Jeremiah 33:1-13

The Lord Promises Peace

1 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still ¹shut up in the court of the guard:

2 "Thus says ²the LORD who made the earth,^[a] the LORD who formed it to establish it--³the LORD is his name:

3 ⁴Call to me and I will answer you, ⁵and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

4 For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against ⁶the siege mounds and against the sword:

5 They are coming in ⁷to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them^[b] with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down ⁸in my anger and my wrath, ⁹for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil.

6 ¹⁰Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.

7 ¹¹I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, ¹²and rebuild them as they were ¹³at first.

8 ¹⁴I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, ¹⁵and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.

9 ¹⁶And this city^[c] shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall ¹⁷fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

10 "Thus says the LORD: In this place ¹⁸of which you say, 'It is a waste without man or beast,' in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again

11 ¹⁹the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring ²⁰thank offerings to the house of the LORD: ²¹"'Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!'²²For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD.

12 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: ²³In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be ²⁴habitations of shepherds ²⁵resting their flocks.

13 ²⁶In the cities of the hill country, ²⁷in the cities of the Shephelah, ²⁸and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, ²⁹the places about Jerusalem, ³⁰and in the cities of Judah, ³¹flocks shall again pass under the hands ³²of the one who counts them, says the LORD.

Jeremiah 33:1-13 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 33

This chapter is a continuation of prophecies of spiritual blessings on the church of Christ in Gospel times, of which the return of the Jews from captivity, and the benefits following on that, were types. The place where Jeremiah had this prophecy communicated to him, the prison, Jer 33:1; the author of it, Jehovah, who describes himself, Jer 33:2; encourages the prophet to pray unto him, promising an answer, and a discovery of great and hidden things, Jer 33:3; not so much concerning the destruction of the city, and the rebuilding it, Jer 33:4,5; as spiritual blessings to the church, signified by it; such as a healthful state and condition through Christ, the sun of righteousness, arising with healing in his wings, and a revelation of abundance of peace and truth by him, Jer 33:6; a release of captives, and a rebuilding of the church, Jer 33:7; free and full forgiveness of all sins, Jer 33:8; the church a praise in the whole earth; much joy in it, and glory to God by it, Jer 33:9-11; spiritual pastors or shepherds feeding their flocks, and taking very diligent care of them, Jer 33:12,13; a promise of the Messiah as a righteous Branch; as the Saviour and safeguard of his people; and as the Lord their righteousness, Jer 33:14-16; an assurance of the continuance of the kingly and priestly offices in him, whereby the covenant of God with David and the Levites would be for ever secured, Jer 33:17-22; and the chapter is concluded with a promise of the perseverance of the saints and people of God; which is represented as certain as the covenant with day and night, and as the ordinances of heaven and earth, in opposition to a suggestion to the contrary, Jer 33:23-26.

Cross References

• 1. See Jeremiah 32:2
• 2. [Isaiah 37:26]
• 3. [Jeremiah 16:21; Exodus 6:3; Psalms 83:18; Amos 4:13]
• 4. Jeremiah 29:12; Psalms 91:15
• 5. Isaiah 48:6
• 6. Jeremiah 32:24
• 7. [Jeremiah 32:5]
• 8. Ezekiel 22:20
• 9. Deuteronomy 31:17, 18
• 10. Jeremiah 30:17
• 11. See Jeremiah 30:3
• 12. See Jeremiah 24:6
• 13. Isaiah 1:26
• 14. Ezekiel 36:25; [Psalms 51:2, 7; Hebrews 9:13, 14]
• 15. See Jeremiah 31:34
• 16. See Jeremiah 13:11
• 17. [Psalms 130:4; Isaiah 60:5]
• 18. Jeremiah 32:43
• 19. See Jeremiah 7:34
• 20. 1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalms 106:1; Psalms 107:1; Isaiah 12:4
• 21. Jeremiah 30:19; Leviticus 7:12; Psalms 107:22
• 22. [See ver. 7 above]
• 23. [Ezekiel 36:11]
• 24. [Jeremiah 31:24; Jeremiah 50:19; Isaiah 65:10; Ezekiel 34:14, 15]
• 25. Song of Songs 1:7
• 26. See Jeremiah 17:26
• 27. See Jeremiah 17:26
• 28. See Jeremiah 17:26
• 29. See Jeremiah 17:26
• 30. See Jeremiah 17:26
• 31. [Leviticus 27:32]
• 32. [John 10:3]

Footnotes

• [a]. Septuagint; Hebrew it
• [b]. That is, the torn-down houses
• [c]. Hebrew And it