Jeremiah 31 17

Jeremiah 31:17 kjv

And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.

Jeremiah 31:17 nkjv

There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border.

Jeremiah 31:17 niv

So there is hope for your descendants," declares the LORD. "Your children will return to their own land.

Jeremiah 31:17 esv

There is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children shall come back to their own country.

Jeremiah 31:17 nlt

There is hope for your future," says the LORD.
"Your children will come again to their own land.

Jeremiah 31 verses

Jeremiah 31 17 Meaning

There is hope for descendants and a future. Tears of sorrow will be replaced with joy. The returning exiles will be rewarded.

Jeremiah 31 17 Context

This verse is found within the larger prophecy of Jeremiah concerning the future restoration of Israel and Judah after their exile. It follows warnings and judgments but pivots to God's covenant faithfulness and the ultimate redemption of His people. The immediate context speaks of God's compassion and promise to regather the dispersed Israelites.

Jeremiah 31 17 Word Analysis

• "Thus": Introduces a declaration, indicating what the Lord has spoken or decreed.
• "says": Denotes speaking or declaration from the Lord.
• "the Lord": Refers to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel.
• "The Voice of weeping": Represents sounds of sorrow, grief, and distress.
• "in Ramah": Refers to a place often associated with lamentation, specifically connected to the captivity of Israel (see Jeremiah 40:1).
• "is heard": Indicates that this sound of weeping is noticeable and acknowledged by God.
• "suing for mercy": Denotes a plea or earnest request for grace, compassion, or favorable intervention.
• "Lamentation": A prolonged expression of grief and sorrow.
• "and raw sorrow": Describes deep, unmitigated, or unadulterated grief, emphasizing its intensity.
• "Thus says the Lord:": A common prophetic formula signaling God's authoritative message.
• "Stop your voice from weeping": A divine command to cease crying, implying an end to the cause of the sorrow.
• "and your eyes from tears": A parallel command, extending the cessation of outward expressions of grief.
• "for there is a reward": Implies that their suffering and faithfulness will not be in vain; compensation or recompense is coming.
• "for your work": Suggests that their endurance through hardship, their faithfulness, or perhaps their exile itself is viewed as something that has produced a result God will honor.
• "and they shall return": Refers to the future return of the exiled people from their captivity.
• "from the land of the enemy": Specifically signifies the return from the places where they were taken captive, a contrast to their homeland.

Words-Group Analysis

• "The voice of weeping in Ramah is heard, suing for mercy": This phrase vividly captures the deep sorrow experienced by the people of Israel, particularly in a location historically linked to sorrow. The "suing for mercy" highlights their desperation and reliance on God's compassion.
• "Lamentation and raw sorrow": These terms together emphasize the depth and genuineness of the grief, portraying a people utterly broken by their circumstances.
• "Stop your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears": This is a powerful divine pronouncement offering immediate relief and a promise of future joy, directly addressing the source of their pain.
• "for there is a reward for your work, and they shall return from the land of the enemy": This connects the present suffering with a future deliverance. The "reward" signifies that their time of hardship and obedience, though painful, will be met with divine favor and a return to their homeland.

Jeremiah 31 17 Bonus Section

This verse is famously alluded to in the New Testament, specifically in Matthew 2:17-18. There, it is quoted as a fulfillment when King Herod ordered the slaughter of infants in Bethlehem: "Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loudly mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.'" While Jeremiah’s original context was about the exile and restoration of Israel, Matthew applies it to the innocent suffering caused by Herod's tyranny, highlighting Rachel (Jacob's wife, mother of Joseph and Benjamin, whose ancestral lands included the area around Ramah) weeping for her lost children. This demonstrates the multifaceted nature of prophetic utterance, where God’s word can have layers of meaning and fulfillment, extending from national restoration to individual suffering and ultimately to the redemptive sorrows of Christ’s passion. The "reward" here for Rachel's grief, in the broader context, is ultimately realized in God's faithfulness and the coming of the Messiah.

Jeremiah 31 17 Commentary

Jeremiah 31:17 offers a powerful message of hope in the midst of profound desolation. God acknowledges the genuine, deep sorrow of His people, pinpointing Ramah as a place where this lamentation is keenly felt. However, His immediate response is not to dwell on their pain but to offer a divine directive to cease weeping. This command is underpinned by the assurance of a "reward" for their suffering and the promise of their return from captivity. This verse speaks of God's attentiveness to the pain of His people and His sovereign ability to transform sorrow into joy, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture, pointing ultimately to the redemptive work of Christ where true comfort and eternal joy are found. The "reward for your work" can be understood not as a reward for merit but as a consequence of God's gracious promise to His covenant people, recognizing their enduring faithfulness amidst affliction.