Logos Bible Study

Jeremiah 31:16–19

The NET BibleOther versions

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31:16The Lord says to her,27

“Stop crying! Do not shed any more tears!28

For your heartfelt repentance29 will be rewarded.

Your children will return from the land of the enemy.

I, the Lord, affirm it!30

31:17Indeed, there is hope for your posterity.31

Your children will return to their own territory.

I, the Lord, affirm it!32

31:18I have indeed33 heard the people of Israel34 say mournfully,

‘We were like a calf untrained to the yoke.35

You disciplined us and we learned from it.36

Let us come back to you and we will do so,37

for you are the Lord our God.

31:19For after we turned away from you we repented.

After we came to our senses38 we beat our breasts in sorrow.39

We are ashamed and humiliated

because of the disgraceful things we did previously.’40

Read in Logos
Jeremiah 31:16: Thus says the LORD: “Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.”

Footnotes

  1. 27 The words “to her” are not in the text but are implicit from the context. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  2. 28 Heb “Refrain your voice from crying and your eyes from tears.”
  3. 29 Heb “your work.” Contextually her “work” refers to her weeping and refusing to be comforted, that is, signs of genuine repentance (v. 15).
  4. 30 Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  5. 31 For this nuance for the Hebrew word אַחֲרִית (’akharit) see 31 אַחֲרִית d and compare usage in Pss 37:38; 109:13. Others translate “your future” but the “future” lies with the return of her descendants, her posterity.
  6. 32 Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
  7. 33 The use of “indeed” is intended to reflect the infinitive absolute which precedes the verb for emphasis (see §35.3.1f).
  8. 34 Heb “Ephraim.” See the study note on . The more familiar term is used, the term “people” added to it, and plural pronouns used throughout the verse to aid in understanding.
  9. 35 Heb “like an untrained calf.” The metaphor is that of a calf who has never been broken to bear the yoke (cf. Hos 4:16; 10:11). Jer 2:20; 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.
  10. 36 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 §23.4g and note the translation of some of the examples there, especially Isa 19:22; 65:1.
  11. 37 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 verb “bring back” and “come back” are from the same root in two different verbal stems and in the context express the idea of spiritual repentance and restoration of relationship not physical return to the land. (See 999 שׁוּב Hiph.2.a for the first verb and 997 Qal.6.c for the second.) For the use of the cohortative to express purpose after the imperative see §108.d or §34.5.2b. There is a wordplay on several different nuances of the same Hebrew verb in vv. 16–19. The Hebrew verb shub 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).
  12. 38 For this meaning of the verb see 374 יָדַע Nif 5 or W. L. Holladay, Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 129. translates “Now that I am submissive” relating the verb to a second root meaning “be submissive.” (See 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.)
  13. 39 Heb “I struck my thigh.” This was a gesture of grief and anguish (cf. Ezek 21:12 [21:17 ]). The modern equivalent is “to beat the breast.”
  14. 40 Heb “because I bear the reproach of my youth.” For the plural referents see the note at the beginning of v. 18. The expression the disgraceful things we did in our earlier history refers to the disgrace that accompanied the sins that Israel did 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 and see also 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.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Thus says the Lord:

“Keep your voice from weeping,

and your eyes from tears,

for there is a reward for your work,

declares the Lord,

and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

There is hope for your future,

declares the Lord,

and your children shall come back to their own country.

I have heard Ephraim grieving,

‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined,

like an untrained calf;

bring me back that I may be restored,

for you are the Lord my God.

For after I had turned away, I relented,

and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh;

I was ashamed, and I was confounded,

because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

This is what the Lord says:

“Restrain your voice from weeping

and your eyes from tears,

for your work will be rewarded,”

declares the Lord.

“They will return from the land of the enemy.

So there is hope for your descendants,”

declares the Lord.

“Your children will return to their own land.

“I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning:

‘You disciplined me like an unruly calf,

and I have been disciplined.

Restore me, and I will return,

because you are the Lord my God.

After I strayed,

I repented;

after I came to understand,

I beat my breast.

I was ashamed and humiliated

because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

This is what the Lord says:

Keep your voice from weeping

and your eyes from tears,

for the reward for your work will come—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

and your children will return from the enemy’s land.

There is hope for your future—

this is the Lord’s declaration—

and your children will return to their own territory.

I have surely heard Ephraim moaning,

“You disciplined me, and I have been disciplined

like an untrained calf.

Take me back, so that I can return,

for you, Lord, are my God.

After my return, I felt regret;

After I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief.

I was ashamed and humiliated

because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

But now this is what the Lord says:

“Do not weep any longer,

for I will reward you,” says the Lord.

“Your children will come back to you

from the distant land of the enemy.

There is hope for your future,” says the Lord.

“Your children will come again to their own land.

I have heard Israel saying,

‘You disciplined me severely,

like a calf that needs training for the yoke.

Turn me again to you and restore me,

for you alone are the Lord my God.

I turned away from God,

but then I was sorry.

I kicked myself for my stupidity!

I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.’

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Thus says Yahweh:

“Restrain your voice from weeping,

and your eyes from tears,

for there is a reward for your work,” declares Yahweh,

“and they will return from the land of the enemy.

And there is hope for your future,” declares Yahweh,

“and your children will return to their territory.

Indeed I heard Ephraim pitying themselves,

‘You disciplined me, and I was disciplined,

like a calf that is not trained.

Bring me back and let me return,

for you are Yahweh my God.

For after my turning back I repented,

and after coming to understand I struck my thigh.

I was ashamed and also humiliated,

because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Thus saith the Lord;

Refrain thy voice from weeping,

And thine eyes from tears:

For thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord;

And they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord,

That thy children shall come again to their own border.

I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus;

Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised,

As a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke:

Turn thou me, and I shall be turned;

For thou art the Lord my God.

Surely after that I was turned, I repented;

And after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh:

I was ashamed, yea, even confounded,

Because I did bear the reproach of my youth.

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