Jeremiah 3:17

17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

Jeremiah 3:17 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 3:17

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord,
&c.] That is, the Gospel church, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Jerusalem above, that is free, and the mother of us all; which is Christ's kingdom, where he has his throne and subjects, and where he sits and reigns as King of saints; and where they yield a cheerful and ready subjection to him, signified by calling the church his throne: and all the nations shall be gathered unto it:
which shows that Jerusalem, literally understood, cannot be meant, but the church of Christ; to which the Gentiles, being converted, should join themselves in great numbers in all nations, as they have done; and which will be more largely accomplished and verified in the latter day, ( Isaiah 2:2 Isaiah 2:3 ) ( 60:3-5 ) to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem;
to name his name, to trust in his name, to call upon it, and to worship him in Jerusalem, in his church, and among his people; and so the Targum,

``and all nations shall give themselves to worship in it the name of the Lord, in Jerusalem:''
neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart; for the Gospel being preached to all nations, according to Christ's commission, by the pastors he promises, and that being blessed to the turning of the Gentiles from their idols to serve the living God, they shall no more worship the gods they chose for themselves, and their evil hearts devised.

Jeremiah 3:17 In-Context

15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding .
16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.
18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
19 But I said , How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said , Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. imagination: or, stubbornness
The King James Version is in the public domain.