Jeremiah 31:27 meaning summary explained with word-by-word analysis enriched with context, commentary and Cross References from KJV, NIV, ESV and NLT.
Jeremiah 31:27 kjv
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast.
Jeremiah 31:27 nkjv
"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.
Jeremiah 31:27 niv
"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals.
Jeremiah 31:27 esv
"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.
Jeremiah 31:27 nlt
"The day is coming," says the LORD, "when I will greatly increase the human population and the number of animals here in Israel and Judah.
Jeremiah 31 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:28 | Be fruitful and multiply... | Original creation mandate for fruitfulness |
| Gen 9:1 | Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. | Noahic covenant emphasis on repopulation |
| Gen 12:2 | I will make you a great nation... | Promise to Abraham of numerous descendants |
| Deut 28:11 | The LORD will grant you an abundance of good things, in the fruit of your womb... and the increase of your livestock... | Blessing of abundant offspring & livestock |
| Lev 26:9 | I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you... | Conditional blessing of population growth |
| Ps 107:37-38 | They sow fields and plant vineyards... He blesses them, and they multiply greatly... | God blessing efforts leading to increase |
| Isa 4:2 | The Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride... for those of Israel who have escaped. | Future Messianic blessing and increase |
| Isa 51:3 | For the LORD will comfort Zion... and make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD... | God restores desolation to fertility |
| Jer 24:6 | I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land... and plant them and not pull them up. | God's watchful care and planting them back |
| Jer 30:3 | For behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel and Judah... | Broader promise of future restoration |
| Jer 31:4-5 | Again I will build you... and you will again plant vineyards... | Restoration of agriculture and land usage |
| Jer 31:31-34 | Behold, the days are coming... when I will make a new covenant... | Immediate context of New Covenant promise |
| Jer 32:41 | I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land... with all my heart and soul. | God's full commitment to their replanting |
| Ezek 36:8-12 | You, mountains of Israel, will put forth your branches... I will multiply men on you... the whole house of Israel... | Land will be re-inhabited and fertile |
| Ezek 37:26 | I will make a covenant of peace with them... I will set them in their land and multiply them... | Multiplication tied to covenant of peace |
| Hos 2:23 | I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on Lo-ruhamah... | God's divine "sowing" of mercy and growth |
| Amos 9:13-15 | Behold, the days are coming... when the plower shall overtake the reaper... and I will plant them on their own land... | Overwhelming agricultural abundance and security |
| Zech 8:12 | For the seed shall have peace... the earth shall yield its increase, and the heavens shall give their dew... | Future blessings of peace and agricultural output |
| Acts 2:39 | For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off... | Scope of God's promises including future generations |
| Rom 11:25-27 | All Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come from Zion..." | Future spiritual restoration of Israel |
| Gal 3:29 | If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. | Spiritual lineage connected to Abraham's "seed" |
Jeremiah 31 verses
Jeremiah 31 27 meaning
Jeremiah 31:27 proclaims a future time when the LORD will supernaturally intervene to abundantly repopulate the land of Israel and Judah. It speaks of a divine "sowing" that will cause both human and animal populations to multiply, symbolizing a complete reversal of the desolation and depopulation experienced during exile and national judgment. This prophecy assures a return to fertility, prosperity, and a flourishing covenant community, restoring both people and their necessary resources to the land.
Jeremiah 31 27 Context
Jeremiah chapter 31 is central to the "Book of Comfort" (Jer 30-33), offering a profound message of hope and restoration for a nation facing or enduring the trauma of Babylonian exile. After detailing judgment and destruction, Jeremiah now pivots to an extensive prophecy of God's future grace. The chapter begins with the restoration of both Northern (Israel) and Southern (Judah) Kingdoms, foreseeing their joyous return to their land, rebuilt and reunited under God's loving hand (Jer 31:1-6). The themes include God's unfailing love, the gathering of His scattered people, and the physical rebuilding of their nation and spiritual renewal. Verse 27, then, fits directly into this tapestry of future restoration, specifically addressing the fundamental need for repopulation and a return to productive life in a land that had become desolate due to God's judgment and warfare. It lays the groundwork for the promise of the New Covenant in verses 31-34, emphasizing a comprehensive renewal that includes not just the spiritual, but also the physical and demographic aspects of national life. This prophecy stood in stark contrast to the despair of the people and the perceived powerlessness of their God against the might of Babylon and its gods.
