Jeremiah 31:21 kjv
Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
Jeremiah 31:21 nkjv
"Set up signposts, Make landmarks; Set your heart toward the highway, The way in which you went. Turn back, O virgin of Israel, Turn back to these your cities.
Jeremiah 31:21 niv
"Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. Return, Virgin Israel, return to your towns.
Jeremiah 31:21 esv
"Set up road markers for yourself; make yourself guideposts; consider well the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities.
Jeremiah 31:21 nlt
Set up road signs;
put up guideposts.
Mark well the path
by which you came.
Come back again, my virgin Israel;
return to your towns here.
Jeremiah 31 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 31:21 | "Set up for yourself waymarks, make for yourself signal heaps; set your heart to the highway, the way by which you went, return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities." | This verse is fulfilled in the New Covenant, bringing people back to God. |
| Jeremiah 3:14 | "Return, O faithless Israel, declares the Lord; I will not look on you with anger, for I am merciful, and I will not keep anger forever." | God's plea for Israel to return, echoing the call in Jeremiah 31:21. |
| Hosea 14:1-3 | "Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God... Come, let us return to the Lord. For he has torn, that he may heal us; he has smitten, and he will bind us up." | Further assurance of God's healing and restoration upon repentance. |
| Isaiah 43:1-7 | "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine!'" | God's direct address of redemption and personal claim on Israel. |
| Ezekiel 11:19-20 | "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and do them." | Prophecy of a new heart, essential for obedient return. |
| Zechariah 1:3 | "Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will return to you,’ declares the Lord of hosts." | A direct command and promise of reciprocal return. |
| Matthew 11:28 | "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." | Jesus' invitation for all to come to Him, mirroring the return to God. |
| John 6:37 | "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." | Christ's assurance to those who come to Him. |
| Hebrews 12:22-24 | "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that has more to say than Abel’s." | Connects the concept of returning to Zion with spiritual realities in Christ. |
| Romans 11:25-27 | "For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, that a hardening in part has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved..." | Speaks of Israel's future salvation and reintegration. |
| Revelation 21:2-3 | "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.'" | Describes the ultimate dwelling place of God with His redeemed people. |
| Jeremiah 3:17 | "At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather to it, to the name of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart." | Prophecy of Jerusalem as God's throne and a place of obedience. |
| Jeremiah 23:3-6 | "I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their pasture, and they shall be fruitful and multiply... And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’" | Promise of regathering and a righteous ruler. |
| Isaiah 11:11-12 | "In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel, and assemble the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." | Describes the scattering and regathering of Israel. |
| Acts 15:15-17 | "And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and I will build again the dwelling of David that is fallen... that the remaining people may seek the Lord, and the Gentiles who are called by my name.'" | Paul quotes Amos to support the inclusion of Gentiles and the seeking of the Lord. |
| John 4:21-24 | Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." | Jesus redefines worship, away from a specific geographical location to a spiritual reality. |
| Acts 3:19-21 | "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for all restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old." | Peter urges repentance and anticipates the restoration spoken of by the prophets. |
| Matthew 24:30-31 | "Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." | Parallels the regathering of God's people by His angels. |
Jeremiah 31 verses
Jeremiah 31 21 Meaning
This verse announces a time of divine restoration for Israel after their exile. God is calling His people back to Zion, promising renewed fellowship and security. The emphasis is on returning to God with a sincere heart, signaling the end of their apostasy and the beginning of a new covenant.
Jeremiah 31 21 Context
Jeremiah 31 is a chapter of hope and restoration following the severe prophecies of judgment in the preceding chapters. After God pronounced judgment for Judah's sins and exile, He assures them of a future redemption. This particular verse is part of a larger section (Jeremiah 30-31) often called the "Book of Comfort." The original audience, facing the imminent destruction of Jerusalem and subsequent exile to Babylon, needed to hear this promise of a future return and spiritual renewal. This verse specifically speaks to the return from exile, emphasizing a clear path and intentionality in their homecoming, but also carries a deeper prophetic meaning about a spiritual return to God.
