Jeremiah 3 16

Jeremiah 3:16 kjv

And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

Jeremiah 3:16 nkjv

"Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days," says the LORD, "that they will say no more, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore.

Jeremiah 3:16 niv

In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "people will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made.

Jeremiah 3:16 esv

And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, "The ark of the covenant of the LORD." It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again.

Jeremiah 3:16 nlt

"And when your land is once more filled with people," says the LORD, "you will no longer wish for 'the good old days' when you possessed the Ark of the LORD's Covenant. You will not miss those days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark.

Jeremiah 3 verses

Jeremiah 3 16 Meaning

Jeremiah 3:16 foretells a future era of spiritual renewal and abundance for God's people. In this time, the Ark of the Covenant, which was the physical epicenter of Israel's worship and the most tangible symbol of God's presence and covenant with them, will no longer be central or even remembered. This indicates a profound transformation from a worship system reliant on physical symbols to one characterized by God's internalized presence and direct access.

Jeremiah 3 16 Context

Jeremiah chapter 3 opens with a powerful metaphor of Israel as an unfaithful wife who has whored after other gods, despite God's constant call for her to return. It directly addresses Judah, urging her to learn from the judgment that fell upon her "sister," Israel (the Northern Kingdom), due to its persistent idolatry. Judah is shown to be even more culpable because she saw Israel's downfall yet continued in sin. The prophecy then shifts to a future hope: a promise of restoration for a penitent remnant from both Judah and Israel, who will be brought back to Zion. In this context of future return and reunion, verse 16 outlines a significant aspect of that future: the transformation of worship and God's presence, marked by the obsolescence of the Ark of the Covenant. Historically, Jeremiah prophesied during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah, leading up to the Babylonian exile. The Ark was still present in the First Temple during Josiah's time, but its presence did not prevent spiritual apostasy among the people, leading to its diminishing significance in favor of superficial religiosity or outright idolatry. This prophecy anticipates a time far beyond that exile, envisioning a profound spiritual transformation.

Jeremiah 3 16 Word analysis

• And it shall come to pass: (וְהָיָה - v'hayah) A common prophetic formula introducing a future event or condition. It emphasizes the certainty of the declared future.
• when you multiply and increase: (כִּי תִּרְבּוּ וּפְרִיתֶם - ki tirbu ufritem)
  • "multiply" (רבה - rabah) and "increase" (פָּרָה - parah): These verbs echo God's original blessing and command to humanity (Gen 1:28) and to Abraham (Gen 12:2). They signify abundance, prosperity, and God's blessing, indicating a future period of restoration and growth after current decline.
• in the land: (בָּאָרֶץ - ba'aretz) Refers to the land of Israel, the promised inheritance, where this restored and multiplied population will dwell.
• in those days: (בַּיָּמִים הָהֵמָּה - bayamim hahemmah) A typical prophetic phrase often referring to a distinct eschatological or Messianic era, indicating a significant, transformative future period distinct from the present.
• declares the Lord, (נְאֻם יְהוָה - ne'um YHVH) An authoritative declaration from God (Yahweh), assuring the divine origin and certainty of the prophecy. "Yahweh" refers to God's personal covenant name.
• they shall no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ (לֹא־יֹאמְרוּ עוֹד אֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְהוָה - lo-yomru od aron berit YHVH)
  • "no longer say" (לֹא־יֹאמְרוּ עוֹד - lo-yomru od): Expresses a complete cessation, indicating that the Ark will no longer be part of common conversation or cultic focus.
  • "the ark" (אֲרוֹן - aron): The sacred chest, once the physical embodiment of God's dwelling and the symbol of His covenant.
  • "of the covenant" (בְּרִית - berit): Signifies the divine agreement and relationship established with Israel at Sinai, containing the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The Ark represented this sacred bond.
  • "of the Lord" (יְהוָה - YHVH): Emphasizes that it is His covenant, His presence. The phrase identifies the Ark as central to the old covenant's worship system.
• It shall not come to mind: (וְלֹא יַעֲלֶה עַל לֵב - velo ya'aleh al lev) "Come to mind" (על לֵב - al lev) means to be considered, to enter one's thoughts or memory. This signifies not just that it won't be spoken, but that it won't even be a topic of mental reflection or longing. It implies a state of spiritual contentment where the Ark is not needed or missed.
• or be remembered: (וְלֹא יִפָּקֵד - velo yippaqed)
  • "be remembered/missed" (פָּקַד - paqad): This verb means to visit, muster, inspect, or pay attention to, and in the passive form as here, to be missed, lack, or require attention. Its use here reinforces that the Ark will not be sought after or lamented for its absence; it will simply not be relevant.
• it shall not be missed or made again: (וְלֹא יֵעָשֶׂה עוֹד - velo ye'aseh 'od)
  • "or made again" (וְלֹא יֵעָשֶׂה עוֹד - velo ye'aseh 'od): "Made" ('asah) means to make or do. This emphatically states that no effort will be made to reconstruct or replace it. Its removal from centrality is permanent.