Jeremiah 31 27 Word analysis
- Behold (Hebrew:
Hinneh): A particle often used in prophetic announcements to draw urgent attention to what follows. It signals an important, certain, and divinely initiated event. - the days are coming: A common prophetic idiom, indicating a future event that is fixed and inevitable in God's plan, yet often indeterminate in its exact timing. It implies a divinely appointed season.
- declares the LORD (Hebrew:
Neum YHWH): An authoritative oracle formula. It establishes that the following words are a direct, undeniable pronouncement from God Himself, the covenant-making, sovereign Creator. - when I will sow (Hebrew:
ezra'ti- a form ofzara): This is a crucial agricultural metaphor. It refers to the act of scattering seeds for planting. Here, God is the active agent. "Sow" implies intentional, abundant, and creative activity, a complete reversal of the previous "uprooting" and "pulling down." - the house of Israel and the house of Judah: This phrase signifies the complete restoration of all God's people, transcending the historical division into two kingdoms. It represents the reunited and whole covenant community.
- with the seed of man: "Seed" (Hebrew:
zera) here metaphorically means offspring or descendants. "Seed of man" refers to abundant human population, implying a restoration of families, new births, and the flourishing of human life, contrasting with the depopulation of exile. - and the seed of beast: "Seed of beast" refers to livestock and animal life. This signifies the restoration of agricultural prosperity and ecological well-being. Abundant livestock was crucial for an agrarian society's economy and survival, reflecting a thriving and productive land.
Words-group analysis:
- "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD": This powerful introductory phrase highlights the absolute certainty, divine origin, and prophetic nature of the message. It compels the audience to listen to God's solemn promise of future intervention.
- "I will sow... with the seed of man and the seed of beast": This forms the central metaphor. God explicitly states His active role ("I will sow"). The agricultural imagery of "sowing seed" extends beyond human action to God's sovereign hand in repopulating the land. The pairing of "man" and "beast" signifies a comprehensive renewal of life across all domains of the land, addressing both the demographic and economic devastations. It suggests an overflowing abundance that transforms a desolate land into a vibrant, living ecosystem once again. The act of "sowing" evokes divine creativity and the power to bring forth life from what was barren.
Jeremiah 31 27 Bonus section
The metaphor of God "sowing" His people links to other biblical concepts where God actively plants or establishes His chosen ones. This imagery implies stability, growth, and divine favor, contrasting sharply with the earlier judgments where God "uprooted" and "plucked out" His people (Jer 1:10; 18:7). The promised "seed of man and beast" represents a restoration that exceeds mere survival; it promises flourishing, echoing the original creation mandate for humanity to "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen 1:28). While the immediate context points to a physical and demographic restoration of ancient Israel, the theme of God building up His people, multiplying them, and bringing spiritual fertility resonates profoundly in the New Testament with the growth of the Church—God gathering people from all nations and "sowing" His word in their hearts to produce spiritual fruit and growth (Mark 4:1-20, parables of sowing). Thus, the promise encompasses both the historical people of Israel and the broader, spiritual family of God.
Jeremiah 31 27 Commentary
Jeremiah 31:27 acts as a foundational statement for the grand restoration promises of the "Book of Comfort." It presents a vivid image of divine intervention, moving from a metaphor of agricultural "sowing" to describe the repopulation of the entire land of Israel and Judah. God Himself takes on the role of the farmer, meticulously ensuring the abundant proliferation of both human life ("seed of man") and animal life ("seed of beast"). This prophecy is a direct and radical reversal of the judgments that led to depopulation, desolation, and famine. It ensures that the very existence of the covenant community, once threatened with extinction, will not only endure but thrive spectacularly. The explicit mention of both Israel and Judah signifies a united future, overcoming historical division. This verse underlines God's unwavering commitment to His covenant, not merely spiritually, but also tangibly and demographically, demonstrating His power to resurrect and regenerate national life even after profound devastation.