Jeremiah 31 21 Word Analysis
- Set up (Hebrew: qûmū - קוּמוּ): Literally "rise" or "stand up." It implies initiation and establishing something firmly.
- For yourself (Hebrew: lākhem - לָכֶם): "For you," indicating personal responsibility and action in preparing the way.
- Waymarks (Hebrew: maṟẓîm - מַצֹּות): Signposts, markers, or signals on a road.
- This imagery signifies providing clear direction and guidance.
- Make (Hebrew: šîtû - שִׂיתוּ): "Place," "set," or "establish."
- For yourself (Hebrew: lākhem - לָכֶם): Again, personal and active preparation.
- Signal heaps (Hebrew: tôṭōṭ - טֹטֹת): Piles of stones or mounds used for direction or memory, particularly on a journey.
- Suggests making the path recognizable and memorable.
- Set your heart (Hebrew: śîmû 'al-lēb - שִׂימוּ עַל־לֵב): Literally "place upon the heart." It signifies deliberate consideration, decision, and focus.
- This idiom emphasizes intentionality and deep commitment.
- To the highway (Hebrew: mĕsillâ - מְסִלָּה): A traveled road, an established path.
- Suggests a known or readily available way.
- The way (Hebrew: bĕdĕrĕḵ - בְּדֶרֶךְ): The path or manner of traveling.
- In which you went (Hebrew: yallaḵtĕm - יָלַכְתֶּם): Referring to the past journey, likely back into exile or a wrong direction.
- Return (Hebrew: šûbî - שׁוּבִי): A command, meaning "turn back," "come back." It's repeated for emphasis.
- O virgin Israel (Hebrew: bĕtûlat yisrā'ēl - בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל): A poignant term representing Israel as a pure, betrothed entity to God, now corrupted by sin. It evokes a sense of tender affection and past covenant faithfulness.
- Return (Hebrew: šûbî - שׁוּבִי): The repeated command highlights the urgency and necessity of this action.
- To these your cities (Hebrew: 'irayik - עָרַיִךְ): Refers to the cities of Judah and Israel that were laid waste and from which they were exiled.
Group Analysis:
- "Set up for yourself waymarks, make for yourself signal heaps" - This combined imagery speaks of preparing and clearly marking the route for a journey back, emphasizing God's role in providing the path and the people's role in recognizing and following it.
- "Set your heart to the highway, the way by which you went, return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities" - This phrase links the intentional setting of the heart to the decision to physically and spiritually return. The command to "return" is amplified by the term "virgin Israel," underscoring the hope for restored purity and covenant faithfulness in the homecoming.
Jeremiah 31 21 Bonus Section
The imagery of waymarks and signal heaps suggests not just a physical journey but also a spiritual guidance. In a theological sense, these "markers" can be seen as God's revealed will, His word, and His covenants, which guide believers back to Him. The return command to "virgin Israel" beautifully illustrates God's unchanging love and desire to restore His people to their intended state of purity and covenant relationship, a theme powerfully fulfilled in Christ's redemptive work, bringing believers into a renewed covenant with God. This verse captures the essence of God's initiative and humanity's responsive action in the process of reconciliation.
Jeremiah 31 21 Commentary
Jeremiah 31:21 is a command to prepare for return and to actively retrace one's steps toward God and His promised land. It's not merely a passive expectation of rescue, but an active participation in restoration. God instructs Israel to make the way clear, indicating that He will provide the direction and means. The emphasis on "setting your heart" highlights the critical need for genuine repentance and a decided turn back to God, rather than a mere outward movement. The call to "virgin Israel" suggests a return to covenant faithfulness, implying a cleansing and renewal of their relationship with God. This verse, therefore, not only describes a physical homecoming from exile but also a spiritual realignment with God, pointing towards a future where His people, forgiven and restored, find their true dwelling with Him.