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For I, the Lord, affirm[a] that the time will come when I will reverse the plight[b] of my people, Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘I will bring them back to the land I gave their ancestors[c] and they will take possession of it once again.’”[d]

Israel and Judah Will Be Delivered after a Time of Deep Distress

So here is what the Lord has to say about Israel and Judah.[e]

Yes,[f] here is what he says:

“You hear cries of panic and of terror;
there is no peace in sight.[g]
Ask yourselves this and consider it carefully:[h]
Have you ever seen a man give birth to a baby?
Why then do I see all these strong men
grabbing their stomachs in pain like[i] a woman giving birth?
And why do their faces
turn so deathly pale?
Alas, what a terrible time of trouble it is![j]
There has never been any like it.
It is a time of trouble for the descendants of Jacob,
but some of them will be rescued out of it.[k]
When the time for them to be rescued comes,”[l]
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,[m]
“I will rescue you from foreign subjugation.[n]
I will deliver you from captivity.[o]
Foreigners will then no longer subjugate them.
But they will be subject to[p] the Lord their God
and to the Davidic ruler whom I will raise up as king over them.[q]
10 So I, the Lord, tell you not to be afraid,
you descendants of Jacob, my servants.[r]
Do not be terrified, people of Israel.
For I will rescue you and your descendants
from a faraway land where you are captives.[s]
The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace.
They will be secure and no one will terrify them.[t]
11 For I, the Lord, affirm[u] that
I will be with you and will rescue you.
I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you.
But I will not completely destroy you.
I will indeed discipline you, but only in due measure.
I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.”[v]

The Lord Will Heal the Wounds of Judah

12 Moreover,[w] the Lord says to the people of Zion:[x]

“Your injuries are incurable;
your wounds are severe.[y]
13 There is no one to plead your cause.
There are no remedies for your wounds.[z]
There is no healing for you.
14 All your allies have abandoned you.[aa]
They no longer have any concern for you.
For I have attacked you like an enemy would.
I have chastened you cruelly.
For your wickedness is so great
and your sin is so much.[ab]
15 Why do you complain about your injuries,
that your pain is incurable?
I have done all this to you
because your wickedness is so great
and your sin is so much.
16 But[ac] all who destroyed you will be destroyed.
All your enemies will go into exile.
Those who plundered you will be plundered.
I will cause those who pillaged you to be pillaged.[ad]
17 Yes,[ae] I will restore you to health.
I will heal your wounds.
I, the Lord, affirm it![af]
For you have been called an outcast,
Zion, whom no one cares for.”

The Lord Will Restore Israel and Judah

18 The Lord says:

“I will restore the ruined houses of the descendants of Jacob.
I will show compassion on their ruined homes.[ag]
Every city will be rebuilt on its former ruins.[ah]
Every fortified dwelling will occupy its traditional site.[ai]
19 Out of those places you will hear songs of thanksgiving[aj]
and the sounds of laughter and merriment.
I will increase their number and they will not dwindle away.[ak]
I will bring them honor and they will no longer be despised.
20 The descendants of Jacob will enjoy their former privileges.
Their community will be reestablished in my favor,[al]
and I will punish all who try to oppress them.
21 One of their own people will be their leader.
Their ruler will come from their own number.[am]
I will invite him to approach me, and he will do so.[an]
For no one would dare approach me on his own.[ao]
I, the Lord, affirm it![ap]
22 Then you will again be my people,
and I will be your God.[aq]
23 Just watch! The wrath of the Lord
will come like a storm.
Like a raging storm it will rage down
on the heads of those who are wicked.
24 The anger of the Lord will not turn back
until he has fully carried out his intended purposes.
In future days you will come to understand this.[ar]
31 At that time I will be the God of all the clans of Israel[as]
and they will be my people.
I, the Lord, affirm it!”[at]

Israel Will Be Restored and Join Judah in Worship

The Lord says:

“The people of Israel who survived
death at the hands of the enemy[au]
will find favor in the wilderness
as they journey to find rest for themselves.
In a faraway land[av] the Lord will manifest himself to them.
He will say to them, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.
That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.[aw]
I will rebuild you, my dear children Israel,[ax]
so that you will once again be built up.
Once again you will take up the tambourine
and join in the happy throng of dancers.[ay]
Once again you will plant vineyards
on the hills of Samaria.
Those who plant them
will once again enjoy their fruit.[az]
Yes, a time is coming
when watchmen[ba] will call out on the mountains of Ephraim,
“Come! Let us go to Zion
to worship the Lord our God!”’”[bb]

Moreover,[bc] the Lord says:

“Sing for joy for the descendants of Jacob.
Utter glad shouts for that foremost of the nations.[bd]
Make your praises heard.[be]
Then say, ‘Lord, rescue your people.
Deliver those of Israel who remain alive.’[bf]
Then I will reply,[bg] ‘I will bring them back from the land of the north.
I will gather them in from the distant parts of the earth.
Blind and lame people will come with them,
so will pregnant women and women about to give birth.
A vast throng of people will come back here.
They will come back shedding tears of contrition.
I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance.[bh]
I will lead them besides streams of water,
along smooth paths where they will never stumble.[bi]
I will do this because I am Israel’s father;
Ephraim[bj] is my firstborn son.’”
10 Listen to the Lord’s message, O nations.

