Yirmeyah 31

1 1 (30:25) At the same time, saith Hashem, I will be Elohim l’khol mishpekhot Yisroel, and they shall be My people.

21 (1) Thus saith Hashem, The Am seridei cherev (the People that survived the cherev [as a Remnant]) found chen (grace) in the midbar; even Yisroel, when Yisroel journeyed to find [a place of] rest.

32 (2) Hashem hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yes, I have loved thee with an ahavat olam; therefore with chesed have I drawn thee.

43 (3) Again I will build thee up, and thou shalt be rebuilt, O Betulat Yisroel; thou shalt again adorn thyself with thy timbrels, and shalt go forth in the dance of merrymakers.

54 (4) Thou shalt yet plant keramim upon the hills of Shomron; the planters shall plant, and shall put the fruit to ordinary use [See Lv 19:24-25].

65 (5) For there shall be a yom, that the notzrim (watchmen) upon har Ephrayim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Tziyon unto Hashem Eloheinu.

76 (6) For thus saith Hashem; Sing with simcha for Ya’akov, and shout among the Rosh HaGoyim; publish ye, hallelu (praise ye), and say, Hashem, save Thy people, the She’erit Yisroel (the Remnant of Israel).

87 (7) Hineni, I will bring them from the eretz tzafon (land of the north), and gather them from the ends of ha’aretz, and with them the ivver (blind) and the pise’ach (lame), the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together; a Kahal Gadol shall return here.

98 (8) They shall come with weeping, and with techinnunim will I lead them back; I will cause them to walk by the nachalei mayim (streams of water) in a derech yashar (straight road), wherein they shall not stumble; for I am an Av to Yisroel, and Ephrayim is My bechor.

109 (9) Hear the Devar Hashem, O ye Goyim, and preach it in the farthest shores, and say, He that scattered Yisroel will gather Yisroel, and He shall be shomer over Yisroel, like a Ro’eh over the Eder thereof.

111 (10) For Hashem hath redeemed Ya’akov, and made Geulah (Redemption) for Ya’akov out of the yad of him that was chazak more than Ya’akov.

121 (11) Therefore they shall come and loudly, joyously sing on the height of Tziyon, and shall stream to the Tuv Hashem (Bounty, Goodness of Hashem), for dagan (grain), and for tirosh (new wine) and for yitzhar (pure olive oil) and for the young of the tzon and of the herd; and their nefesh shall be like a wellwatered gan (garden); and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

131 (12) Then shall the betulah rejoice in the machol (dance), both bocherim (young men) and zekenim together; for I will turn their evel (mourning) into sasson (joy), and will comfort them, and make them have simcha from their sorrow.

141 (13) And I will satisfy the nefesh of the Kohanim with deshen (fatness, abundance) and My people shall be sated with My Tuv (Bounty, Goodness), saith Hashem.

151 (14) Thus saith Hashem; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel, weeping for her banim, refused to be comforted for her banim, because they were no more [see OJBC Mt.2:18].

161 (15) Thus saith Hashem; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for sachar (reward) there will be for thy labor, saith Hashem; and they shall return from the eretz oyev (land of the enemy).

171 (16) And there is tikveh (hope) in thine acharit (future, latter end), saith Hashem, that thy banim shall return to their own border.

181 (17) I have surely heard Ephrayim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, like an unbroken egel; turn Thou me, and I shall be turned; for Thou art Hashem Elohai.

191 (18) Surely after I turned away, I made teshuva; and after I was instructed, I beat upon my yarech (thigh); I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, because nasati cherpat neurai (I did bear, carry the reproach, disgrace of my youth).

201 (19) Is Ephrayim My ben yakir (dear son)? Is he a yeled in whom I delight? For when I spoke of him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have rachamim (mercy) upon him, saith Hashem.

212 (20) Set thee up tziyyunim (roadmarks, road signs), make thee tamurim (guideposts); set thine lev upon the highway, even the derech thou art now walking; turn back, O Betulat Yisroel, turn back to these thy towns.

