“How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.”
The comprehensive nature of sin: 'How can I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.' This verse presents God's rhetorical question: given the persistent and comprehensive apostasy, how can forgiveness be granted? The reference to children swearing 'by gods that are not gods' indicates that apostasy is intergenerational, passed from parents to children. The contrast—'I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery'—articulates God's disappointment: having provided for the people, God encounters ingratitude expressed through covenant violation. The reference to 'houses of prostitutes' continues the metaphor of Israel as an unfaithful spouse engaged in sexual infidelity. Theologically, this verse expresses God's pain at the ingratitude and betrayal: God has been a faithful provider, yet the people have responded with systematic apostasy.
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