Jeremiah 23 7

Jeremiah 23:7 kjv

Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

Jeremiah 23:7 nkjv

"Therefore, behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that they shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,'

Jeremiah 23:7 niv

"So then, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,'

Jeremiah 23:7 esv

"Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, 'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'

Jeremiah 23:7 nlt

"In that day," says the LORD, "when people are taking an oath, they will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.'

Jeremiah 23 verses

Jeremiah 23 7 meaning

Jeremiah 23:7 declares a pivotal shift in the confession of God's redemptive power. It foretells a future time when the preeminent act of God, celebrated by the people of Israel, will no longer be His mighty deliverance from Egypt. This does not diminish the historical Exodus, but rather prophesies a forthcoming act of salvation and restoration so profound and magnificent that it will eclipse the Exodus as the primary reference point for God's saving power. It signifies a new, greater Exodus yet to come.

Jeremiah 23 7 Context

Jeremiah 23 opens with strong condemnation of the corrupt "shepherds" (leaders) of Judah who have scattered and destroyed God's flock. These leaders include kings, priests, and prophets who failed in their duties, leading the people into idolatry and moral decay. The nation is on the brink of, or already experiencing, Babylonian exile—a profound national disaster and dispersion. Amidst this judgment, God offers a message of hope and restoration. Verses 5-6 promise the raising of a "Righteous Branch" from David's line, a just king who will rule wisely and bring salvation, a figure explicitly named "The LORD Is Our Righteousness."

Jeremiah 23:7 directly follows this Messianic promise. It establishes that the glorious reign of this Righteous Branch will initiate a new era of redemption that will redefine the primary historical anchor of Israel's faith. The original audience, accustomed to framing their identity around the miraculous Exodus from Egypt, would have found this a striking prophecy. It directly addresses their current situation of being scattered and oppressed, promising a future, greater gathering and restoration, implying that this future deliverance would be a definitive act of God’s covenant faithfulness, surpassing even their foundational national narrative. The prophetic language also contains a subtle polemic, warning against merely living in the glory of past redemptions without looking forward to God's continuous and future redemptive work.

Jeremiah 23 7 Word analysis

• Therefore (לָכֵן, lakhen): This serves as a consequential connective. It links the preceding condemnation of failed leaders and the promise of a Righteous Branch (vv. 1-6) directly to the momentous declaration of a new, greater act of redemption. It emphasizes that this coming new era is a direct result of God's sovereign plan to rectify the failures and fulfill His covenant.
• behold (הִנֵּה, hinneh): An emphatic interjection. It draws the audience's attention, signaling that what follows is profoundly important, a divine unveiling of future events. It's a call to observe and take note of a significant revelation.
• the days are coming (יָמִים בָּאִים, yamim ba'im): This is a frequent prophetic idiom in the Hebrew Bible, used to introduce an unfolding future event as part of God's predetermined plan. It speaks of divine certainty and the inevitability of what is to be revealed. It doesn't necessarily imply immediate future but rather an assured coming in God's time.
• declares (נְאֻם, ne'um): This term marks a divine oracle, an authoritative pronouncement directly from God Himself. It signifies the truth, certainty, and divine origin of the message. This is not a human prediction but a sacred, binding decree from YHWH.
• the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal, relational, and unchanging nature as the God of Israel. This underlines that the forthcoming declaration is from the very God who performed the first Exodus and who remains faithful to His people.
• when they shall no longer say (לֹא־יאמרוּ עוֹד, lo-yomeru od): This phrase highlights a definitive cessation, a stopping of a traditional practice. It signals a paradigm shift, indicating that the familiar, foundational oath or affirmation will be superseded. It does not imply the Exodus will be forgotten, but rather that a new, more profound act will become the defining point of reference.
• 'As the LORD lives (חַי־יְהוָה, chai-YHWH): This is a sacred oath formula, common in the Old Testament, invoking God's very life and existence as surety for the truthfulness of a statement or the solemnity of a promise. It indicates swearing by the living God. The use here points to how foundational and often repeated this phrase and its associated act were in Israelite confession.
• who brought up (אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָה, asher he'elah): "Who caused to ascend" or "who led up." This verb specifically refers to God's act of bringing His people out and upward, often signifying deliverance or elevating them from a lower state to a higher one.
• the people of Israel (אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, et-b'nei Yisrael): God's chosen nation, the specific recipients of His covenant and redemptive acts. This identifies the community for whom the past (and future) deliverance is intended.
• out of the land of Egypt (מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם, me'eretz Mitzrayim): The specific geographical location of their historical bondage and the scene of God's most iconic redemptive miracle, establishing Israel as a free nation.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD": This powerful prophetic opening serves as an immutable declaration from God. It introduces a future event as certain and divinely ordained, highlighting its monumental significance. The linking "Therefore" places this future hope as God's response to the current dire situation of national failure and exile.
• "when they shall no longer say...": This signifies a profound change in communal identity and theological focus. The established narrative, central to Israel's self-understanding and worship for centuries, will yield to a new and greater redemptive story. It's not about erasing history but repositioning it in light of a more glorious future.
• "'As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' " This entire phrase represents the core confession and foundational act of national identity for Israel. It encapsulates their miraculous deliverance from slavery, the birth of their nation, and the demonstration of YHWH's mighty power and covenant faithfulness. Jeremiah declares that this central confession, while eternally significant, will be surpassed by an even grander manifestation of God's redemptive glory in the future.

