Jeremiah 3:7

“And I said, after she had done these things, etc.] All these idolatries, in the several places mentioned, after she had repeated them over and over; the Lord sent to them by the Prophets Hosea, Amos, Micah, and others, who prophesied before the captivity of the ten tribes, and entreated them, saying, turn unto me: to my worship, as the Targum; from their idols, to him the living God; they were not without admonitions, exhortations, and declarations of grace, and so were without excuse: but she returned not; to fear and serve the Lord, but remained in idolatry, obstinate and inflexible: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it; her treachery and breach of covenant, as the Septuagint, Syriac,…”

“I said-- (Kg2 17:13). sister-- (Eze 16:46; Eze 23:2, Eze 23:4).”

“Or, “And I said (i. e., within myself), After she has done all these things, she will return to me.” But she did not return. Treacherous - literally, “Falsehood,” i. e., false, faithless. The character of the two sisters is plainly marked. Samaria is apostate; she abandons Yahweh’s worship altogether. Judah maintains the form only; her secret desires are set upon the orgies of pagan worship. return to 'Top of Page'”

“3:7-8 King Josiah’s reforms failed to reach many of the common people. The love of idol worship common in northern Israel also continued among the farmers and shepherds of Judah. They failed to learn from the fate of the northern tribes, and even surpassed their practice of adultery (see Ezek 16:47-48).”

“Turn thou: Kg2 17:13, Kg2 17:14; Ch2 30:6-12; Hos 6:1-4, Hos 14:1 her treacherous: Jer 3:8-11; Eze 16:46, Eze 23:2-4 Jeremiah 3:8”

“And I said, sc. to myself, i.e., I thought. A speaking by the prophets (Rashi) is not to be thought of; for it is no summons, turn again to me, but only the thought, they will return. It is true that God caused backsliding Israel to be ever called again to repentance by the prophets, yet without effect. Meantime, however, no reference is made to what God did in this connection, only Israel's behaviour towards the Lord being here kept in view. The Chet. ותּראה is the later usage; the Keri substitutes the regular contracted form ותּרא. The object, it (the whoredom of Israel), may be gathered from what precedes. Jer 3:8 Many commentators have taken objection to the וארא, because the sentence,…”