jeremiah 29 through 31

Read Jeremiah 29 through 31 at Bible Gateway.

Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Jer 29:1-9 {s} Captives in Babylon: dwell there + seek peace/ beware of the false prophets whom I have not sent
Jer 29:10-15 {s} After 70 years, you will seek Me + I will visit you + you shall return from your captivity
Jer 29:16-20 {s} Jerusalem will be devoured by sword, famine, pestilence, for you have not heeded the word of YHVH
Jer 29:21-23 {s} The false prophets among you delivered to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, for death
Jer 29:24-29 {p} The letter sent from Shemaiah asking why Jeremiah has not been put in prison for prophesying
Jer 29:30-32 {s} YHVH will punish Shemaiah for prophesying falsely when YHVH has not sent him

Jer 30:1-3 {p} Write a book all My words to Jeremiah, for I am bringing My people Israel + Judah back from captivity
Jer 30:4-9 {s} Why be in fear + all faces pale? It is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it
Jer 30:10-11 {p} Fear not nor be dismayed Jacob, I will make an end of the nations of your captivity but not of you
Jer 30:12-17 {s} Those who prey upon Jacob YHVH will make a prey/ He will restore health to Jacob
Jer 30:18-22 {s} I will bring back the captivity of Jacob/ they shall be My people and I their God
Jer 30:23-31:1 {s} The fierce anger of YHVH is upon the head of the wicked, but He is God to all the families of Jacob

Jer 31:2-6 {p} YHVH’s everlasting love for Israel – He will build them again on Mt Ephraim
Jer 31:7-9 {s} I will gather the remnant of Israel from the north + ends of the earth/ they will walk in a straight way
Jer 31:10-14 {s} He who scattered Israel will regather + redeem him/ Israel will rejoice in YHVH’s goodness
Jer 31:15 {s} Lamentation + bitter weeping in Ramah, Rachel weeping for her children because they are no more
Jer 31:16-17 {s} Refrain from weeping; your work shall be rewarded/ your children shall return to their own border
Jer 31:18-20 {s} Ephraim’s shame in his rebellious youth/ YHVH will surely have mercy on him
Jer 31:21-22 {s} Set up the landmarks, turn back by the way which you came O virgin daughter of Israel
Jer 31:23-26 {s} YHVH will bring back the captivity of Judah/ He will satiate + replenish the weary + sorrowful soul
Jer 31:27-30 {s} YHVH will sow man + beast in Israel/ He will watch over them to build up and to plant
Jer 31:31-34 {s} New covenant: YHVH’s law written on hearts/ He their God, they His people/ He will forgive their sin
Jer 31:35-36 {s} If the ordinances of nature pass away, then Israel may cease from being a nation before Him forever
Jer 31:37 {s} If heavens above + foundations of earth beneath can be measured, then I will cast off Israel for her sins
Jer 31:38-40 {p} The boundaries of the city holy to YHVH/ It shall not be thrown down anymore forever

Jer 31:2-34 chiastic structure:

I was not able to complete the structure, because it is so complex. This is what I have so far:

Jer 31:2-3, YHVH’s everlasting love for Israel;

1a) Jer 31:9b {s} For I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn;

1b) Jer 31:10-11, Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’ For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he;

1c) Jer 31:12a, Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion;

1d) Jer 31:12b, Streaming to the goodness of the Lord— for wheat + new wine + oil + flock + herd; their souls shall be like a well-watered garden;

1e) Jer 31:12c, And they shall sorrow no more at all;

1f) Jer 31:13a, Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together;

central axis) Jer 31:13b, For I will turn their mourning to joy + comfort them;

2f) Jer 31:13c, And make them rejoice;

2e) Jer 31:13d, Rather than sorrow;

2d) Jer 31:14 {s} I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord;

2c) Jer 31:15 {s} Thus says the Lord: A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation + bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children because they are no more;

2b) Jer 31:16-17 {s} Thus says the Lord: Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the Lord, that your children shall come back to their own border;

2a) Jer 31:18-20 {s} Ephraim acknowledged YHVH’s chastisement, for he is YHVH’s dear son;

1a) Jer 31:18a, I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself;
1b) Jer 31:18b, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like an untrained bull;
1c) Jer 31:18c, ‘Restore me, and I will return;
central axis) Jer 31:18d, ‘For You are the Lord my God;
2c) Jer 31:19a, ‘Surely, after my turning, I repented;
2b) Jer 31:19b, And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, because I bore the reproach of my youth;’
2a) Jer 31:20 {s} Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.

Jer 31:31-34 {s} New covenant: YHVH’s law written on hearts/ YHVH’s everlasting faithfulness to Israel.

At this point in the history, Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) and 10,000 from Jerusalem had been taken captive to Babylon, and Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, had been put on the throne in his stead, with the promise that he would submit to Babylon as vassal. Daniel had been taken captive in the previous captivity; in this captivity Ezekiel had been taken captive with the captives.

A terrible judgment was coming on Judah and Jerusalem, but the bookends and the central axis are all about the Lord’s love, mercy, and faithfulness. It is all about the wonderful future awaiting Israel, because of how good the Lord is, not how good Israel has been or how much they deserve His goodness. They didn’t deserve it then and we don’t deserve it now. But He is pouring His goodness out on us, because He is good! He is a Father who loves His children, and being a better Father than we are, disciplines His children when they needs it. We learn the chastisement is the purpose of the judgment, in order to create the heart change needed for Israel to make the journey from foolishness to wisdom, from idolatry to single-hearted devotion to YHVH their God. Fear not Israel! Your God caring for you as a shepherd cares for his flock, no matter what! He will surely have mercy on us!

For further study:

jeremiah 29 reverse parallelism
jeremiah 31, how the new covenant differs from the old covenant