Jeremiah 3:16

16 "'"And," says ADONAI, "in those days, when your numbers have increased in the land, people will no longer talk about the ark for the covenant of ADONAI - they won't think about it, they won't miss it, and they won't make another one.

Jeremiah 3:16 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 3:16

And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and
increased in the land
That is, when the number of the disciples and followers of Christ, and true believers in him, shall be multiplied and increased in the land of Judea, and in the Gentile world also, under the ministry of the above said pastors, apostles, and ministers of the Gospel, who should be succeeded everywhere, as they were; see ( Acts 6:1 Acts 6:2 Acts 6:7 ) : in those days, saith the Lord of hosts, they shall say no more, the ark
of the covenant of the Lord;
because the antitype of it would be come, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word that is made flesh and dwelt among men; and in whom the Shechinah, or divine Majesty, dwells in a more glorious manner than it did over the ark, for in him dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily; and the ark may be put for the whole ceremonial law, which was abolished at the death of Christ, and to be used and spoken of no more; and whereas it was, for a good while after the abrogation of it, a matter of debate and contention, and was not wholly under the church's feet until about the times of Constantine, when there was a great multiplication and increase of Christians throughout the Roman empire, the prophecy may be thought to belong to those times, at least there was then a greater accomplishment of it; see ( Revelation 12:1 ) : neither shall it come to mind, neither shall they remember it;
as it should not be spoken of, so it should not be thought of any more than if it had never been: neither shall they visit it;
to inquire of the Lord, before it, about what they wanted to be informed of, as they used to do, ( Judges 20:23 Judges 20:27 Judges 20:28 ) : neither shall that be done any more;
or, "made any more" ^F7 the Jews

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 say, the ark was wanting in the second temple, and was never afterwards remade: all the expressions denote the utter abolition of legal rites and ceremonies, never to be revived more. The Targum paraphrases the last clause,

``neither shall they make war with it any more;''

and so Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it as if it was a prophecy of such a time of profound peace, that there would be no need of bringing out the ark as formerly; this use of it would be quite forgotten; but this was not the principal use of the ark, and very rarely was it ever used in this way.
F7 (dwe hvey alw) "neque reparabitur amplius, [vel] et non constuetur amplius", Schmidt.
F8 T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 21. 2.

Jeremiah 3:16 In-Context

14 "Return, backsliding children," says ADONAI; "for I am your master. I will take you, one from a city, two from a family, and bring you to Tziyon.

15 I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 "'"And," says ADONAI, "in those days, when your numbers have increased in the land, people will no longer talk about the ark for the covenant of ADONAI - they won't think about it, they won't miss it, and they won't make another one.

17 When that time comes, they will call Yerushalayim the throne of ADONAI. All the nations will be gathered there to the name of ADONAI, to Yerushalayim. No longer will they live according to their stubbornly evil hearts.

18 In those days, the house of Y'hudah will live together with the house of Isra'el; they will come together from the lands in the north to the land I gave your ancestors as their heritage.