Jeremiah 31:7

7 For thus hath the LORD said; Rejoice in Jacob with joy, and give shouts of joy at the head of the Gentiles; cause this to be heard, give praise, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

Jeremiah 31:7 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 31:7

For thus saith the Lord, sing with gladness for Jacob
For the restoration of Jacob, or the conversion of the Jews; which will be matter of joy to the Christians among the Gentiles; who seem to be here called upon to express their joy on that occasion, as they will; for it will be to them as life from the dead, ( Romans 11:15 ) ( 15:10 ) ( Revelation 19:7 ) . Kimchi thinks there is a trajection in the words; and that they may be rendered, "thus saith the Lord to Jacob, sing with gladness"; as if the exhortation was to him to rejoice, and not to others on his account; and so the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it; and to the same sense the Syriac version, "thus saith the Lord, sing, O ye of the house of Jacob, with gladness"; and so the Targum; it will no doubt be a joyful time with them: and shout among the chief of the nations;
where they shall be when converted, as in Great Britain, and other places: or, "on the top of the nations" ^F12; on some high place among them. It seems to denote the publicness of the shout; it will be open and manifest to all; so the Targum,

``and exult with head uncovered, in the sight of all people;''

Turks, Papists, and Pagans: publish ye;
or "cause to hear", or "to be heard" ^F13; cause their voice to be heard, both in prayer and praise to God; or cause men to hear their faith in Christ, and profession of it; and publish that Gospel, and spread it among others, which before they rejected and despised: praise ye;
the Lord for his wonderful grace in the conversion of them: and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel;
his covenant people; the remnant according to the election of grace. This is a direction to the Jews that are converted, to pray for the rest that are not; or to the Gentiles to pray for them; who are before called upon to rejoice at the first appearance of this wonderful work, and to spread it abroad, and to go on publishing the Gospel for the more forwarding of it; and to praise the Lord for what he had done; and to pray unto him to go on with the work of saving his people, the residue of them.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 (Mywgh varb) "in cacumine gentium", Castalio; "in capite gentium", Pagninus, Montanus.
F13 (weymvh) "auditum facite", Pagninus, Montanus; "audiri facite", Schmidt.

Jeremiah 31:7 In-Context

5 Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant and shall eat them as common things.

6 For there shall be a day in which the watchmen upon the Mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise, and let us go up into Zion unto the LORD our God.

7 For thus hath the LORD said; Rejoice in Jacob with joy, and give shouts of joy at the head of the Gentiles; cause this to be heard, give praise, and say, O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.

8 Behold, I turn them from the land of the north wind and gather them from the coasts of the earth; there shall be blind and lame among them, and women with child and those that travail with child together; a great company shall return there.

9 They shall come with weeping, but with mercies I will cause them to return; I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, in which they shall not stumble; for I shall be a father to Israel, and Ephraim shall be my firstborn.