Proclaim it in the faraway lands along the sea.
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will regather them.
He will watch over his people like a shepherd watches over his flock.”
11 For the Lord will rescue the descendants of Jacob.
He will secure their release[bk] from those who had overpowered them.[bl]
12 They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion.
They will be radiant with joy[bm] over the good things the Lord provides,
the grain, the fresh wine, the olive oil,
the young sheep, and the calves he has given to them.
They will be like a well-watered garden
and will not grow faint or weary any more.
13 The Lord says,[bn] “At that time young women will dance and be glad.
Young men and old men will rejoice.[bo]
I will turn their grief into gladness.
I will give them comfort and joy in place of their sorrow.
14 I will provide the priests with abundant provisions.[bp]
My people will be filled to the full with the good things I provide.”

15 The Lord says:

“A sound is heard in Ramah,[bq]
a sound of crying in bitter grief.
It is the sound of Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted, because her children are gone.”[br]
16 The Lord says to her,[bs]
“Stop crying! Do not shed any more tears.[bt]
For your heartfelt repentance[bu] will be rewarded.
Your children will return from the land of the enemy.
I, the Lord, affirm it![bv]
17 Indeed, there is hope for your posterity.[bw]
Your children will return to their own territory.
I, the Lord, affirm it![bx]
18 I have indeed[by] heard the people of Israel[bz] say mournfully,
‘We were like a calf untrained to the yoke.[ca]
You disciplined us and we learned from it.[cb]
Let us come back to you and we will do so,[cc]
for you are the Lord our God.
19 For after we turned away from you we repented.
After we came to our senses[cd] we struck our thigh in sorrow.[ce]
We are ashamed and humiliated
because of the disgraceful things we did previously.’[cf]
20 Indeed, the people of Israel are my dear children.
They are the children I take delight in.[cg]
For even though I must often rebuke them,
I still remember them with fondness.
So I am deeply moved with pity for them[ch]
and will surely have compassion on them.
I, the Lord, affirm it![ci]
21 I will say,[cj] ‘My dear children of Israel,[ck] keep in mind
the road you took when you were carried off.[cl]
Mark off in your minds the landmarks.
Make a mental note of telltale signs marking the way back.
Return, my dear children of Israel.
Return to these cities of yours.
22 How long will you vacillate,[cm]
you who were once like an unfaithful daughter?[cn]
For I, the Lord, promise[co] to bring about something new[cp] on the earth,
something as unique as a woman protecting a man!’”[cq]

Judah Will Be Restored

23 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,[cr] says,

“I will restore the people of Judah to their land and to their towns.
When I do, they will again say[cs] of Jerusalem,[ct]
‘May the Lord bless you, you holy mountain,
the place where righteousness dwells.’[cu]
24 The land of Judah will be inhabited by people who live in its towns,
as well as by farmers and shepherds with their flocks.[cv]
25 I will fully satisfy the needs of those who are weary
and fully refresh the souls of those who are faint.[cw]
26 Then they will say, ‘Under these conditions I can enjoy sweet sleep
when I wake up and look around.’[cx]

