Jeremiah 31:11-21

11 For the Lord again-bought Jacob, and delivered him from the hand of the mightier. (For the Lord rescued, or ransomed, Jacob, and saved him from the hand of the one mightier than himself.)

12 And they shall come, and praise in the hill of Zion; and they shall flow together to the goods of the Lord, on wheat, wine, and oil, and on the fruit of sheep, and of neat; and the soul of them shall be as a watery garden, and they shall no more hunger. (And they shall come, and give praise on Mount Zion; and they shall altogether flow with the good things of the Lord, with wheat, and wine, and oil, and with the fruit of sheep, and with cattle; and their souls shall be like a watered garden, and they shall no longer have hunger.)

13 Then a virgin shall be glad in a company, young men and eld together (Then a virgin, or a maiden, shall dance, and be glad, and men young and old shall rejoice together); and I shall turn the mourning of them into joy, and I shall comfort them, and I shall make them glad (from out) of their sorrow.

14 And I shall greatly fill the soul of [the] priests with fatness, and my people shall be [ful]filled with my goods, saith the Lord.

15 The Lord saith these things, A voice of wailing, and of weeping, and of mourning, was heard on high (was heard in Ramah); the voice of Rachel beweeping her sons, and not willing to be comforted on them, for they be not.

16 The Lord saith these things, Thy voice rest of weeping, and thine eyes rest of tears; for why meed is to thy work, saith the Lord; and they shall turn again from the land of the enemy. (The Lord saith these things, Let thy voice rest from weeping, and thine eyes rest from tears; for there shall be a reward for thy work, saith the Lord; and they shall return from the land of the enemy.)

17 And hope is to thy last things, saith the Lord; and thy sons shall turn again to their ends. (And there is hope in thy last things, saith the Lord, and thy sons and daughters shall return to their own lands.)

18 I hearing heard Ephraim passing over; saying, thou chastisedest me, and I am learned as a young one untamed, either wild; turn thou me, and I shall be turned again, for thou art my Lord God. (Hearing I heard Ephraim mourning, saying, thou hast disciplined, or hast corrected, me, and now I am taught, I who before was like a young calf, untamed and wild; restore thou me, yea, let me return, for thou art the Lord my God.)

19 For after that thou convertedest me, I did penance; and after that thou showedest to me, I smote mine hip (I struck my hip); I am ashamed, and I (am) shamed, for I (have) suffered the shame of my youth.

20 For Ephraim is a worshipful son to me, for he is a delicate child; for since I spake of him, yet I shall have mind on him; therefore mine entrails be troubled on him, I doing mercy shall have mercy on him, saith the Lord. (For Ephraim is a dear son to me, he is a delightful child; for though I spoke against him, still I remembered him; and so my bowels, or my innards, be concerned for him, I doing mercy shall have mercy on him, saith the Lord.)

21 Ordain to thee an high lookout place, set to thee bitternesses; (ad)dress thine heart into a straight way, in which thou went; turn again, thou virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities. (Ordain for thyself a high lookout place, put up signposts for thyself; direct thy heart toward the straight way in which thou went before; return, O virgin of Israel, return to these thy cities.)

Jeremiah 31:11-21 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.