Jeremiah 31:28 kjv
And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.
Jeremiah 31:28 nkjv
And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the LORD.
Jeremiah 31:28 niv
Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 31:28 esv
And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 31:28 nlt
In the past I deliberately uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will just as deliberately plant it and build it up. I, the LORD, have spoken!
Jeremiah 31 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 31:28 | "And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pull up, and to throw down, and to throw down, and to afflict, and to bring evil; so will I watch over them to build and to plant, saith the LORD." | God’s faithfulness in judgment and restoration (Jer 1:10) |
| Psa 1:3 | "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." | The righteous prosper through God's favor. |
| Isa 60:21 | "Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever: the planting of my hands, that I may be glorified." | God’s eternal purpose for His people. |
| Jer 18:7-10 | God's sovereignty over nations. | God’s power to uproot and establish. |
| Zech 8:14 | "For thus saith the LORD of hosts, As I thought to do you mischief, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not:" | God’s justice and repentance from judgment. |
| Jer 30:17 | "For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after." | God’s healing and restoration. |
| Psa 127:1 | "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." | The necessity of God's presence in all endeavors. |
| Jer 29:10 | "For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished unto Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place." | God’s faithfulness to His promises. |
| Deut 30:3 | "That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee." | God’s regathering of His dispersed people. |
| Isa 44:28 | "That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid." | God using others for His purposes. |
| Jer 32:41 | "Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and with all my soul." | God's delight in doing good to His people. |
| Ezek 36:35-36 | "And they shall say, This land that is desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that the LORD doth build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD hath built it, and raised it up." | God’s transforming power on desolate lands. |
| Acts 1:4 | "And, being assembled together with them, he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me." | The promise of waiting for God's plan. |
| Heb 12:22-24 | "But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." | Spiritual fulfillment in Christ’s church. |
| John 15:1-2 | "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." | Jesus as the true vine and God as the cultivator. |
| Jer 24:6 | "For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pull them up." | God's intent to build and plant His people. |
| Eph 2:21 | "In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:" | The church as a building. |
| Col 2:7 | "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." | Spiritual growth and establishment in Christ. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." | Believers as living stones in God's house. |
| Prov 24:3-4 | "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches." | The role of wisdom in establishment. |
Jeremiah 31 verses
Jeremiah 31 28 Meaning
This verse speaks of God's watchful care over His people. He will attentively tend to them, ensuring they are rooted and established, ready for rebuilding and flourishing. This is a promise of divine oversight leading to restoration and a secure future.
Jeremiah 31 28 Context
Jeremiah 31 is part of the latter section of Jeremiah's prophecy, focusing on the future restoration of Israel after their exile. This chapter is often called the "New Covenant" chapter. Specifically, verse 28 serves as a transition. It acknowledges God's past actions of destruction and judgment due to Israel's sin, which were necessary to purge and prepare them. However, it immediately pivots to God's promised faithfulness to rebuild and replant them. This demonstrates God's ultimate desire for restoration and His sovereign hand in guiding His people through judgment to a future of prosperity and security. The historical context is the impending or ongoing Babylonian exile, a period of immense suffering and uncertainty for the Judean people. God's promise here offers hope that this destruction is not an end, but a means to a renewed beginning under His attentive care.
Jeremiah 31 28 Word analysis
"And it shall come to pass" (Hebrew: וְהָיָה, wə·hā·yāh): A common formula introducing future events, emphasizing certainty.
"that as I have watched" (Hebrew: כִּי שָׁמַרְתִּי, kî šā·mər·tî): "Watched" signifies active, vigilant observation, not passive seeing. God's attention is deliberate.
"over them to pull up" (Hebrew: לִשְׁלֹף, liš·lōp̄): Implies a forceful uprooting or extracting.
"and to throw down" (Hebrew: וּלְהָפִיץ, ū·lə·hā·p̄îṣ): To scatter or disperse.
"and to afflict" (Hebrew: וּלְהַעֲנִישׁ, ū·lə·ha·‘ă·niš): To punish, often with a sense of chastisement.
"and to bring evil" (Hebrew: וּלְהָבִיא הָרָעָה, ū·lə·hā·ḇî hã·rā·‘â): Refers to bringing distress or calamity, God's just judgment.
"so will I watch" (Hebrew: כֵּן אֶשְׁמֹר, kên ’eš·mōr): Directly parallels the initial watching, showing God's constancy in His purposes, though in a different manner.
"over them to build" (Hebrew: לִבְנֹת, liḇ·nōt): To construct, establish, or rebuild.
"and to plant" (Hebrew: וּלְנָטַע, ū·lə·nō·ṭa‘): To set in securely, like a tree, signifying permanence and fruitfulness.
"saith the LORD" (Hebrew: נְאֻם יהוה, nə·’um YHWH): A prophetic declaration, confirming the divine origin of the message.
Group analysis: The parallelism of destruction and construction. The verse powerfully contrasts God's "watching" for destructive purposes ("pull up," "throw down," "afflict," "bring evil") with His watching for constructive purposes ("build," "plant"). This shows that God’s oversight extends to both judgment and restoration, implying that even judgment is a preparatory phase for ultimate rebuilding.
Jeremiah 31 28 Bonus section
The concept of God "watching over" is a consistent theme throughout Scripture. It implies not just seeing, but caring and acting. Jeremiah 31:28 illustrates that God's watchful eye operates in both judgment and grace. His judgment is not capricious but corrective, designed to prune away what is harmful so that the potential for good growth and fruitfulness can be realized. This proactive and persistent divine attention underscores the depth of God's commitment to His covenant people, ultimately fulfilled in the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ, who is Himself the "true vine" (John 15:1) that God cultivates.
Jeremiah 31 28 Commentary
God’s faithfulness is highlighted in this verse through the stark contrast between His past actions of judgment and His future promises of restoration. He sovereignly orchestrated events to uproot, scatter, and afflict His people as a consequence of their sin. This destructive phase was purposeful and divinely managed. Now, God assures His people that He will apply the same diligent vigilance, but with the intent to build them up and firmly plant them. This signifies a deliberate act of re-establishment, bringing security and future flourishing. It emphasizes that God's love and purpose for His people are ultimately restorative, even through severe disciplinary measures. The focus shifts from deserved punishment to undeserved grace leading to renewal and a stable future rooted in Him.