Jeremiah 31:26-34

26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

27 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals.

28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.

29 “In those days people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

30 Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.

31 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.

32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to^[a] them,^[b] ” declares the LORD.

33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Read Chapter Compare

Images for Jeremiah 31:26-34

Jeremiah 31:26-34 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 22

1. Zechariah 4:1
2. S Jeremiah 16:14
3. Ezekiel 36:9-11; Hosea 2:23
4. S Job 29:2
5. S Deuteronomy 29:28
6. S Jeremiah 18:8; Jeremiah 44:27
7. S Deuteronomy 28:63; S Deuteronomy 30:9; S Jeremiah 1:10; Ezekiel 36:10-11; Amos 9:14
8. S Genesis 9:25; Deuteronomy 24:16; Lamentations 5:7
9. Ezekiel 18:2
10. S 2 Kings 14:6; S Isaiah 3:11; Galatians 6:7
11. S Deuteronomy 29:14; S Isaiah 42:6; S Isaiah 54:10; Jeremiah 32:40; Ezekiel 37:26; S Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:8-12*; Hebrews 10:16-17
12. S Exodus 24:8
13. Deuteronomy 5:3
14. Jeremiah 11:4
15. S Isaiah 54:5
16. S Exodus 4:15
17. S Deuteronomy 6:6; S 2 Corinthians 3:3
18. S Jeremiah 11:4; Jeremiah 24:7; Hebrews 10:16
19. 1 John 2:27
20. S Isaiah 11:9; S John 6:45
21. Psalms 85:2; Psalms 130:4; Isaiah 54:13; Jeremiah 33:8; Jeremiah 50:20
22. S Job 7:21; S Isaiah 38:17; Micah 7:19; Romans 11:27; Hebrews 10:17*

Footnotes 2

[a]. Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac "/ and I turned away from"
[b]. Or "was their master"