She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights the chilling detail that "for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery" God sent her away, echoing the legalistic language of divorce decrees. This shows that God's judgment wasn't arbitrary; it followed the breakdown of the covenant relationship due to Israel's actions, a pattern Judah shockingly ignored.
She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God observes that after Israel, His faithless wife, was divorced and sent away due to her countless acts of spiritual adultery, her sister Judah showed no fear. Instead, Judah followed Israel's path, stubbornly continuing in idolatry and betraying God.
God’s covenant with Israel wasn't just a promise; it was a marriage. When Israel broke its vows, God responded with a radical act of separation.
In this passage, God likens His relationship with Israel to a marriage. When Israel repeatedly committed 'adultery'—worshipping other gods—God enacted a 'divorce.' This wasn't a casual separation but a formal repudiation, symbolized by a 'bill of divorce.'
A Formal Farewell
This 'bill of divorce' meant God was formally casting Israel out. As commentators note, this 'divorce' represented God giving Israel up to its enemies, specifically the Assyrians, leading to their exile. It was a public, decisive act demonstrating the finality of their unfaithfulness.
Israel faced judgment for its unfaithfulness, but its 'sister' Judah, witnessing this, not only ignored the warning but repeated the sin with chilling indifference.
The verse highlights a disturbing reality: Judah, Israel's sister nation, saw the devastating consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness and subsequent exile. Yet, instead of learning from this stark example, Judah 'did not fear' and 'went and played the whore also.'
The Danger of Indifference
This isn't just repeating a mistake; it's a deeper level of rebellion. Commentators suggest Judah's sin was perhaps even more grievous because it was committed with full knowledge of the consequences. She had the 'proof' of God's judgment before her eyes, yet chose the same destructive path. This indifference to demonstrated divine justice is a form of profound treachery against the covenant.
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Understand the original words
kerithuth · Hebrew Noun
A legal termination of a marriage; in the prophetic context, it represents God's formal judicial separation from a people who have permanently broken their covenant with Him.
yare · Hebrew Verb
A reverential awe, respect, and dread of God's holiness and judgment; it is the beginning of wisdom and the basis for holy living.
This verse speaks to Judah's tragic spiritual blindness, comparing its persistent unfaithfulness to its sister kingdom Israel, which had already faced divine judgment and exile. The prophet Jeremiah, speaking during Josiah's reforms, laments that even the severe consequences for Israel did not deter Judah from its own path of idolatry.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Exile of Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants and scattering them throughout the empire. This event serves as a stark warning to the southern kingdom of Judah.
701 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
The Assyrian army under Sennacherib invades Judah, capturing many cities and besieging Jerusalem. Although Jerusalem is miraculously spared, the invasion highlights Judah's vulnerability and the pervasive threat from powerful empires.
622 BC— this verse
Josiah's Reforms
King Josiah discovers the Book of the Law in the Temple and initiates sweeping religious reforms to centralize worship in Jerusalem and eradicate idolatry. This period is when Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeats the Egyptians and Assyrians at Carchemish, then advances into Judah. He deports some of the nobility and skilled workers, including the prophet Daniel, to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
Following a Judean revolt, Nebuchadnezzar again besieges Jerusalem. He deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Jerusalem after a prolonged siege, destroying the city and the Temple. The remaining population is exiled to Babylon, marking the end of the Davidic kingdom.
This passage uses a similar metaphor of two sisters, Oholah (Samaria) and Oholibah (Jerusalem), engaging in spiritual adultery, highlighting God's judgment on both unfaithful kingdoms.
Hosea 2:2-5Hosea, like Jeremiah, uses the imagery of a faithless wife to describe Israel's unfaithfulness to God, emphasizing God's rightful anger and the consequences of their adultery.
Jeremiah 2:27-28This earlier part of Jeremiah's prophecy also speaks of Judah's spiritual adultery, portraying them as looking to idols ('stone' and 'stick') instead of God, mirroring the 'treacherous sister' theme.
Matthew 21:31Jesus points out that tax collectors and prostitutes entered the kingdom of God before the religious leaders, suggesting that even those outwardly seen as 'faithless' can be more righteous in God's eyes than those who are hypocritical yet outwardly religious, a concept echoed in Jeremiah 3:11 where backsliding Israel is said to have 'justified herself more than treacherous Judah'.
gillJeremiah 3:8: "And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also."
And I saw, when for all the causes, whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery,.... Not only Judah saw, but God, who sees all things, saw the idolatry of the ten tribes which apostatized from him, and all the springs, causes, reasons, and occasions of it, and its…
pulpitJeremiah 3:8: "And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also."
Verse 8. - And I saw, when for all the causes, etc.; rather, and I saw that even because apostate Israel had, etc. But this is exceedingly strange in this connection. The preceding words seem to compel us either (with the Vulgate) to omit "and I saw" altogether, or (…
The verse highlights the chilling detail that "for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery" God sent her away, echoing the legalistic language of divorce decrees. This shows that God's judgment wasn't arbitrary; it followed the breakdown of the covenant relationship due to Israel's actions, a pattern Judah shockingly ignored.
God observes that after Israel, His faithless wife, was divorced and sent away due to her countless acts of spiritual adultery, her sister Judah showed no fear. Instead, Judah followed Israel's path, stubbornly continuing in idolatry and betraying God.
God observes that after Israel, His faithless wife, was divorced and sent away due to her countless acts of spiritual adultery, her sister Judah showed no fear. Instead, Judah followed Israel's path, stubbornly continuing in idolatry and betraying God.
"She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore." — The verse highlights the chilling detail that "for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery" God sent her away, echoing the legalistic language of divorce decrees. This shows that…
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Last reviewed October 2026