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 30:3 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  2. Jeremiah 30:3 tn Heb “restore the fortune.” For the translation and meaning of this idiom, see the note at 29:14.
  3. Jeremiah 30:3 tn Heb “fathers.”
  4. Jeremiah 30:3 sn As the nations of Israel and Judah were united in their sin and suffered the same fate—that of exile and dispersion—(cf. Jer 3:8; 5:11; 11:10, 17), so they will ultimately be regathered from the nations and rejoined under one king, a descendant of David; and will regain possession of their ancestral lands. The prophets of both the eighth and seventh century looked forward to this ideal (see, e.g., Hos 1:11 (2:2 HT); Isa 11:11-13; Jer 23:5-6; 30:3; 33:7; Ezek 37:15-22). This has already been anticipated in Jer 3:18.
  5. Jeremiah 30:4 tn Heb “And these are the words/things that the Lord speaks concerning Israel and Judah.”
  6. Jeremiah 30:5 tn The particle כִּי (ki) is functioning here as loosely causal or epexegetical of the preceding introduction. For this usage see BDB 473-74, s.v. כִּי 3.c. This nuance borders on that of the intensive use of כִּי. See the discussion in BDB 472, s.v. כִּי note and כִּי 1.e.
  7. Jeremiah 30:5 tn Heb “We have heard the sound of panic and of fear, and there is no peace.” It is generally agreed that the person of the verb presupposes that this is an unintroduced quote of the people.
  8. Jeremiah 30:6 tn Heb “Ask and see/consider.”
  9. Jeremiah 30:6 tn Heb “with their hands on their loins.” The word rendered “loins” refers to the area between the ribs and the thighs.
  10. Jeremiah 30:7 tn Heb “Alas [or Woe] for that day will be great.” For the use of the particle “Alas” to signal a time of terrible trouble, even to sound the death knell for someone, see the translator’s note on 22:13.sn The reference to a terrible time of trouble (Heb “that day”) is a common shorthand reference in the prophets to “the Day of the Lord.” The “Day of the Lord” refers to a time when God intervenes in judgment against the wicked. The time referent can be either near or far, referring to something as near as the Assyrian threat in the time of Ahaz (Isa 7:18, 20, 21, 23) or as distant as the eschatological battle of God against Gog when he attacks Israel (Ezek 38:14, 18). The judgment can be against Israel’s enemies and result in Israel’s deliverance (Jer 50:30-34). At other times, as here, the Day of the Lord involves judgment on Israel itself. Here reference is to the judgment that the northern kingdom, Israel, has already experienced (cf., e.g., Jer 3:8) and that the southern kingdom, Judah, is in the process of experiencing. Jeremiah has lamented over it several times and even described it in hyperbolic and apocalyptic terms in Jer 4:19-31.
  11. Jeremiah 30:7 tn Heb “It is a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.”sn Jacob here is figurative for the people descended from him. Moreover the figure moves from Jacob, equal to descendants of Jacob, to only a part of those descendants. Not all of his descendants who have experienced and are now experiencing trouble will be saved. Only a remnant (i.e., the good figs; cf., e.g., Jer 23:3; 31:7) will see the good things that the Lord has in store for them (Jer 24:5-6). The bad figs will suffer destruction through war, starvation, and disease (cf., e.g., Jer 24:8-10, among many other references).
  12. Jeremiah 30:8 tn Heb “And it shall happen in that day.”sn The time for them to be rescued (Heb “that day”) is the day of deliverance from the trouble alluded to at the end of the preceding verse, not the day of trouble mentioned at the beginning. Israel (even the good figs) will still need to go through the period of trouble (cf. vv. 10-11).
  13. Jeremiah 30:8 tn Heb “Oracle of Yahweh of Armies.” See the study note on 2:19 for explanation of the title for God.
  14. Jeremiah 30:8 tn Heb “I will break his yoke from upon your neck.” For the explanation of the figure see the study note on 27:2. The shift from third person at the end of v. 7, to second person in v. 8c, d, and back to third person in v. 8e is typical of Hebrew poetry in the book of Psalms and in the prophetic books (cf., GKC 351 §114.p, and compare usage in Deut 32:15 and Isa 5:8, listed there). The present translation, like several other modern ones, has typically leveled them to the same person to avoid confusion for modern readers who are not accustomed to this poetic tradition.sn In the immediate context the reference to the yoke of their servitude to foreign domination (Heb “his yoke”) should be understood of the yoke of servitude to Nebuchadnezzar that has been referred to often in Jer 27-28 (see, e.g., 27:8, 12; 28:2, 4, 11). The end of that servitude has already been mentioned in 25:11-14 and 29:11-14. Like many other passages in the OT, it has been given a later eschatological reinterpretation in the light of subsequent bondages and lack of complete fulfillment, i.e., of restoration to the land and restoration of the Davidic monarchy.
  15. Jeremiah 30:8 tn Heb “I will tear off their bands.” The “bands” are the leather straps that held the yoke bars in place (cf. 27:2). The metaphor of the “yoke on the neck” is continued. The translation reflects the sense of the metaphor but not the specific referent.
  16. Jeremiah 30:9 tn The verb “be subject to” in this verse and “subjugate” are from the same root word in Hebrew. A deliberate contrast is drawn between the two powers that the Israelites will serve.
  17. Jeremiah 30:9 tn Heb “and to David their king, whom I will raise up for them.”sn The Davidic ruler whom I will raise up as king over them refers to a descendant of David who would rule over a regathered and reunited Israel and Judah. He is called “David” in Hos 3:5, Ezek 34:23-24; 37:24-25 and is referred to as a shoot or sprig of Jesse in Isa 11:1, 10, and as a “righteous branch” springing from David (the Davidic line). He is called “David” because he is from the Davidic line and because David is the type of the ideal king whom the prophets anticipated. See further the study notes on 23:5 for this ideal king and for his relation to the NT fulfillment in the person of Jesus the Christ.
  18. Jeremiah 30:10 tn Heb “So do not be afraid, my servant Jacob, oracle of the Lord.” Here and elsewhere in the verse the terms Jacob and Israel are poetic for the people of Israel descended from the patriarch Jacob. The terms have been supplied throughout with plural referents for greater clarity.
