John Gill Commentary Jeremiah 3:9

John Gill Commentary

Jeremiah 3:9

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
John Gill
John Gill

John Gill Commentary

Jeremiah 3:9

1697–1771
Reformed Baptist
SCRIPTURE

"And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks." — Jeremiah 3:9 (ASV)

And it came to pass, through the lightness of her whoredom ,
&c.] Or the "swiftness" F2 of it; when it was once set on foot, it ran through the land presently one taking it from and following the example of another; or it became a light thing with her to commit idolatry; it was looked upon as a small thing, a trivial offence at most: so the Targum, ``it came to pass that her idols were light in her eyes;'' not lightly esteemed of, but it was a light thing to commit idolatry with them; interpreting the word as the Masora, which it follows: and to the same sense the Septuagint version, "her fornication was for nothing"; it stood for nothing, it was not reckoned as a sin: the Arabic version is, "her fornication was with nothing"; with an idol, which is nothing in the world, (1 Corinthians 8:4) , some choose to render it, "because of the voice or fame of her whoredom" F3 , or idolatry; it sounded forth, and the fame, or rather infamy of it, went out through the whole land:

wherefore it follows, that she defiled the land ;
polluted it with sin, involved it in guilt, and exposed it to punishment: and committed adultery with stones and with stocks ;
that is, with images made of stone and wood, which they served and worshipped as gods; and is the adultery or idolatry they are charged with, and by which the land was defiled. The Targum is, ``she erred or committed idolatry with the worshippers of stone and wood.'' This, by what follows, seems to be understood not of Judah, but of Israel.


FOOTNOTES:

  • F2: (lqm) "a levitate", a (llq) , "velocem esse", Calvin.
  • F3: Heb. "propter vocem scortationis ejus, [vel] famosam scortationem", Piscator; "a voce scortationis ejus", Schmidt; "propter famam scortationis ejus", Cocceius; "prae famosa scortatione", Junius & Tremellius.