord.
Jeremiah 3 22 Context
In Jeremiah chapter 3, God is speaking to a nation that has repeatedly broken its covenant with Him, likened to an unfaithful wife. They have turned away from worshiping Yahweh and have instead engaged in idolatry, a theme prominent in this section of Jeremiah. The preceding verses (3:19-21) lament their "backsliding" and how they "opened their mouth against" God and "scattered themselves to their paths, as a swift dromedary traversing her ways." This verse (3:22) then serves as a divine invitation, a desperate and loving call to repent and return to Him, promising healing and restoration. Historically, this was directed at the people of Judah before the Babylonian exile, a time marked by widespread religious and moral corruption.
Jeremiah 3 22 Word Analysis
Return (Shuvu): A strong imperative verb, meaning to turn back, to go back, to return. It signifies a turning away from a present wrong course and a return to a former, right one. In this context, it's a call to return to God.
O backsliding (mashuvah): This refers to those who have strayed or revolted. It carries the sense of deliberate and persistent departure from loyalty and obedience.
children (beney): Literally "sons" or "children." Used here to denote the people of Israel as God's covenant offspring.
Return (ashuv): The Hiphil (causative) form of the verb "shuv," meaning "cause to return," or here in the reciprocal sense, "you will cause yourselves to return" or "you will return."
and I will heal (v'ra P a'ti): Means "and I will mend," "restore," or "make whole." It refers to God's power to restore both physical and spiritual well-being, healing the consequences of their sin.
your backslidings (meshuvoteichem): The plural form of "backsliding." It emphasizes the repeated nature and multitude of their departures from God.
Group: "Return, O backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings" This entire phrase encapsulates the core message: God's people are characterized by repeated turning away from Him. Despite this, God graciously offers forgiveness and the capacity for restoration, provided they turn back to Him. The repetition of the root "shuv" (return) emphasizes the nature of their sin and God's persistent call for them to reverse it.
Jeremiah 3 22 Bonus Section
The concept of "backsliding" is not unique to Jeremiah. The entire Old Testament narrative is replete with instances of Israel's failure to remain faithful. God's desire to "heal" is a reflection of His covenant faithfulness, a testament that His love is not dependent on human perfection but on His unchanging character. This promise of healing and restoration anticipates the work of Christ, who came to heal the brokenhearted and restore what was lost, enabling believers to abide in Him and bear fruit. The repetition of the word "return" underscores that true repentance is an active turning, a conscious decision to abandon destructive paths and re-orient oneself toward God.
Jeremiah 3 22 Commentary
This verse is a profound expression of God's unfailing love and patience, even towards a people who have persistently broken faith with Him. Jeremiah is not just relaying a message but conveying God's own heartbroken plea. The spiritual state described is one of apostasy, where people actively turn away from the Lord for other dependencies. The image of the "backsliding children" highlights a familial betrayal, as Israel was God's chosen covenant people. God’s promise to "heal your backslidings" is powerful because healing in scripture often refers to restoration from sin and its consequences. It implies not just forgiveness, but a re-establishment of relationship and wholeness. The preceding imagery of the people running to and fro signifies their fruitless efforts apart from God, searching for security and satisfaction in ways that ultimately lead to destruction, a futility God's return promises to end.