  19. Jeremiah 30:10 tn Heb “For I will rescue you from far away, your descendants from the land of their captivity.”
  20. Jeremiah 30:10 sn Compare the ideals of the Mosaic covenant in Lev 26:6, the Davidic covenant in 2 Sam 7:10-11, and the new covenant in Ezek 34:25-31.
  21. Jeremiah 30:11 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  22. Jeremiah 30:11 tn The translation “entirely unpunished” is intended to reflect the emphatic construction of the infinitive absolute before the finite verb.
  23. Jeremiah 30:12 tn The particle כִּי (ki) here is parallel to the one in v. 5 that introduces the first oracle. See the discussion in the translator’s note there.
  24. Jeremiah 30:12 tn The pronouns in vv. 10-17 are second feminine singular, referring to a personified entity. That entity is identified in v. 17 as Zion, which here stands for the people of Zion.
  25. Jeremiah 30:12 sn The wounds to the body politic are those from incursions by the enemy from the north referred to in Jer 4:6; 6:1, over which Jeremiah and even God himself have lamented (Jer 8:21; 10:19; 14:17). The enemy from the north has been identified as Babylon and as the agent of God’s punishment of his disobedient people (Jer 1:15; 4:6; 25:9).
  26. Jeremiah 30:13 tc The translation of these first two lines follows the redivision of the lines suggested in NIV and NRSV. The Masoretes read, “There is no one who pleads your cause with reference to [your] wound.”sn This verse exhibits a double metaphor: an advocate pleading someone’s case (cf., Jer 5:28; 22:18) and a physician applying medicine to wounds and sores resulting from them (see, e.g., Jer 8:18 for the latter metaphor). Zion’s sins are beyond defense and the wounds inflicted upon her beyond healing. However, God himself in his own time will forgive her sins (Jer 31:34; 33:8) and heal her wounds (Jer 30:17).
  27. Jeremiah 30:14 tn Heb “forgotten you.”
  28. Jeremiah 30:14 tn Heb “attacked you like…with the chastening of a cruel one because of the greatness of your iniquity [and because] your sins are many.” The sentence has been broken down to conform to contemporary English style and better poetic scansion.
  29. Jeremiah 30:16 tn For the translation of this particle, which is normally translated “therefore” and often introduces an announcement of judgment, compare the usage at Jer 16:14 and the translator’s note there. Here as there it introduces a contrast, a rather unexpected announcement of salvation. For a similar use see also Hos 2:14 (2:16 HT). Recognition of this usage makes unnecessary the proposed emendation of BHS of לָכֵן כָּל (lakhen kol) to וְכָל (vekhol).
  30. Jeremiah 30:16 sn With the exception of the second line, there is a definite attempt at wordplay in each line to underline the principle of lex talionis on a national and political level. This principle has already been appealed to regarding the end of Babylonian sovereignty in 25:14 and 27:7.
  31. Jeremiah 30:17 tn Again the particle כִּי (ki) appears to be intensive rather than causal. Compare the translator’s note on v. 12. It is possible that it has an adversative sense in an implicit contrast with v. 13, which expresses these concepts in the negative (cf. BDB 474 s.v. כִּי 3.e, for this use in statements that are contextually closer to one another).
  32. Jeremiah 30:17 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  33. Jeremiah 30:18 tn Heb “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and will have compassion on his habitations.” For the meaning of the idiom “restore the fortunes of,” see the translator’s note on 29:14. The “tents of Jacob” refer to their homes or houses (see BDB 14 s.v. אֹהֶל 2, and compare usage in Judg 19:9 and Mal 2:12). The word “ruined” has been supplied in the translation to show more clearly the idea of restoration of their houses on their former sites, in conformity to the concepts in the latter half of the verse.
  34. Jeremiah 30:18 sn Heb “on its tel.” A tel is a site where successive layers of occupation are built upon one another after the destruction or decay of the former city. The original site was not abandoned because it had been chosen for strategic purposes, such as proximity to water or ease of defense. Many modern archaeological sites have the designation “Tel” as a component of their name because of this practice.
  35. Jeremiah 30:18 tn Heb “according to its custom [or plan].” See BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6.d, and compare usage in 1 Sam 27:11.
  36. Jeremiah 30:19 tn Heb “Out of them will come thanksgiving and a sound of those who are playful.”
  37. Jeremiah 30:19 sn Compare Jer 29:6.
  38. Jeremiah 30:20 tn Heb “his children will be as in former times, and his congregation/community will be established before me.” “His” in the phrase “his children” refers to “Jacob,” who was mentioned in v. 18 in the phrase “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob.” “His children” are thus the restored exiles. Some commentaries see the reference here to the restoration of numbers in accordance with the previous verse. However, the last line of this verse and the reference to the ruler in the following verse suggest rather restoration of the religious and political institutions to their former state. For the use of the word translated “community” (עֵדָה, ʿedah) to refer to a political congregation, as well as its normal use to denote a religious one, see 1 Kgs 12:20. For the idea of “in my favor” (i.e., under the eye and regard of) for the Hebrew phrase used here (לְפָנַי, lefanay), see BDB 817 s.v. פָּנֶה II.4.a(b).
  39. Jeremiah 30:21 sn The statement their ruler will come from their own number accords with the regulation in Deut 17:15. They would not be ruled by a foreign leader but by one of their own people. In v. 9 he is specifically said to come from the Davidic line. See the study note there.
  40. Jeremiah 30:21 sn Ordinarily this prerogative was confined to the priests and the Levites and even then under strict regulations (cf., e.g., Num 8:19; 16:10; Lev 16:10; 21:17; 22:3). Uzziah, king of Judah, violated this and suffered leprosy for having done so (2 Chr 26:16-20). It is clear, however, that both David and Solomon on occasion exercised priestly functions in the presence of the ark or the altar, which it was normally lawful for only the priests to approach (cf., e.g., 2 Sam 6:13-14; 1 Kgs 8:22, 54-55). The invited approach here is probably not for normal prerogatives of offering sacrifice or burning incense but for access to God’s special presence at special times with the purpose of consultation.
