Jeremiah 3:6
The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore?
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse doesn't just describe Israel's sin, it personifies it, calling her "Apostasy" itself. This isn't just a mistake; it's who she has become, so deeply entrenched in idolatry that it's her very identity. Her "going up" to high places and "under green trees" isn't a single event, but a habitual, pervasive practice of spiritual adultery.
In the days of King Josiah, a time of outward religious reform, God directs Jeremiah to observe the northern kingdom of Israel, the ten tribes who had long since been exiled for their idolatry. He uses Israel as a stark example for Judah, showing how their "sister nation" had openly and pervasively abandoned God for false gods, engaging in illicit worship practices on every high hill and under every shady tree. This vivid imagery of spiritual adultery sets the stage for Jeremiah to confront Judah with their own deep-seated hypocrisy and their failure to learn from Israel's devastating downfall.
The Bible doesn't shy away from strong imagery. When God calls Israel's actions 'playing the whore,' He's painting a vivid picture of spiritual unfaithfulness.
In ancient Israel, the covenant between God and His people was often described in terms of marriage. God was the husband, and Israel was the wife. This wasn't just a poetic comparison; it carried deep implications.
When Israel turned to other gods, worshiping on high hills and under leafy trees, it wasn't simply a mistake or a minor deviation. It was seen as adultery – a profound betrayal of the sacred vows made to God.
This imagery highlights:
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Jeremiah 3:6 is available in the Sola app.
The reforms of King Josiah brought a surface-level return to God, but underneath, the heart of the people remained stubbornly distant.
Jeremiah 3:6 is placed within the context of King Josiah's reign. Josiah was a godly king who initiated significant religious reforms, purging idolatry and restoring temple worship. On the outside, it looked like a nation returning to God.
However, as the commentaries suggest, this outward show often masked an inner reality of hypocrisy. The people might have outwardly followed the king's decrees, but their hearts weren't truly devoted to the LORD.
This reveals:
The original language of this verse carries a powerful emphasis – Israel wasn't just 'backsliding'; she had become synonymous with turning away from God.
The Hebrew behind 'backsliding Israel' in this verse is particularly striking. Some scholars note that it can be translated more literally as 'Israel, (who is) apostasy itself.'
This isn't a gentle nudge; it's a profound indictment.
It means:
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the one true God of Israel, revealed to Moses, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent, and covenant-keeping nature.
meshubah · Hebrew Adjective
A state of being unfaithful, especially in the context of a covenant relationship; it describes the act of turning away from God to follow idols.
zanah · Hebrew Verb
A metaphorical term used in the prophets to describe Israel's idolatry, framing it as a violation of the marriage covenant between God and His people.
This message from Jeremiah comes during King Josiah's reforms, a time when the nation was officially turning back to God. Yet, the prophet highlights that Judah's spiritual 'backsliding' is even worse than that of the exiled northern kingdom of Israel, who had already faced devastating consequences for their idolatry.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting much of its population and repopulating the land with foreigners. This marks the end of the ten northern tribes as a distinct entity.
622 BC— this verse
Josiah's Religious Reforms Begin
During renovations of the Jerusalem temple, the Book of the Law is discovered. King Josiah initiates a sweeping religious reform, purging idolatry and centralizing worship in Jerusalem.
c. 620 BC
Jeremiah's Prophetic Ministry
Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry, deeply affected by Josiah's reforms but also aware of the deep-seated spiritual corruption that persists among the people, particularly Judah.
This passage uses the metaphor of marital unfaithfulness to describe Israel's spiritual adultery with other gods, mirroring Jeremiah's depiction of Israel 'playing the whore' on every high hill.
Ezekiel 16:15-17Ezekiel also employs the imagery of a prostitute to condemn Jerusalem's idolatry, specifically mentioning how she took her beauty and used it for illicit purposes on high places, just as described in Jeremiah.
Deuteronomy 12:2-4This foundational law explicitly commands Israel to worship God only at the place He chooses, not to follow the Canaanite practice of sacrificing on high places and under green trees, which Jeremiah condemns.
Jeremiah 2:20This verse, also from Jeremiah, directly precedes the passage in question and describes Israel's unfaithfulness using similar language of going to high places and green trees for worship, showing a consistent theme of idolatry.
Isaiah 57:5-8Isaiah condemns the Israelites for setting up altars and making sacrifices on hills and under trees, describing their worship as a form of sexual infidelity and betrayal of their covenant with God.
clarkeJeremiah 3:6: "The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot."
The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king - This is a new discourse, and is supposed to have been delivered after the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah. Here the prophet shows the people of Judah the transgressions, idolatry, obstinacy, and puni…
calvinJeremiah 3:6-8: "The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot."
The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
Et dixit Jehova ad me in diebus Josiae r…
The verse doesn't just describe Israel's sin, it personifies it, calling her "Apostasy" itself. This isn't just a mistake; it's who she has become, so deeply entrenched in idolatry that it's her very identity. Her "going up" to high places and "under green trees" isn't a single event, but a habitual, pervasive practice of spiritual adultery.
In the days of King Josiah, a time of outward religious reform, God directs Jeremiah to observe the northern kingdom of Israel, the ten tribes who had long since been exiled for their idolatry. He uses Israel as a stark example for Judah, showing how their "sister nation" had openly and pervasively abandoned God for false gods, engaging in illicit worship practices on every high hill and under every shady tree. This vivid imagery of spiritual adultery sets the stage for Jeremiah to confront Judah with their own deep-seated hypocrisy and their failure to learn from Israel's devastating downfall.
In the days of King Josiah, a time of outward religious reform, God directs Jeremiah to observe the northern kingdom of Israel, the ten tribes who had long since been exiled for their idolatry. He uses Israel as a stark example for Judah, showing how their "sister nation" had openly and pervasively abandoned God for false gods, engaging in illicit worship practices on every high hill and under every shady tree. This vivid imagery of spiritual adultery sets the stage for Jeremiah to confront Judah with their own deep-seated hypocrisy and their failure to learn from Israel's devastating downfall.
"The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore?" — The verse doesn't just describe Israel's sin, it personifies it, calling her "Apostasy" itself. This isn't just a mistake; it's who she has become, so deeply entrenched in idolatry that it's her very…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
