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This word imports a departing or a turning away again from God. It is quite contrary, in the formal nature of it, to faith and repentance, and implies that which the apostle calls a "repenting of repentance." For a man, having approved of God's ways, and entered into covenant with Him, after this to go from his word, and fling up his bargain, and start aside like a deceitful bow; of all other dispositions of the soul, this is one of the worst; to deal with our sins as Israel did with their servants, dismiss them and then take them again (Jeremiah 34:10, 11). It is the sad fruit of an evil and unbelieving heart. Yet God says, "I will heal their backslidings." To understand this aright, we are to know that there is a twofold apostasy.

1. An apostasy arising out of impotency of affection and prevalency of lust, drawing the heart to look toward the old pleasures thereof again: it is a recidivation or relapse into a former sinful condition out of forgetfulness and falseness of heart, for want of the fear of God to balance the conscience and to fix and unite the heart to Him. Though exceedingly dangerous, yet God is sometimes pleased to forgive and to heal this disease.

2. An apostasy which is proud and malicious, when, after they "have tasted the good Word of God," men set themselves to hate, oppose, and persecute godliness, to do "despite unto the Spirit of grace," to fling off the holy strictness of Christ's yoke. Observe

(1)  We should beware of backsliding, above all other sins.

(2)  We should not be so terrified by any sin, which our soul mourns and labours under, and our heart turns from, as thereby to be withheld from going to the Physician for pardon and healing.

(Jeremiah Burroughs.)

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KJV: I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

WEB: "I will heal their waywardness. I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from him.