Jeremiah 31:39

39 And it shall go out over the rule of [the] measure, in the sight thereof, on the hill (of) Gareb, and it shall compass Goath (and it shall go all around Goath),

Jeremiah 31:39 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 31:39

And the measuring line shall yet go forth over against it,
&c.] Or, "before it" ^F16; the gate proceeding right on from it; of the length of the measuring line, or reed; see ( Ezekiel 40:5 ) ; though some render it, "before him" ^F17; before the Lord, under whose direction and powerful providence the work went on; so the city gates and walls of the New Jerusalem are said to be measured with a reed, ( Revelation 21:15 ) ; upon the hill Gareb;
which signifies a "scab", so called, as is supposed, from scabby and leprous persons sent here to dwell, which was a "lazaretto" for them. Lightfoot, following Lyra, takes it to be the same with Mount Calvary: it was on the north side of the city, bending to the west; and, if the same with Calvary, it was on the west side. The Targum renders it,

``the hill which was near to Gareb:''

and shall compass about to Goath;
so called perhaps from the difficulty of its ascent, it being a laborious work to go up to it, enough to make a man breathe. Lyra takes it to be Golgotha, which is not very likely; it seems to be at some distance from the former; since from that there was a round about, a compass fetched to this: it is supposed to lie on the west side of the city, towards the south. The Targum renders it the calves' pool, or the round pool; it is thought by some more likely to be the hill Josephus ^F18 speaks of, that hung over the valley of Siloam.

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FOOTNOTES:

F16 (wdgn) "ante ipsam", Tigurine version, Gataker
F17 "Coram eo", Pagninus, Montanus; "coram ipso", Calvin.
F18 De Bello Jud. l. 5. c. 12. sect. 2.

Jeremiah 31:39 In-Context

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.)

38 Lo! days come, saith the Lord, and a city shall be builded (again) to the Lord, from the tower of Hananeel unto the gate of the corner. (Lo! the days shall come, saith the Lord, and the city shall be rebuilt in the Lord's honour, from the Tower of Hananeel unto the Corner Gate.)

39 And it shall go out over the rule of [the] measure, in the sight thereof, on the hill (of) Gareb, and it shall compass Goath (and it shall go all around Goath),

40 and all the valley of carrions, and it shall compass [the] ashes, and all the country(side) of death, unto the strand of Kidron, and to the corner of the east gate of horses (and all the valley of the dead, and the ashes, and all the countryside unto the Kidron Stream, and unto the corner of the Horse Gate to the east); (yea,) the holy thing of the Lord shall not be drawn out, and it shall no more be destroyed without end.