Jeremiah 33

1 And the word of the Lord was made to Jeremy, in the second time, when he was closed yet in the porch of the prison, and said, (And the word of the Lord was made to Jeremiah the second time, when he was yet enclosed in the courtyard of the prison, and said,)

2 The Lord saith these things, The Lord is name of him that shall do, and form, and make ready that thing; (The Lord saith these things, he who made, and formed, and established the earth, yea, the Lord is his name;)

3 Cry thou to me, and I shall hear thee, and I shall tell to thee great things, and steadfast (and I shall tell thee great and steadfast things), which thou knowest not.

4 For the Lord God of Israel saith these things to the houses of this city, and to the houses of the king(s) of Judah, that be destroyed, and to the strongholds, and to the sword of men (For the Lord God of Israel saith these things about the houses of this city, and the house of the king of Judah, that shall be destroyed, by men from strongholds, wielding their swords;)

5 coming to fight with Chaldees, and to fill those houses with carrions of men, which I smote in my strong vengeance, and in mine indignation; and I hid my face from this city, for all the malice of them. (some shall fight against the Chaldeans, but they shall still fill those houses with the dead bodies of the people, whom I shall strike down in my strong vengeance, and in my indignation; and I hid my face from this city, for all their malice.)

6 Lo! I shall close together to them a wound and health (But now, I shall close up their wounds, and give them health, or healing), and I shall make them whole, and I shall show to them the beseeching of peace and of truth;

7 and I shall convert the conversion of Judah, and I shall convert the conversion of Jerusalem, and I shall build them [up] (again), as at the beginning. (and I shall restore the fortunes of Judah, and the fortunes of Jerusalem, and I shall rebuild them, like they were before, or at the beginning.)

8 And I shall cleanse them from all their wickedness, in which they sinned to me, and I shall be merciful to all the wickednesses of them, in which they trespassed to me, and forsook me. (And I shall cleanse them from all their wickedness, in which they sinned against me, and I shall be merciful to them regarding all their wickednesses, in which they trespassed against me, and deserted me.)

9 And they shall be to me into a name, and into joy, and into praising, and into full out joying to all folks of (the) earth, that heard (of) all the goods which I shall do to them; and they shall dread, and shall be troubled in all (the) goods, and in all the peace, which I shall do to them. (And they shall be for me a source of joy, and of praising, and of rejoicing, before all the nations of the earth, that shall hear of all the good things which I shall do for them; and those nations shall have fear, and shall tremble, over all the good things, and all the peace, which I have brought to them.)

10 The Lord saith these things, Yet in this place, which ye say to be forsaken, for no man is, neither beast, in the cities of Judah, and in the gates of Jerusalem, that be desolate, without man, and without dweller, and without beast, (The Lord saith these things, Yet again in this place, which ye say to be deserted, for there be no people, or beasts, in the cities of Judah, and within the gates of Jerusalem, which be desolate, without any people, yea, without any inhabitants, and without any beasts,)

11 the voice of joy shall be heard, and the voice of gladness, the voice of spouse, and the voice of spousess, the voice of men, saying, Acknowledge ye to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his mercy is without end, and of men bearing vows into the house of the Lord; for I shall bring again the conversion of the land, as at the beginning, saith the Lord. (the sound of joy shall be heard, and the sound of happiness, the voice of the spouse, and the voice of the spousess, yea, the voice of people saying, Acknowledge ye to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his mercy is forever, as the people carry their vows, or thank offerings, into the House of the Lord; for I shall restore the fortunes of the land, as they once were, saith the Lord.)

12 The Lord of hosts saith these things, Yet in this forsaken place, without man, and without beast, and in all cities thereof, shall be a dwelling place of shepherds, (and) of flocks lying (down). (The Lord of hosts saith these things, Yet in this deserted place, without any people, and without any beasts, and in all its cities, shall be a dwelling place for shepherds, where their flocks can lie down.)

13 And in the cities in [the] hilly places, and in the cities in [the] field places, and in the cities that be at the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the compass of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, yet flocks shall pass, at the hand of the numberer, saith the Lord. (And in the cities in the hills, and in the cities on the plains, or in the Negeb, and in the cities that be at the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and all around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, once again the flocks shall pass under the hand of the numberer, saith the Lord.)

14 Lo! days come, saith the Lord, and I shall raise (up) the good word, which I spake to the house of Israel, and to the house of Judah.