222 (21) How long wilt thou dillydally, O Bat HaShovevah (backsliding daughter)? For Hashem barah chadashah (Hashem hath created a new thing) on ha’aretz; A nekevah (woman, female, i.e., Israel) shall encircle [seek out] a gever (man, male, i.e., G-d).

232 (22) Thus saith Hashem Tzva’os Elohei Yisroel: Once again they shall use this saying in Eretz Yehudah and in the towns thereof, when I shall turn them back from their captivity; yevarechecha Adonoi neveh tzedek har hakodesh (may Hashem bless thee, O Righteous Abode, O Har HaKodesh!)

242 (23) There shall dwell in Yehudah itself, in all the towns thereof together, ikkarim (farmers); they also that go forth with the eder.

252 (24) For I will refresh the nefesh of the weary, and I will replenish even the stress-laden nefesh.

262 (25) Upon this, I awoke, and beheld; and my sheynah (sleep) was sweet unto me.

272 (26) Hinei, the days are coming, saith Hashem, that I will sow again Bais Yisroel and Bais Yehudah with the zera adam (human seed, i.e., repopulation), and also with the zera behemah (animal seed, i.e., replenishing livestock).

282 (27) And it shall come to pass, that just as I watched over them, to uproot, and to tear down, and to overthrow, and to destroy, and to bring catastrophe; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith Hashem.

292 (28) In those days they shall say no more, The Avot have eaten the sour grape, and the shinayim (teeth) of the Banim are set on edge.

302 (29) But every one shall die for his own avon (iniquity); kol haAdam that eateth the sour grape, his shinayim shall be set on edge.

313 (30) Hinei, the days come, saith Hashem, that I will cut a Brit Chadasha with Bais Yisroel, and with Bais Yehudah;

323 (31) Not according to the Brit that I cut with their Avot in the day that I took hold of their yad to take them out of Eretz Mitzrayim; which My Brit they broke, although I was Ba’al (Husband) to them, saith Hashem;

333 (32) But this shall be the Brit that I will cut with Bais Yisroel [T.N. OJBC is Jewish]; After those days, saith Hashem, I will set My Torah in them inwardly, and I will write ketuvim on their hearts; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My People.

343 (33) And they shall teach no more every ish his re’a (neighbor), and every ish his brother, saying, Know Hashem; for they shall all have da’as of Me, from the katon of them unto the gadol of them, saith Hashem; for I will forgive their avon, and I will remember their chattat no more.

353 (34) Thus saith Hashem, which giveth the shemesh for an ohr by day, and the chukkot yarei’ach and chukkot kokhavim for an ohr by night, which stirreth up the sea when the waves thereof roar; Hashem Tzva’os is Shmo:

363 (35) If those chukkim depart from before Me, saith Hashem, then the Zera Yisroel also shall cease from being a Goy (Nation) before Me forever.

373 (36) Thus saith Hashem; If Shomayim above can be measured, and, below, the foundations of ha’aretz can be searched out, I will also cast off kol Zera Yisroel for all that they have done, saith Hashem.

383 (37) Hinei, the days are coming, saith Hashem, that the Ir shall be built unto Hashem from the Migdal Chananel unto the Sha’ar HaPinnah (Corner Gate).

393 (38) And the measuring line shall yet go forth straight ahead to Garev Hill, and around to Goah.

403 (39) And the whole valley [of Hinnom] of the pegarim (corpses), and of the deshen (ashes), and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the Sha’ar HaSusim (Horse Gate) to the east, shall be kodesh unto Hashem; it shall not be uprooted, nor destroyed any more l’olam.

