Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "scattered your favors among foreigners" is a poetic way of saying Israel didn't just dabble in other gods, but actively pursued and spread their worship of idols like a traveler who leaves footprints everywhere they go. This wasn't a mild flirtation; it was a pervasive, unreserved pursuit of every foreign god available.
Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a vivid description of Israel's unfaithfulness, comparing their straying to a prostitute's promiscuity, God issues a call for them to return. This verse presents the essential first step: an honest acknowledgment of their rebellion against God and their widespread pursuit of foreign gods and idolatrous practices under every "green tree." It sets the stage for God's gracious offer of forgiveness and restoration, contingent upon their sincere confession.
God's invitation to return begins with a radical call: 'Only acknowledge your guilt.' What does it truly mean to 'know' our wrongdoing, and why is it the first step to healing?
Jeremiah 3:13 opens with a profound call to self-awareness. The Hebrew word for 'acknowledge' here carries the sense of 'to know' or 'to be aware of.' It's not just about a passive feeling of shame, but an active, clear-sighted recognition of our sin.
Understanding True Confession
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The verse vividly describes scattering 'favors among strangers under every green tree.' What does this unusual image reveal about the nature of spiritual unfaithfulness?
The phrase 'scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree' paints a powerful picture of spiritual adultery. The 'strangers' represent foreign gods and unholy alliances, while the 'green tree' was a common site for idolatrous worship in ancient Near Eastern cultures.
The Nature of Scattered Worship
The verse concludes with a stark declaration: 'and you have not obeyed my voice.' Why is simple disobedience so devastating in God's eyes?
The final clause of Jeremiah 3:13, 'and you have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD,' cuts to the heart of Israel's rebellion. It’s not just that they sinned; it’s that they actively refused to listen to God.
The Gravity of Not Listening
Understand the original words
avon · Hebrew Noun
The recognition and admission of sin or wrongdoing against God; essential for restoration and forgiveness.
pasha · Hebrew Verb
Willful resistance to God's authority and commands, representing a breach of the divine-human relationship.
derek · Hebrew Noun
In this context, referring to illicit worship or spiritual adultery, often tied to idolatry where the heart's devotion is given to false gods.
This verse speaks to the profound spiritual unfaithfulness of Judah, occurring in the shadow of the northern kingdom's destruction and during the increasing pressure from Babylon. The imagery of 'scattering ways' under 'green trees' vividly recalls the pervasive idolatry that characterized the nation, leading to their eventual downfall and exile.
c. 732 BC
Assyrian Conquest of Northern Israel
The Neo-Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III conquers significant portions of the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting a large number of its inhabitants. This event severely weakens the northern kingdom and marks the beginning of its end.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and End of Northern Kingdom
Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, falls to the Neo-Assyrian Empire under Shalmaneser V and Sargon II. The remaining population is exiled, and the northern kingdom ceases to exist as an independent entity.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, the Neo-Babylonian Empire begins its campaigns against Judah. The first significant deportation of Judean elites, including some members of the royal family and scholars like Daniel, occurs.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II captures Jerusalem and deports more of the Judean population, including the prophet Ezekiel and King Jehoiachin. This event further destabilizes Judah and foreshadows its complete destruction.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Neo-Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar II destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, ending the Davidic monarchy. The majority of the remaining Judean population is exiled to Babylon, marking a profound crisis of faith and identity.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire conquers Babylon. This marks a shift in geopolitical power and eventually leads to the decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Judah.
This passage highlights the vital connection between confessing sin and receiving forgiveness, mirroring Jeremiah's call for Israel to acknowledge their guilt as the first step toward reconciliation with God.
Proverbs 28:13Echoing Jeremiah's message, this proverb emphasizes that true repentance involves confessing and forsaking sins, rather than hiding them, to find mercy.
Jeremiah 2:23-24These verses provide a vivid parallel to Jeremiah 3:13, describing Israel's idolatrous practices 'under every green tree' and comparing their straying to a restless camel or a harlot, illustrating the 'scattering of ways' mentioned in our verse.
Ezekiel 16:25This passage uses similar imagery of 'scattering ways' or 'prostituting oneself' to describe the spiritual unfaithfulness of Israel to God, likening their actions to a harlot seeking lovers everywhere.
Romans 10:9-10This New Testament passage speaks of the confession of the mouth and belief in the heart leading to salvation, reflecting the principle in Jeremiah that acknowledging one's sin and turning to God is the path to restoration.
barnesJeremiah 3:13: "Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD."
Acknowledge - literally, "know thy iniquity;" know that thy doings are iniquitous. Scattered thy ways - Wandered in search of those idolatries which foreign nations practice.
gillJeremiah 3:13: "Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD."
Only acknowledge thine iniquity,.... Or, "know" (e) it; unless a man knows his sin, and is convicted of it, he will never repent of it, or turn from it; and when he is made sensible of it, and sorry for it, he ought to acknowledge and confess it before God, against whom he has…
The phrase "scattered your favors among foreigners" is a poetic way of saying Israel didn't just dabble in other gods, but actively pursued and spread their worship of idols like a traveler who leaves footprints everywhere they go. This wasn't a mild flirtation; it was a pervasive, unreserved pursuit of every foreign god available.
Following a vivid description of Israel's unfaithfulness, comparing their straying to a prostitute's promiscuity, God issues a call for them to return. This verse presents the essential first step: an honest acknowledgment of their rebellion against God and their widespread pursuit of foreign gods and idolatrous practices under every "green tree." It sets the stage for God's gracious offer of forgiveness and restoration, contingent upon their sincere confession.
Following a vivid description of Israel's unfaithfulness, comparing their straying to a prostitute's promiscuity, God issues a call for them to return. This verse presents the essential first step: an honest acknowledgment of their rebellion against God and their widespread pursuit of foreign gods and idolatrous practices under every "green tree." It sets the stage for God's gracious offer of forgiveness and restoration, contingent upon their sincere confession.
"Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice,…" — The phrase "scattered your favors among foreigners" is a poetic way of saying Israel didn't just dabble in other gods, but actively pursued and spread their worship of idols like a traveler who leave…
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Last reviewed October 2026