Jeremiah 31:3-13

Listen to Jeremiah 31:3-13

3 The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, "I have ¹loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore * I have drawn you with ²lovingkindness.

4 "³Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will take up your ⁴tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the ⁵merrymakers.

5 "Again you will ⁶plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters will plant And will enjoy them.

6 "For there will be a day when watchmen On the hills of Ephraim call out, 'Arise, and ⁷let us go up to Zion, To the LORD our God.' "

7 For thus says the LORD, "⁸Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the ⁹chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise and say, 'O LORD, ¹⁰save Your people, The ¹¹remnant of Israel.'

8 "Behold, I am ¹²bringing them from the north country, And I will ¹³gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the ¹⁴blind and the ¹⁵lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here.

9 "¹⁶With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by ¹⁷streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will ¹⁸not stumble; For I am a ¹⁹father to Israel, And Ephraim is ²⁰My firstborn."

10 Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare in the ²¹coastlands afar off, And say, "He who scattered Israel will ²²gather him And keep him as a ²³shepherd keeps his flock."

11 For the LORD has ²⁴ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was ²⁵stronger than he.

12 "They will ²⁶come and shout for joy on the ²⁷height of Zion, And they will be ²⁸radiant over the bounty of the LORD - Over the ²⁹grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the ³⁰flock and the herd; And their life will be like a ³¹watered garden, And they will ³²never * languish again.

13 "Then the virgin will rejoice in the ³³dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will ³⁴turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give them ³⁵joy for their sorrow.

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Jeremiah 31:3-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 31

This chapter is connected with the former, respects the same times, and is full of prophecies and promises of spiritual blessings; of the coming of Christ; of the multiplication of his people, and the increase of their joy; of the conversion of the Gentiles; of the covenant of grace; and of the stability of the saints. It begins with the principal promise of the covenant, confirmed by past experience, of divine goodness, and with a fresh declaration of God's everlasting love, Jer 31:1-3; an instance of which would appear, in planting vines or churches in Samaria, the metropolis of Ephraim or the ten tribes, under the ministry of the apostles, the watchmen, on Mount Ephraim; whereby the Israel of God would be built, beautified, and made to rejoice, Jer 31:4-6; yea, it would be matter of joy to all that heard of it; since, notwithstanding distance and other difficulties, a great number should come to Christ, and to his church, drawn by the Father's love to them, and as owing to the relation he stands in to them, Jer 31:7-9; redemption out of the hands of Satan, and every spiritual enemy, must be published among the Gentiles; which would cause great joy, and give great satisfaction to the priests and people of the Lord, expressed by various metaphors, Jer 31:10-14; and though, upon the birth of the Redeemer, there would be an event, which might tend to damp the joy of saints on account of it, the murder of the infants at Bethlehem; yet some things are said to encourage faith, hope, and joy, and to abate sorrow and weeping, Jer 31:15-17; Ephraim's affliction, and behaviour under it, his repentance and reception, are recorded, Jer 31:18-20; backsliding Israel are called upon to return, in consideration of the birth of the Messiah, Jer 31:21,22; the happy and flourishing estate of the people of God is promised; all which were made known to the prophet by a dream in the night, Jer 31:23-26; and fresh promises are made, that the Lord would do them good, and not punish the children for their fathers' sins, but everyone for their own, Jer 31:28-30; and then an account is given of the new covenant of grace, as distinct from the old, and of the articles of it; the inscription of the law in the heart, spiritual knowledge of the Lord, and remission of sin, Jer 31:31-34; then follow assurances of the everlasting continuance of the true Israel and church of God, Jer 31:35-37; and the chapter is concluded with a promise of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, and of the holiness of it, and of its abiding for ever, Jer 31:38-40.