  41. Jeremiah 30:21 tn Heb “For who is he who would pledge his heart to draw near to me?” The question is a rhetorical one expecting the answer “no one” and is a way of expressing an emphatic negative (see BDB 566 s.v. מִי f[c]). The concept of “pledging” something refers to putting up security in guarantee of payment. Here the word is used figuratively of “putting up one’s heart [i.e., his very being (cf. BDB 524 s.v. לֵב 7, and Ps 22:26)]” for the privilege of access to God. The rhetorical question denies that any one would do that if he were not bidden by God to do so.
  42. Jeremiah 30:21 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  43. Jeremiah 30:22 sn This was their highest privilege (cf. Exod 6:7, Lev 26:12; Jer 24:7) but also their greatest responsibility (cf. Jer 7:3; 11:4). It is a formula referring to a covenant relationship in which God pledges to protect, provide, and be present with his people and they in turn promise to be loyal and obedient to him (see Deut 26:17-18; 29:10-13).
  44. Jeremiah 30:24 sn Jer 30:23-24 are almost a verbatim repetition of 23:19-20. There the verses were addressed to the people of Jerusalem as a warning that the false prophets had no intimate awareness of the Lord’s plans, which were plans of destruction for wicked Israel, not plans of peace and prosperity. Here they function as further assurance that the Lord will judge the wicked nations oppressing them when he reverses their fortunes and restores them once again to the land as his special people (cf. vv. 18-22).
  45. Jeremiah 31:1 sn This verse repeats v. 22 but with specific reference to all the clans of Israel, i.e., to all Israel and Judah. It functions here as a transition to the next section, which will deal with the restoration of Israel (31:3-20) and Judah (31:21-25) and their reunification in the land (31:27-29) under a new covenant relation with God (31:31-37). See also the study note on 30:3 for further reference to this reunification in Jeremiah and the other prophets.
  46. Jeremiah 31:1 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  47. Jeremiah 31:2 tn Heb “who survived the sword.”sn This refers to the remnant of northern Israel who had not been killed when Assyria conquered Israel in 722 b.c. or who had not died in exile. References to Samaria in v. 5 and Ephraim in vv. 6, 9 make clear that northern Israel is in view here.
  48. Jeremiah 31:3 tn The first word מֵרָחוּק (merakhoq, “distant”) can mean at a distance in location or time (2 Kgs 19:25). While built from the preposition מִן (min, “from, of, since, than”) and the adjective רָחוּק (rakhoq), “far, distant”), the pieces work as one unit and typically do not mean “from a distant place,” as is especially evident when one stands at a distance (Exod 2:4) or goes to a distant place (Isa 22:3). Both options, location and time, are possible here. Either the Lord appears at a distant place (where the exiles are), or, understanding the verb as past time, he appeared long ago. In the latter view, this is probably reminiscent of God’s appearance at Sinai, reminding the people of the eternal love he covenanted with them, on the basis of which he maintains his faithful love to and will restore them.
  49. Jeremiah 31:3 tn Or the translation of verses 2-3 could be, “The people of Israel who survived the onslaughts of Egypt and Amalek found favor in the wilderness as they journeyed to find rest. At that time long ago the Lord manifested himself to them. He said, ‘I have…That is why I have drawn you to myself through my unfailing kindness.’” There is debate whether the reference here is to God’s preservation of Israel during their wandering in the Sinai desert or his promise to protect and preserve them on their return through the Arabian desert on the way back from Assyria and Babylon (see e.g., Isa 42:14-16; 43:16-21; Jer 16:14-15; 23:7-8). The only finite verbs in vv. 2-3a before the introduction of the quote are perfects, which can denote either a past act or a future act viewed as certain of fulfillment (the prophetic perfect; see GKC 312-13 §106.n, and see examples in Jer 11:16; 13:17; 25:14; 28:4). The phrase at the beginning of v. 3 can either refer to temporal (cf. BDB 935 s.v. רָחוֹק 2.b, and Isa 22:11) or spatial distance (cf. BDB 935 s.v. רָחוֹק 2.a[2], and Isa 5:29; 59:14). The verb in the final clause in v. 3 can refer to either the extension of God’s love, as in Pss 36:10 and 109:12 (cf. HALOT 645-46 s.v. מָשַׁךְ Qal.3), or the drawing of someone to him in electing, caring love, as in Hos 11:4 (cf. BDB 604 s.v. מָשַׁךְ Qal.1). The translation has opted for the prophetic reference to future deliverance because of the preceding context, the use of מֵרָחוֹק (merakhoq) to refer to the far-off land of exile in Jer 30:10; 46:27; and 51:50, and the reference to survivors from the sword being called on to remember the Lord in that far-off land in 51:50.
  50. Jeremiah 31:4 tn Heb “Virgin Israel.”sn For the significance of this metaphor see the note on Jer 14:17. Here the emphasis rests on his special love and care for his people and the hint (further developed in vv. 21-22) that, though they are guilty of sin, he views them like an innocent young virgin.
  51. Jeremiah 31:4 sn Contrast Jer 7:34 and 25:10.
  52. Jeremiah 31:5 sn The terms used here refer to the enjoyment of a period of peace and stability and to the reversal of the curse (contrast, e.g., Deut 28:30). The Hebrew word translated “enjoy its fruit” is a technical one that refers to the owner of a vineyard getting to enjoy its fruit in the fifth year after it was planted, the crops of the first three years lying fallow, and those of the fourth being given to the Lord (cf. Lev 19:23-25).
  53. Jeremiah 31:6 sn Watchmen were stationed at vantage points to pass on warning of coming attack (Jer 6:17; Ezek 33:2, 6) or to spread the news of victory (Isa 52:8). Here reference is made to the watchmen who signaled the special times of the year, such as the new moon and festival times, when Israel was to go to Jerusalem to worship. Reference is not made to these in the Hebrew Bible, but there is a good deal of instruction regarding them in the later Babylonian Talmud.
