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Jeremiah 3 describes Israel as an unfaithful wife who has turned to other gods. Exegesis on the Soul, a Nag Hammadi text, quotes this accusation as a prophecy about the soul, transferring the image from a people to an individual.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Jeremiah 3:1
Hebrew Bible
1 “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and becomes another man’s wife, he may not take her back again. Doing that would utterly defile the land. But you, Israel, have given yourself as a prostitute to many gods. So what makes you think you can return to me?” says the Lord. 2 “Look up at the hilltops and consider this. Where have you not been ravished? You waited for those gods like a thief lying in wait in the wilderness. You defiled the land by your wicked prostitution to other gods. 3 That is why the rains have been withheld and the spring rains have not come. Yet in spite of this you are obstinate as a prostitute. You refuse to be ashamed of what you have done. 4 Even now you say to me, ‘You are my father! You have been my faithful companion ever since I was young.
Exegesis on the Soul 2:2
Nag Hammadi
Now, regarding the prostitution of the soul, the Holy Spirit prophesies in many places, saying in the prophet Jeremiah: “If a husband divorces his wife and she goes and takes another man, can she go back to him again? Has not that woman completely polluted herself? And you played the harlot to many shepherds and you returned to me,” said the Lord. “Take a clear look and see where you played the harlot. Were you not sitting in the streets polluting the land with your harlotries and your wickedness? And you took many shepherds as a stumbling block to you. With everyone you were without shame. You called not on me as a relative or as father or guardian of your virginity.” ‒ (Jeremiah 3:1-4)
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Notes and References
“... Scripture is first employed, interrupting the narrative at the soul‘s prayer of penitence and petition, in a lengthy exegetical composition entitled ―On the prostitution of the soul‖ (129,5–131,13: the image of the unfaithful wife from Jeremiah 3, Hosea 2, and Ezekiel 16 is applied by the Holy Spirit to the prostitution of the soul and interpreted as the soul‘s defilement by ―the domain of the flesh and the perceptible realm and the affairs of the earth‖; Paul‘s command not to associate with prostitutes [1 Corinthians 5,9] is taken as a summons to struggle against evil spiritual powers). ...”
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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