Jeremiah 23 7 Bonus section

• The Righteous Branch Connection: The promise of a new, greater Exodus (Jer 23:7-8) is immediately preceded by the prophecy of the "Righteous Branch" (Jer 23:5-6). This Messianic figure, who will reign as king and execute justice and righteousness, is implicitly the agent through whom this unprecedented new deliverance and gathering will occur. His coming inaugurates the age where this new, greater act of salvation becomes the focal point of God's people's confession.
• Escalation of Salvation: The prophetic message highlights a theological principle: God's redemptive acts often build upon and surpass previous ones. While the first Exodus was monumental, it foreshadowed an even grander work. This progression emphasizes God's ongoing activity and His boundless power to save, rather than merely re-enacting past glories. It prepares the people to anticipate an even better thing God will do.
• The Nature of the New Oath: Jeremiah 23:8 directly continues by specifying the content of the new oath, which includes gathering "the offspring of the house of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where I have driven them." This underscores the global scale of the promised future redemption, a contrast to the singular location of Egypt in the first Exodus. It is not just a return to a physical land, but a re-gathering and renewal from worldwide dispersion.
• Spiritual vs. Physical Deliverance: While Jeremiah's initial prophecy has strong elements of physical return to the land, its ultimate fulfillment in Christ's work spiritualizes and universalizes this "Exodus." It transcends national boundaries and addresses a deeper, more pervasive slavery: bondage to sin, death, and the devil. The Christian "Exodus" is redemption from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of light (Col 1:13).

Jeremiah 23 7 Commentary

Jeremiah 23:7 is a profound prophetic statement announcing a re-calibration of Israel's foundational narrative of salvation. It doesn't deny the historical reality or importance of the Exodus from Egypt, but rather projects a future redemptive act by YHWH so monumental that it will naturally supersede the Exodus in the nation's collective consciousness and declarations. The ancient oath, "As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt," will be replaced by an even grander affirmation (as explained in Jer 23:8) that encompasses a gathering from all the lands of their dispersion.

This prophecy anticipates what scholars call the "New Exodus" or a "Greater Exodus." While the first Exodus delivered Israel from physical bondage in Egypt, the future Exodus described here will deliver them from their wider, more severe dispersion following the Babylonian exile, a scattering resulting from their covenant unfaithfulness. The deliverance is more comprehensive—from "all the countries" rather than just one land. The quality of this new deliverance will also be deeper, intrinsically tied to the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31, which involves an internal transformation of the heart and a personal knowledge of God.

Ultimately, this prophecy finds its profound fulfillment in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. The "Righteous Branch" (Jer 23:5) initiates a spiritual New Exodus, saving His people not just from a physical land but from the bondage of sin and death. Believers in Christ, both Jew and Gentile, are gathered into His spiritual kingdom, experiencing a redemption far surpassing any physical national liberation. Our oath becomes "As the Lord lives who delivered us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col 1:13-14), marking an eternal, spiritual salvation that defines a "new creation."