  54. Jeremiah 31:6 sn Not only will Israel and Judah be reunited under one ruler (cf. 23:5-6), but they will share a unified place and practice of worship once again, in contrast to Israel using the illicit places of worship, illicit priesthood, and illicit feasts instituted by Jeroboam (1 Kgs 12:26-31) and continued until the downfall of Samaria in 722 b.c.
  55. Jeremiah 31:7 tn See the translator’s notes on 30:5, 12.
  56. Jeremiah 31:7 tn Heb “for the head/chief of the nations.” See BDB 911 s.v. רֹאשׁ 3.c, and compare usage in Ps 18:44 referring to David as the “chief” or “foremost ruler” of the nations.
  57. Jeremiah 31:7 tn It is unclear who the addressees of the masculine plural imperatives are in this verse. Possibly they are the implied exiles, who are viewed as in the process of returning and praying for their fellow countrymen.
  58. Jeremiah 31:7 tc Or “The Lord will rescue his people. He will deliver those of Israel who remain alive.” The translation used in the text follows the Hebrew: “Rescue your people, O Lord, the remnant of Israel.” The alternate translation, which is preferred by several modern English versions (e.g., REB, TEV) and a majority of modern commentaries (see, e.g., J. A. Thompson, Jeremiah [NICOT], 569; J. Bright, Jeremiah [AB], 273, n. s-s), follows the reading of the Greek version and the Aramaic Targum and appears more appropriate to the context of praise presupposed by the preceding imperatives. The difference in the two readings are the omission of one vowel letter and the confusion of a final ךְ (kaf) and a וֹ (holem-vav), which are very similar in form. (The Greek presupposes הוֹשִׁיעַ יְהוָה אֶת־עַמּוֹ [hoshiaʿ yehvah ʾet ʿammo] for the Hebrew הוֹשַׁע יְהוָה אֶת־עַמְּךָ [hoshaʿ yehvah ʾet ʿammekha].) The key to a decision here is the shift from the verbs of praise to the imperative “say,” which introduces the quotation; there is a shift from praise to petition. The shift in mood is not uncommon, occurring, for example, in Pss 118:25 and 126:4; it is the shift in mood from praise for what has begun to petition for what is further desired. It is easier to explain the origin contextually of the Greek and Targum than it is the Hebrew text; thus the Greek and Targum are probably a secondary smoothing of the text (this is the decision of the D. Barthélemy, ed., Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 4:263). The mood of prayer also shows up in v. 9 and again in vv. 17-18.
  59. Jeremiah 31:8 tn The words “And I will reply” are not in the text, but the words of vv. 8-9 appear to be the answer to the petition at the end of v. 7. These words are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  60. Jeremiah 31:9 tn Heb “They will come with weeping; I will bring them with supplication.” The ideas of contrition and repentance are implicit from the context (cf. vv. 18-19) and are supplied for clarity.
  61. Jeremiah 31:9 sn Jer 31:8-9 are reminiscent of the “New Exodus” motif of Isa 40-66, which has already been referred to in Jer 16:14-15 and 23:7-8. See especially Isa 35:3-10; 40:3-5, 11; 41:17-20; 42:14-17; 43:16-21; 49:9-13. As there, the New Exodus will so outstrip the old that the old will pale in comparison and be almost forgotten (see Jer 23:7-8).
  62. Jeremiah 31:9 sn Ephraim was the second son of Joseph, who was elevated to a place of prominence in the family of Jacob by the patriarch’s special blessing. It was the strongest tribe in northern Israel, and Samaria lay in its territory. It is often used as a poetic parallel for Israel, as here. The poetry is not speaking of two separate entities here; it is a way of repeating an idea for emphasis. Moreover, there is no intent to show special preference for northern Israel over Judah. All Israel is metaphorically God’s son and the object of his special care and concern (Exod 4:22; Deut 32:6).
  63. Jeremiah 31:11 sn Two rather theologically significant metaphors are used in this verse. The Hebrew word translated “rescue” occurs in the legal sphere for paying a redemption price to secure the freedom of a person or thing (see, e.g., Exod 13:13, 15). It is used metaphorically and theologically to refer to Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deut 15:15; Mic 6:4) and Babylonian exile (Isa 35:10). The word translated “secure…release” occurred in the sphere of family responsibility when a person paid the price to free an indentured relative (Lev 25:48, 49) or restore a relative’s property seized to pay a debt (Lev 25:25, 33). This word, too, could describe metaphorically and theologically Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Exod 6:6) or Babylonian exile (Isa 43:1-4; 44:22). These words are traditionally translated “ransom” and “redeem” and are a part of traditional Jewish and Christian vocabulary for physical and spiritual deliverance.
  64. Jeremiah 31:11 tn Heb “from the hand/power of the one too strong for him.”
  65. Jeremiah 31:12 tn Reading a Qal perfect from the root II נָהַר (nahar; so KBL 509 s.v., and HALOT 639 s.v.) rather than I נָהַר (so BDB 625 s.v.).
  66. Jeremiah 31:13 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.” This phrase has been brought up to the beginning of v. 13 from the end of v. 14 to introduce the transition from third person description by Jeremiah to first person address by the Lord.
  67. Jeremiah 31:13 tc The translation follows the reading of the LXX (Greek version). The Hebrew reads, “will dance and be glad, young men and old men together.” The Greek version presupposes a Qal imperfect of a rare verb (יַחְדּוּ [yakhdu] from the verb חָדָה [khadah]; see BDB 292 s.v. II חָדָה Qal), as opposed to the Hebrew text, which reads a common adverb יַחְדָּו (yakhdav). The consonantal text is the same, but the vocalization is different. There are no other examples of the syntax of the adverb used this way (i.e., of a compound subject added to a third subject), and the vocalization of the Hebrew text can be explained on the basis of a scribe misvocalizing the text based on his greater familiarity with the adverb.
  68. Jeremiah 31:14 tn Heb “I will satiate the priests with fat.” However, the word translated “fat” refers literally to the fat ashes of the sacrifices (see Lev 1:16; 4:2 and cf. BDB 206 s.v. דֶּשֶׁן 2). The word is used more abstractly for “abundance” or “rich food” (see Job 36:16 and BDB 206 s.v. דֶּשֶׁן 1). The people and the priests were prohibited from eating the fat (Lev 7:23-24).
