The Meaning of Jeremiah 3:12 Explained

Jeremiah 3:12

KJV: Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

YLT: Go, and thou hast proclaimed these words toward the north, and hast said, Turn back, O backsliding Israel, An affirmation of Jehovah! I cause not Mine anger to fall upon you, For I am kind, an affirmation of Jehovah, I watch not to the age.

Darby: Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah: I will not make my face dark upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah; I will not keep anger for ever.

ASV: Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; I will not look in anger upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah, I will not keep anger for ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Go  and proclaim  these words  toward the north,  and say,  Return,  thou backsliding  Israel,  saith  the LORD;  [and] I will not cause mine anger  to fall  upon you: for I [am] merciful,  saith  the LORD,  [and] I will not keep  [anger] for ever. 

What does Jeremiah 3:12 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jeremiah was to preach to the remnant left in the Northern Kingdom, and to the exiles from that nation, that they should repent and return to the Lord (cf. Jeremiah 31:2-6; Jeremiah 31:15-22). Those who had turned away from the Lord should turn back to Him. This is a play on derivatives of the Hebrew root shub, "turn," many of which occur in this sermon. The Lord would not hold His anger against them "forever," but would be gracious to them, if they would genuinely repent.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 3:11-25 - Pleading With Faithless Children
The people of the northern kingdom, to whom this appeal is especially addressed, were more excusable than Judah, because their privileges had been less. God judges us according to our opportunities. How precious the invitation and promise of Jeremiah 3:12! Confession is an essential condition that must be fulfilled by us. See 1 John 1:7. Zion shall yet be the center of a restored Israel, Jeremiah 3:14; Jeremiah 3:18. In Jeremiah 3:21-25 the voices of the people in confession and prayer mingle with Jehovah's encouraging their return. When we lie down in broken-hearted shame and penitence, we are very near to being lifted to the bosom of God. Compare Jeremiah 3:25 with Jeremiah 4:1. The return of the Chosen People to the God of their fathers will be the cause of revival and quickening throughout the earth. Compare Jeremiah 4:2 with Romans 11:12. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 3

1  God's great mercy to Judah the polluted land
6  Judah is worse than Israel
12  The promises of the gospel to the penitent
20  Israel reproved, and called by God, makes a solemn confession of their sins

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 3:12 mean?

Go and proclaim - words these toward the north and say Return backsliding Israel says Yahweh not I will cause to fall My anger on you for merciful I [am] Yahweh not I will remain angry forever
הָלֹ֡ךְ וְקָֽרָאתָ֩ אֶת־ הַדְּבָרִ֨ים הָאֵ֜לֶּה צָפ֗וֹנָה וְ֠אָמַרְתָּ שׁ֣וּבָה מְשֻׁבָ֤ה יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ נְאֻם־ יְהוָ֔ה לֽוֹא־ אַפִּ֥יל פָּנַ֖י בָּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־ חָסִ֤יד אֲנִי֙ יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א אֶטּ֖וֹר לְעוֹלָֽם

הָלֹ֡ךְ  Go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְקָֽרָאתָ֩  and  proclaim 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַדְּבָרִ֨ים  words 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הָאֵ֜לֶּה  these 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, common plural
Root: אֵהֶל 
Sense: these.
צָפ֗וֹנָה  toward  the  north 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָפֹון  
Sense: north (of direction), northward.
וְ֠אָמַרְתָּ  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
שׁ֣וּבָה  Return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מְשֻׁבָ֤ה  backsliding 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְשׁוּבָה  
Sense: turning away, turning back, apostasy, backsliding.
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אַפִּ֥יל  I  will  cause  to  fall 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
פָּנַ֖י  My  anger 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
בָּכֶ֑ם  on  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
חָסִ֤יד  merciful 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָסִיד  
Sense: faithful, kind, godly, holy one, saint, pious.
אֲנִי֙  I  [am] 
Parse: Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֶטּ֖וֹר  I  will  remain  angry 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָטַר 
Sense: to keep, keep guard, reserve, maintain.
לְעוֹלָֽם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.