Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

JEREMIAH 3:14KJV
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Jeremiah 3:14 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 3:14 mean?

Jeremiah 3:14 is God’s call for the people of Israel, who have turned away from Him, to return because He still claims them as His own, describing Himself as being “married” to them. God promises to gather even a small remnant—“one of a city, and two of a family”—and bring them back to Zion, showing His commitment to restore them despite their unfaithfulness.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is relaying God’s message to the Israelites during a time when they had repeatedly abandoned their covenant with Him. The language of marriage highlights the closeness and seriousness of the relationship God desires with His people. The promise to bring back even just a few from each place shows God’s determination to restore and care for those who respond, even if most have turned away.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 3:14

  • The word “Turn” (שׁוּבוּ, shuvu) means to return or come back, and it’s often used in the Hebrew Bible for repentance or changing direction. Here, it’s a heartfelt plea for the people to come back to God.
  • “Backsliding” (מְשׁוּבָה, meshubah) refers to turning away or being unfaithful, especially in a spiritual sense. This word paints the picture of people who have wandered from a committed relationship.
  • “Married” (בָּעַלְתִּי, ba’alti) literally means to be a husband or to possess. God uses this word to describe His covenant relationship with Israel, emphasizing both intimacy and commitment.
  • “Zion” (צִיּוֹן, tziyon) is a specific name for Jerusalem, often representing the spiritual center or the place where God’s people are gathered and restored.

Why Jeremiah 3:14 matters

  • Jeremiah 3:14 clears up the idea that God gives up on people who have failed Him; instead, it shows that God actively seeks to restore even those who have turned away.
  • The verse emphasizes that God’s relationship with His people is personal and committed, like a marriage, not just a distant or formal agreement.
  • In the wider context, this verse is part of a message of hope woven through warnings of judgment, showing that God’s ultimate goal is restoration and not just punishment.

Where else these words appear

“backsliding” Hebrew H7726 · used in 4 verses

  • Isaiah 57:17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
  • 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 50:6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.

“married” Hebrew H1166 · used in 14 verses

  • Genesis 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
  • 1 Chronicles 4:22 And Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things.
  • Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.