  69. Jeremiah 31:15 sn Ramah is a town in Benjamin approximately five miles (8 km) north of Jerusalem. It was on the road between Bethel and Bethlehem. Traditionally, Rachel’s tomb was located near there at a place called Zelzah (1 Sam 10:2). Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, had been very concerned about having children because she was barren (Gen 30:1-2). So she went to great lengths to have them (Gen 30:3, 14-15, 22-24). She was the grandmother of Ephraim and Manasseh, which were two of the major tribes in northern Israel. Here Rachel is viewed metaphorically as weeping for her “children,” the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, who had been carried away into captivity in 722 b.c.
  70. Jeremiah 31:15 tn Or “gone into exile” (cf. v. 16), though some English versions take this as meaning “dead” (e.g., NCV, CEV, NLT), presumably in light of Matt 2:18.
  71. Jeremiah 31:16 tn The words “to her” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  72. Jeremiah 31:16 tn Heb “Refrain your voice from crying and your eyes from tears.”
  73. Jeremiah 31:16 tn Heb “your work.” Contextually her “work” refers to her weeping and refusing to be comforted, that is, signs of genuine repentance (v. 15).
  74. Jeremiah 31:16 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  75. Jeremiah 31:17 tn For this nuance for the Hebrew word אַחֲרִית (ʾakharit) see BDB 31 s.v. אַחֲרִית d and compare usage in Psalms 37:38 and 109:13. Others translate “your future,” but the “future” lies with the return of her descendants, her posterity.
  76. Jeremiah 31:17 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  77. Jeremiah 31:18 tn The use of “indeed” is intended to reflect the infinitive absolute, which precedes the verb for emphasis (see IBHS 585-86 §35.3.1f).
  78. Jeremiah 31:18 tn Heb “Ephraim.” See the study note on 31:9. The more familiar term is used, with the term “people” added to it, and plural pronouns replace first person singular ones throughout the verse to aid understanding.
  79. Jeremiah 31:18 tn Heb “like an untrained calf.” The metaphor is that of a calf that has never been broken to bear the yoke (cf. Hos 4:16; 10:11).sn Jer 2:20 and 5:5 already referred to Israel’s refusal to bear the yoke of loyalty and obedience to the Lord’s demands. Here Israel expresses that she has learned from the discipline of exile and is ready to bear his yoke.
  80. Jeremiah 31:18 tn The verb here is from the same root as the preceding and is probably an example of the “tolerative Niphal,” i.e., “I let myself be disciplined/I responded to it.” See IBHS 389-90 §23.4g and note the translation of some of the examples there, especially Isa 19:22 and 65:1.
  81. Jeremiah 31:18 tn Heb “Bring me back in order that I may come back.” For the use of the plural pronouns see the marginal note at the beginning of the verse. The verbs “bring back” and “come back” are from the same root in two different verbal stems. In the context they express the idea of spiritual repentance and restoration of relationship, not physical return to the land. (See BDB 999 s.v. שׁוּב Hiph.2.a for the first verb and 997 s.v. Qal.6.c for the second.) For the use of the cohortative to express purpose after the imperative, see GKC 320 §108.d or IBHS 575 §34.5.2b.sn There is a wordplay on several different nuances of the same Hebrew verb in vv. 16-19. The Hebrew verb שׁוּב (shuv) refers both to their turning away from God (v. 19) and to their turning back to him (v. 18). It is also the word that is used for their return to their homeland (vv. 16-17).
  82. Jeremiah 31:19 tn For this meaning of the verb see HAL 374 s.v. יָדַע Nif 5 or W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 129. REB translates, “Now that I am submissive,” relating the verb to a second root meaning “be submissive.” (See HALOT 375 s.v. II יָדַע and J. Barr, Comparative Philology and the Text of the Old Testament, 19-21, for evidence for this verb. Other passages cited with this nuance are Judg 8:16; Prov 10:9; Job 20:20.)
  83. Jeremiah 31:19 sn This was a gesture of grief and anguish (cf. Ezek 21:12 [21:17 HT]). The modern equivalent is “to beat the breast.”
  84. Jeremiah 31:19 tn Heb “because I bear the reproach of my youth.” For the plural referents see the note at the beginning of v. 18.sn The expression the disgraceful things we did in our earlier history refers to the disgrace that accompanied the sins that Israel committed in her earlier years before she learned the painful lesson of submission to the Lord through the discipline of exile. For earlier references to the sins of her youth (i.e., in her earlier years as a nation) see 3:24-25; 22:21; 32:29. At the time that these verses were written, neither northern Israel or Judah had expressed the kind of contrition voiced in vv. 18-19. As one commentator notes, the words here are both prophetic and instructive.
  85. Jeremiah 31:20 tn Heb “Is Ephraim a dear son to me or a child of delight?” For the substitution of Israel for Ephraim and the plural pronouns for the singular, see the note on v. 18. According to BDB 210 s.v. הֲ 1.c the question is rhetorical, having the force of an impassioned affirmation. See 1 Sam 2:27 and Job 41:9 (41:1 HT) for parallel usage.
  86. Jeremiah 31:20 tn Heb “my stomach churns for him.” The parallelism shows that this refers to pity or compassion.
  87. Jeremiah 31:20 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  88. Jeremiah 31:21 tn The words “I will say” are not in the text. They are supplied in the translation to mark the transition from the address about Israel in a response to Rachel’s weeping (vv. 15-20) to a direct address to Israel that is essentially the answer to Israel’s prayer of penitence (cf. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, T. G. Smothers, Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 121.)sn The Lord here invites Israel to stop dilly-dallying and prepare themselves to return because he is prepared to do something new and miraculous.
  89. Jeremiah 31:21 tn Heb “Virgin Israel.” For the significance see the study note on 31:3.