Yirmeyah 31 Commentary

Chapter 31

The restoration of Israel. (1-9) Promises of guidance and happiness; Rachel lamenting. (10-17) Ephraim laments his errors. (18-20) The promised Saviour. (21-26) God's care over the church. (27-34) Peace and prosperity in gospel time. (35-40)

Verses 1-9 God assures his people that he will again take them into covenant relation to himself. When brought very low, and difficulties appear, it is good to remember that it has been so with the church formerly. But it is hard under present frowns to take comfort from former smiles; yet it is the happiness of those who, through grace, are interested in the love of God, that it is an everlasting love, from everlasting in the counsels, to everlasting in the continuance. Those whom God loves with this love, he will draw to himself, by the influences of his Spirit upon their souls. When praising God for what he has done, we must call upon him for the favours his church needs and expects. When the Lord calls, we must not plead that we cannot come; for he that calls us, will help us, will strengthen us. The goodness of God shall lead them to repentance. And they shall weep for sin with more bitterness, and more tenderness, when delivered out of their captivity, than when groaning under it. If we take God for our Father, and join the church of the first-born, we shall want nothing that is good for us. These predictions doubtless refer also to a future gathering of the Israelites from all quarters of the globe. And they figuratively describe the conversion of sinners to Christ, and the plain and safe way in which they are led.

Verses 10-17 He that scattered Israel, knows where to find them. It is comfortable to observe the goodness of the Lord in the gifts of providence. But our souls are never valuable as gardens, unless watered with the dews of God's Spirit and grace. A precious promise follows, which will not have full accomplishment except in the heavenly Zion. Let them be satisfied of God's loving-kindness, and they will be satisfied with it, and desire no more to make them happy. Rachel is represented as rising from her grave, and refusing to be comforted, supposing her offspring rooted out. The murder of the children at Bethlehem, by Herod, ( Matthew 2:16-18 ) , in some degree fulfilled this prediction, but could not be its full meaning. If we have hope in the end, concerning an eternal inheritance, for ourselves and those belonging to us, all temporal afflictions may be borne, and will be for our good.

Verses 18-20 Ephraim (the ten tribes) is weeping for sin. He is angry at himself for his sin, and folly, and frowardness. He finds he cannot, by his own power, keep himself close with God, much less bring himself back when he is revolted. Therefore he prays, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned. His will was bowed to the will of God. When the teaching of God's Spirit went with the corrections of his providence, then the work was done. This is our comfort in affliction, that the Lord thinks upon us. God has mercy in store, rich mercy, sure mercy, suitable mercy, for all who seek him in sincerity.

Verses 21-26 The way from the bondage of sin to the liberty of God's children, is a high-way. It is plain, it is safe; yet none are likely to walk in it, unless they set their hearts towards it. They are encouraged by the promise of a new, unheard-of, extraordinary thing; a creation, a work of Almighty power; the human nature of Christ, formed and prepared by the power of the Holy Ghost: and this is here mentioned as an encouragement to the Jews to return to their own land. And a comfortable prospect is given them of a happy settlement there. Godliness and honesty God has joined: let no man think to put them asunder, or to make the one atone for the want of the other. In the love and favour of God the weary soul shall find rest, and the sorrowful shall find joy. And what can we see with more satisfaction than the good of Jerusalem, and peace upon Israel?

Verses 27-34 The people of God shall become numerous and prosperous. In ( hebrews 8:8 hebrews 8:9 ) , this place is quoted as the sum of the covenant of grace made with believers in Jesus Christ. Not, I will give them a new law; for Christ came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it; but the law shall be written in their hearts by the finger of the Spirit, as formerly written in the tables of stone. The Lord will, by his grace, make his people willing people in the day of his power. All shall know the Lord; all shall be welcome to the knowledge of God, and shall have the means of that knowledge. There shall be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, at the time the gospel is published. No man shall finally perish, but for his own sins; none, who is willing to accept of Christ's salvation.

Verses 35-40 As surely as the heavenly bodies will continue their settled course, according to the will of their Creator, to the end of time, and as the raging sea obeys him, so surely will the Jews be continued a separate people. Words can scarcely set forth more strongly the restoration of Israel. The rebuilding of Jerusalem, and its enlargement and establishment, shall be an earnest of the great things God will do for the gospel church. The personal happiness of every true believer, as well as the future restoration of Israel, is secured by promise, covenant, and oath. This Divine love passes knowledge; and to those who take hold upon it, every present mercy is an earnest of salvation.

Chapter Summary

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.