Jeremiah 3 · Verse 11

Jeremiah 3:11

And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
Jeremiah 3:11, King James Version

Jeremiah 3:11 in other translations

BSBAnd the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah.
WEBThe LORD said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
ASVAnd Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath showed herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
YLTAnd Jehovah saith unto me: ‘Justified herself hath backsliding Israel, More than treacherous Judah.
DARBYAnd Jehovah said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath shewn herself more just than treacherous Judah.
BBEAnd the Lord said to me, Israel in her turning away is seen to be more upright than false Judah.
WebsterAnd the LORD said to me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

What does Jeremiah 3:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. justified herself--has been made to appear almost just (that is, comparatively innocent) by the surpassing guilt of Judah, who adds hypocrisy and treachery to her sin; and who had the example of Israel to warn her, but in vain (compare Eze 16:51; 23:11). more than--in comparison with.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Backsliding Israel hath justified herself more - She was less offensive in my eyes, and more excusable, than treacherous Judah. So it is said, Luk 18:14, the humbled publican went down to his house justified rather than the boasting Pharisee. The one was more to be pitied than the other, and more likely to receive the mercy of God.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 3:6-11

If we mark the crimes of those who break off from a religious profession, and the consequences, we see abundant reason to shun evil ways. It is dreadful to be proved more criminal than those who have actually perished in their sins; yet it will be small comfort in everlasting punishment, for them to know that others were viler than they.

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 3:6-11 →

Jeremiah 3:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֵלַ֔י'e.Laito meH413
צִדְּקָ֥הtzi.de.Kahshe has made appear righteousH6663
נַפְשָׁ֖הּnaf.Shahself herH5315
מְשֻׁבָ֣הme.shu.Vah[the] apostate oneH4878
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
מִבֹּגֵדָ֖הmi.bo.ge.Dahmore than [the] treacherous [one]H898
יְהוּדָֽה\׃ye.hu.DahJudahH3063

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 3:11

  • Ezekiel 23:11

    And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.

  • Ezekiel 16:51-52

    Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done. Thou also, which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou: yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.

  • Hosea 11:7

    And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.

  • Ezekiel 16:47

    Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.

  • Hosea 4:16

    For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place.

  • Jeremiah 3:22

    Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.

  • Jeremiah 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The backsliding.
8,22; Ho 4:16; 11:7
justified.
Eze 16:47,51,52; 23:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 3:10

    And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.

  • Jeremiah 3:11

    And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

  • Jeremiah 3:12

    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.

Read all of Jeremiah 3

Jeremiah 3:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y díjome Jehová: Justificado ha su alma la rebelde Israel en comparación de la desleal Judá.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel me dit: Israël l’infidèle s’est montrée plus juste que Juda la perfide.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova sprach zu mir: Die abtrünnige Israel hat sich gerechter erwiesen als Juda, die treulose.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et dixit Dominus ad me: Justificavit animam suam aversatrix Israël, comparatione prævaricatricis Judæ.