  90. Jeremiah 31:21 tn Heb “Set your mind to the highway, the way which you went.” The phrase “the way you went” has been translated as “the road you took when you were carried off” to help the reader see the reference to the exile implicit in the context. The verb “which you went” is another example of the old second feminine singular, which the Masoretes typically revocalize (Kethib הָלָכְתִּי [halakhti]; Qere הָלָכְתְּ [halakhet]). The vocative has been supplied in the translation at the beginning to help make the transition from third person reference to Ephraim/Israel in the preceding to second person in the following and to identify the referent of the imperatives. Likewise, this line has been moved to the front to show that the reference to setting up sign posts and landmarks is not literal but figurative, referring to making a mental note of the way they took when carried off so that they can easily find their way back. Lines three and four in the Hebrew text read, “Set up sign posts for yourself; set up guideposts/landmarks for yourself.” The word translated “telltale signs marking the way” occurs only here. Though its etymology and precise meaning are unknown, all the lexicons agree in translating it as “sign post” or something similar, based on the parallelism.
  91. Jeremiah 31:22 tn The translation “dilly-dally” is suggested by J. Bright, Jeremiah (AB), 276. The verb occurs only here in this stem (the Hitpael) and only one other time in any other stem (the Qal in Song 5:6). The dictionaries define it as “to turn this way and that” (cf., e.g., BDB 330 s.v. חָמַק Hithp.). In the context it refers to turning this way and that looking for the way back.
  92. Jeremiah 31:22 sn Israel’s backsliding is forgotten and forgiven. They had once been characterized as an apostate people (3:14, 22; the word “apostate” and “unfaithful” are the same in Hebrew) and figuratively depicted as an adulterous wife (3:20). Now they are viewed as having responded to his invitation (compare 31:18-19 with 3:22-25). Hence they are no longer depicted as an unfaithful daughter but as an unsullied virgin (see the literal translation of “my dear children” in vv. 4, 21 and the study note on v. 4.)
  93. Jeremiah 31:22 tn Heb “For the Lord will create.” The person has been shifted to avoid the possible confusion for some readers of a third person reference to the Lord in what has otherwise been a first person address. The verb “will create” is another one of the many examples of the prophetic perfect that have been seen in the book of Jeremiah. For the significance of the verb “create” here, see the study note on “bring about something new.”
  94. Jeremiah 31:22 sn Heb “create.” This word is always used with God as the subject and refers to the production of something new or unique, like the creation of the world and the first man and woman (Gen 1:1; 2:3; 1:27; 5:1), the creation of a new heavens and a new earth in a new age (Isa 65:17), or the bringing about of new and unique circumstances (Num 16:30). Here reference is made contextually to the new exodus, that marvelous deliverance which will be so great that the old will pale in comparison (see the first note on v. 9).
  95. Jeremiah 31:22 tn The meaning of this last line is uncertain. The translation has taken it as proverbial for something new and unique. For a fairly complete discussion of most of the options see C. Feinberg, “Jeremiah,” EBC 6:571. For the nuance of “protecting” for the verb here see BDB 686 s.v. סָבַב Po‘ 1 and compare the usage in Deut 32:10.
  96. Jeremiah 31:23 tn Heb “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel.” See 7:3 and the study note of 2:19 for the rendering of this title and an explanation of its significance.
  97. Jeremiah 31:23 tn Heb “They [i.e., people (the indefinite plural, GKC 460 §144.g)] will again say in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes.” For the meaning of the idiom “to restore the fortunes” see the translator’s note on 29:14.
  98. Jeremiah 31:23 tn The words “of Jerusalem” are not in the text, but the idea is implicit in the titles that follow. The words have been supplied in the translation for clarity, to aid in identifying the referent.
  99. Jeremiah 31:23 sn The blessing pronounced on the city of Zion/Jerusalem by the restored exiles looks at the restoration of its once exalted state as the city known for its sanctity and its just dealing (see Isa 1:21 and Ps 122). This was a reversal of the state of Jerusalem in the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah, where wickedness, not righteousness, characterized the inhabitants of the city (cf. Isa 1:21; Jer 4:14; 5:1; 13:27). The blessing here presupposes the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem and the temple, which gave the city its sanctity.
  100. Jeremiah 31:24 tn The translation “those who move about with their flocks” is based on an emendation of the Hebrew text that reads a third plural Qal perfect (נָסְעוּ, naseʿu) as a masculine plural Qal participle in the construct (נֹסְעֵי, noseʿe), as suggested in BHS. For the use of the construct participle before a noun with a preposition, see GKC 421 §130.a. It is generally agreed that three classes of people are referred to here: townspeople, farmers, and shepherds. But the syntax of the Hebrew sentence is a little awkward: “And they [i.e., “people” (the indefinite plural, GKC 460 §144.g)] will live in it, Judah and all its cities [an apposition of nearer definition (GKC 425-26 §131.n)], [along with] farmers and those who move about with their flocks.” The first line refers awkwardly to the townspeople, and the other two classes are added asyndetically (i.e., without the conjunction “and”).
  101. Jeremiah 31:25 tn The verbs here again emphasize that the actions are as good as done (i.e., they are prophetic perfects; cf. GKC 312-13 §106.n).sn For the concept here compare Jer 31:12, where the promise was applied to northern Israel. This represents the reversal of the conditions that would characterize the exiles according to the covenant curse of Deut 28:65-67.
  102. Jeremiah 31:26 tn Or “When I, Jeremiah, heard this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very pleasant.” The text is somewhat enigmatic. It has often been explained as an indication that Jeremiah had received this communication (30:3-31:26) while in a prophetic trance (compare Dan 10:9). However, there is no other indication that this is a vision or a vision report. G. L. Keown, P. J. Scalise, and T. G. Smothers (Jeremiah 26-52 [WBC], 124, 128-29) suggest that this is a speech of the restored (and refreshed) exiles like that which is formally introduced in v. 23. The speech here, however, is not formally introduced. This interpretation is also reflected in TEV and CEV. It is accepted here as fitting the context better and demanding less presuppositions. The Hebrew text reads literally, “Upon this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was sweet to me.” Keown, Scalise, and Smothers have the best discussion of these two options as well as several other options.