15 In those days, and in that time, I shall make the seed of rightfulness to burgeon to David, and he shall make doom and rightfulness in [the] earth. (In those days, and at that time, I shall make the Seed of righteousness to burgeon unto David, and He shall make justice and right/judgement and righteousness in all the land.)

16 In those days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell trustily; and this is the name which they shall call him, Our rightful Lord [The Lord our rightwise(ness)]. (In those days Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell trustily; and the name of the city shall be The Lord is our Righteousness.)

17 For the Lord saith these things, A man of David shall not perish, that shall sit on the throne of the house of Israel; (For the Lord saith these things, A man of David shall always sit on the throne of the house of Israel;)

18 and of [the] priests and deacons, a man shall not perish from (before) my face, that shall offer burnt sacrifices, and burn sacrifices, and slay sacrifice(s), in all days. (and a priest of the Levites shall always offer the burnt sacrifices to me, and shall burn the sacrifices, and shall kill the sacrifices.)

19 And the word of the Lord was made to Jeremy, and said,

20 The Lord saith these things, If my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, may be made void, that the day and the night be not in his time; (The Lord saith these things, Only if my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, could ever be made void, so that the day and the night be not at their proper time;)

21 and my covenant with David, my servant, may be voided, that of him be no son, that shall reign in his throne, and no deacons, and priests, my ministers; (then could my covenant with my servant David be made void, so that there would no longer be any of his sons, who shall reign on his throne, and no longer any priests of the Levites, who shall be my ministers;)

22 as the stars of (the) heaven(s) may not be numbered, and the gravel of the sea may not be meted, so I shall multiply the seed of David, my servant, and (the) deacons, my ministers. (for as the host of heaven cannot be numbered, and as the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I shall multiply in number the descendants of my servant David, and my ministers, the Levites.)

23 And the word of the Lord was made to Jeremy, and said,

24 Whether thou hast not seen, that this people spake, saying, Two kindreds which the Lord chose, be cast away, and (so) they (have) despised my people, for it is no more a folk before them. (Hast thou not heard, what this people said, saying, Two families which the Lord chose, now be cast away, and so they have despised my people, for it is no more a nation before them.)

25 The Lord saith these things, If I setted not my covenant betwixt day and night, and if I setted not laws to heaven and earth; (But the Lord saith these things, If I had not made my covenant between day and night, and if I had not made my laws in the heavens and on the earth;)

26 soothly and I shall cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David, my servant, that I take not (any) of the seed of him (to be) princes of the seed of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; for I shall bring again the conversion of them, and I shall have mercy on them. (then truly I would cast away the descendants of Jacob, and of my servant David, so that I would not take any of his descendants to be the rulers over the descendants of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob; but now I shall restore their fortunes, and I shall have mercy on them.)

Jeremiah 33 Commentary

Chapter 33

The restoration of the Jews. (1-13) The Messiah promised; happiness of his times. (14-26)

Verses 1-13 Those who expect to receive comforts from God, must call upon him. Promises are given, not to do away, but to quicken and encourage prayer. These promises lead us to the gospel of Christ; and in that God has revealed truth to direct us, and peace to make us easy. All who by sanctifying grace are cleansed from the filth of sin, by pardoning mercy are freed from the guilt. When sinners are thus justified, washed, and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit, they are enabled to walk before God in peace and purity. Many are led to perceive the real difference between the people of God and the world around them, and to fear the Divine wrath. It is promised that the people who were long in sorrow, shall again be filled with joy. Where the Lord gives righteousness and peace, he will give all needful supplies for temporal wants; and all we have will be comforts, as sanctified by the word and by prayer.

Verses 14-26 To crown the blessings God has in store, here is a promise of the Messiah. He imparts righteousness to his church, for he is made of God to us righteousness; and believers are made the righteousness of God in him. Christ is our Lord God, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. But in this world prosperity and adversity succeed each other, as light and darkness, day and night. The covenant of priesthood shall be secured. And all true believers are a holy priesthood, a royal priesthood, they offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God; themselves, in the first place, as living sacrifices. The promises of that covenant shall have full accomplishment in the gospel Israel. In Ga. 6:16 , all that walk according to the gospel rule, are made to be the Israel of God, on whom shall be peace and mercy. Let us not despise the families which were of old the chosen people of God, though for a time they seem to be cast off.

Chapter Summary

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.