Jeremiah 31:35

35 The Lord saith these things, that giveth the sun in the light of day, the order of the moon and of the stars in the light of the night, which troubleth the sea, and the waves thereof sound, the Lord of hosts is name to him. (The Lord saith these things, who giveth the sun for the light of the day, and the order of the moon and of the stars for the light of the night, who troubleth the sea, and its waves sound, or roar, the Lord of hosts is his name.)

Jeremiah 31:35 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 31:35

Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day,
&c.] As he did at first, and still continues it; and which is a wonderful gift of nature he bestows on men, unworthy of such a favour, ( Matthew 5:45 ) ; [and] the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by
night;
which have a settled regular order and course, in which they move; and whereby they impart the light they borrow from the sun, to enlighten the world by night; which is another favour to the inhabitants of it; see ( Genesis 1:16 ) ; which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar;
some refer this, as Kimchi, to the dividing of the Red sea for the Israelites to pass over; but it rather respects an action more frequently done; and should be rendered, which "stilleth", or "maketh the sea quiet" F15; which best agrees with what follows; when it is tumultuous, and threatens the loss of ships and men's lives, and attempts to pass its bounds, he "rebukes it"; so the Targum; and makes it a calm; he stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, ( Psalms 65:7 ) ; the Lord of hosts [is] his name;
that has all the armies of heaven and earth at his command, and can do whatever he pleases; he, and he only, can do the above things, and does them; and he that can do them, is able to make good the covenant he has made with the house of Israel, and fulfil the promises of it, of which there is an assurance; as well as he is able to secure an interest and a church for himself unto the end of the world, as the following words show.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 (Myh egr) "quiescere cogit mare, etsi fluctus ejus fremuerunt", Gussetius, p. 778. So some in Gataker; "quo mari interminante sedantur fluctus ejus", Syr. Interpr.

Jeremiah 31:35 In-Context

33 But this shall be the covenant, which I shall smite with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I shall give my law in the entrails of them, and I shall write it in the heart of them, and I shall be into God to them, and they shall be into a people to me. (But this shall be the covenant, which I shall strike with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I shall put my Law in their bowels, or in their innards, and I shall write it upon their hearts, and I shall be their God, and they shall be my people.)
34 And a man shall no more teach his neighbour, and a man his brother, and say, Know thou the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least of them unto the most, saith the Lord; for I shall be merciful to the wickednesses of them, and I shall no more be mindful on the sin of them (for I shall be merciful to them regarding their wickednesses, and I shall remember their sin no more).
35 The Lord saith these things, that giveth the sun in the light of day, the order of the moon and of the stars in the light of the night, which troubleth the sea, and the waves thereof sound, the Lord of hosts is name to him. (The Lord saith these things, who giveth the sun for the light of the day, and the order of the moon and of the stars for the light of the night, who troubleth the sea, and its waves sound, or roar, the Lord of hosts is his name.)
36 If these laws fail before me, saith the Lord, then and the seed of Israel shall fail, that it be not a folk before me in all days. (If these laws fail before me, saith the Lord, then also the children, or the descendants, of Israel shall fail, so that they be not a nation before me forever.)
37 The Lord saith these things, If (the) heavens above may be measured, and the foundaments of [the] earth beneath be sought out, and I shall cast away all the seed of Israel, for all things which they did, saith the Lord. (The Lord saith these things, If the heavens above could be measured, and the foundations of the earth beneath could be sought out, only then would I cast away all the children, or the descendants, of Israel, for all the things which they have done, saith the Lord.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.