Words-group Analysis:

• "When you multiply and increase in the land, in those days": This phrase paints a picture of future restoration, prosperity, and abundance within the promised land, setting the stage for the dramatic spiritual transformation that follows. It links physical blessings with a spiritual new order.
• "They shall no longer say...it shall not come to mind...or be remembered; it shall not be missed or made again": This series of strong negative statements concerning the Ark (no speaking of it, no thought of it, no missing it, no remaking it) builds to an undeniable declaration of its complete obsolescence. It highlights a complete and profound shift from a tangible symbol-centric religion to an era where such a physical manifestation is superseded by a deeper spiritual reality of God's pervasive presence.

Jeremiah 3 16 Bonus section

The lack of explicit mention of the Ark's fate after the destruction of the First Temple (586 BC) in biblical texts, combined with this prophecy, led to various Jewish traditions about its concealment or removal, but ultimately its significance shifted dramatically post-exile. This prophecy, delivered before the Temple's destruction, suggests that its disappearance was not merely due to physical loss but was part of God's divine plan to transition to a more internalized spiritual reality. Some interpretations connect this idea with Ezekiel's vision of a new Temple (Ezekiel 40-48), where despite the detailed architectural description, there is a striking absence of any mention of the Ark in the holiest place, possibly aligning with Jeremiah's foretelling that it would not be made again or missed. The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy points to the New Covenant established by Jesus, where access to God is no longer mediated through physical symbols in a man-made temple, but through Christ's sacrifice and the indwelling Holy Spirit. This moves worship from an outward performance to an inward spiritual devotion.

Jeremiah 3 16 Commentary

Jeremiah 3:16 serves as a pivotal prophetic utterance, forecasting a radical spiritual transformation that transcends the ritualistic reliance on physical objects characteristic of the Old Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant, though divinely ordained and sacred as the symbol of God's presence and covenant with Israel, ultimately represented a provisional phase of divine-human interaction. Jeremiah prophesies a time, deeply linked to the new covenant described later (Jeremiah 31), where God's presence will not be confined to a wooden box in a temple but will indwell His people.

The disuse and irrelevance of the Ark in this future age underscore a move from external representation to internal reality. It challenges any misplaced faith that assumes God's blessing is automatically tied to the physical existence of a sacred object. Instead, the focus shifts to God's omnipresence and the direct, spiritual relationship with Him, which makes a material artifact superfluous. This verse foreshadows the coming of Christ, who perfectly embodies God's presence (John 1:14; Col 2:9), and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, making every believer a "temple of God" (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19). The new creation in Christ means access to God's presence is immediate, internal, and universal, eliminating the need for such cultic objects that were vital to the old order. It anticipates a spiritual reality where true worship is "in spirit and truth" (John 4:24), free from the limitations of space or specific ritual objects, and instead centered on God's indwelling within His redeemed people.