Verse
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 – Jeremiah 3:13
Meaning of Jeremiah 3:13
The meaning of the verse, “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” is that God wanted the nation of Judah to repent of its ways to return to Him. The kingdom of Judah was rebelling against God’s commands and was living under persisting sins. God was angry and disappointed with His people, but He was willing to forgive them if only they realized their mistakes and repented their ways. God also reminds Israelites about their worshipping other deities and idols and not obeying Him. This verse is a call from God to His people.
Interpretations of Jeremiah 3:13
The verse Jeremiah 3:13 is not a frequently quoted verse in the Churches. But it can also be misrepresented and misinterpreted sometimes. Here are some interpretations of this verse.
Interpretation #1 God is constantly angry
The first interpretation of the verse, “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” is that God’s anger never stops towards His people. The reader believes that God’s perfection makes Him look at everyone’s imperfections, and this results in Him being angry. The Old Testament is proof that god’s anger can punish mankind, like destroying the tower of Babel or in the days of Noah when He proceeded to destroy the entire human population by sending a flood. Hence, the reader understands that God is always angry.
Interpretation #2 Israelites were mostly disobedient
The meaning of the verse, “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” is that Israelites were disobedient most of the time. The reader believes that all through the Old Testament, Israelites showed disobedience to God’s commandments by worshipping other gods and indulging in idol worship, engaging in adultery, etc. Additionally, God introduced the Ten Commandments so that Israelites would follow them and stay out of their sinful ways.
Interpretation #3 Israelites never felt sorry for their sins
Here the verse, “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” can be interpreted as Israelites did not have any remorse for their sins and wrongdoings. The reader believes that Israelites had no repentance for their actions, and that is the reason they continued sinning. The Bible also claims that God was so tired of the Israelites continuously disobeying God and never repenting for it that He chose to send Jesus to rescue them through crucifixion. Additionally, God also punished Israel in various ways through the beginning of time so that they would realize their wrongful ways. However, the Israelites never did so.
Interpretation #4 God scattered Israelites as punishment
In this interpretation, the reader believes that God scattered the Israelites as punishment. In the book of Jeremiah, it is evident that God scattered Israelites throughout the world because they rejected God’s covenant by worshipping other Gods. Before the said event, God warned them through prophecies in the Bible in the Books of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, etc. Hence, the reader understands that the Israelites’ continuous disobedience and defiance led to God dispersing Israelites.
Interpretation #5 God dislikes hateful worship
The final interpretation of the verse, “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” is that God detests hateful worship. The reader interprets that God has, time again, instructed His people to turn away from idol worship and other Gods. The Old Testament also shows that God gave Israel numerous chances to return to Him with a heart of repentance, and this verse is proof of the same. He wanted Israelites to confess their sins and repent before Him so that they could be reconciled back to Him.
Historical background of Jeremiah 3:13
The book of Jeremiah is written by Jeremiah, the prophet, usually addressed as the weeping prophet. God was directing the Jews through Jeremiah, who was living under the authority of the Egyptians and then the Babylonian empire. They were carried into exile from their homeland Jerusalem to Babylon. The third chapter focuses on unfaithful Israelites and man’s wrongful ways. The thirteenth verse, in particular, is God asking Israel to repent as they have not obeyed his word.
Literary Devices of Jeremiah 3:13
Jeremiah 3:13 is a directive from God to His people and is a strong statement. The verse also consists of some notable literary devices. Here are some examples.
Consonance – The verse has a rich use of consonants in repetition and some in quick successions. For example, the sound of /l/ and the sound of /n/ ‘Only acknowledge thine iniquity‘; the sound of /t/, the sound of /n/, the sound of /s/, and the sound of /d/ in ‘that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God‘, and the sound of /t/, the sound of /s/, the sound of /r/ in ‘and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree‘.
Alliteration – The verse also has a rich use of vowel sounds, and few are in quick succession. The sound of /a/ in ‘that thou hast transgressed‘; the sound of /o/ in ‘the LORD thy God’; the sound of /a/ and the sound of /ee/ in ‘and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree‘.
Theme – The major themes of the verse Jeremiah 3:13 is repentance, anger, and conviction. The minor themes include disobedience and idolatry.
Metaphor – The verse also has good use of metaphor. For example, ‘scattered thy ways‘ is a metaphor for feet as well as choices; every green tree is a reference to other nations around Israel’.
Euphemism – The phrase ‘hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree‘ is also a euphemism for idolatry.
