Jeremiah 31 29

Jeremiah 31:29 kjv

In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.

Jeremiah 31:29 nkjv

In those days they shall say no more: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.'

Jeremiah 31:29 niv

"In those days people will no longer say, 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'

Jeremiah 31:29 esv

In those days they shall no longer say: "'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'

Jeremiah 31:29 nlt

"The people will no longer quote this proverb: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes,
but their children's mouths pucker at the taste.'

Jeremiah 31 verses

Jeremiah 31 29 meaning

Jeremiah 31:29 declares that in the future, under the promised New Covenant, the people of God will no longer employ the common proverb, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge." This signifies a definitive end to the popular perception and lament that children solely suffer for their ancestors' sins, effectively shifting the focus to individual accountability before God. It signals a new era where divine justice will be clearly understood as operating on personal actions and spiritual standing.

Jeremiah 31 29 Context

Jeremiah 31:29 is situated within the "Book of Comfort" (Jeremiah 30-33), a pivotal section offering messages of hope and future restoration to Judah and Israel during a time of imminent or actual Babylonian exile. This chapter specifically details God's promise to restore His people to their land, rebuild their cities, and establish an enduring covenant relationship with them. Leading up to verse 29, the prophet paints a picture of joyous return from exile and spiritual renewal (vv. 1-28). The promise of the "New Covenant" is articulated directly following this verse in 31:31-34. Historically, the people faced national catastrophe and displacement due to their persistent disobedience and idolatry. They grappled with a sense of being punished not only for their own sins but also for the accumulated transgressions of their ancestors, leading to the use of the proverb about "sour grapes." Jeremiah 31:29 directly confronts this common understanding, preparing the ground for the deeper truths of individual responsibility and transformed hearts central to the New Covenant.

Jeremiah 31 29 Word analysis

• "In those days" (בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם, bayamim hahem): This phrase signals a future, distinct era—specifically the age of the New Covenant that God promises to establish. It marks a decisive chronological and theological break from the prevailing conditions and perceptions of Jeremiah's contemporary period.
• "they shall no longer say" (לֹא־יֹֽאמְר֖וּ עוֹד, lo yomeru od): Denotes the complete cessation of a commonly spoken proverb or widely held belief. The emphatic phrase "no longer" emphasizes a fundamental change in human understanding, public discourse, and the underlying spiritual reality that would render such a saying obsolete.
• "The fathers have eaten sour grapes" (אָבוֹת אָכְל֥וּ בֹ֖סֶר, avot akhlu boser):
  • אָבוֹת (avot): Literally "fathers," referring to ancestors or previous generations. It embodies the concept of collective or historical sin passed down.
  • אָכְל֥וּ (akhlu): "Eaten," an active past verb indicating the committing of a specific act—symbolically, the sin or transgression.
  • בֹ֖סֶר (boser): "Sour grapes" or "unripe grapes." Eating them causes a sharp, unpleasant sensation in the mouth. Metaphorically, these represent the wrongdoings or iniquities committed by the earlier generations.
• "and the children’s teeth are set on edge" (וְשִׁנֵּ֥י בָנִ֖ים תִּקְהֶֽינָה, v’shinai banim tikhenah):
  • וְשִׁנֵּ֥י בָנִ֖ים (v'shinai banim): "And the teeth of the children/sons." Refers to the succeeding generations who are experiencing the consequences.
  • תִּקְהֶֽינָה (tikhenah): "Are set on edge," "dulled," or "made insensitive." This vividly describes the unpleasant physical reaction to eating sour grapes. Metaphorically, it represents the suffering, punishment, or detrimental circumstances experienced by the children as a direct, inescapable consequence of their ancestors' sins, as widely believed during Jeremiah's time.
• Words-group analysis:
  • "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge": This entire proverb (also recorded in Eze 18:2) encapsulates the Israelite people's lament during the exile. It articulates their conviction that they were suffering for the sins of previous generations rather than for their own. This reflects a deterministic viewpoint where the actions of the past dictated the fate of the present, thereby diminishing personal accountability and potentially questioning God's immediate justice. The vivid physical sensation of "teeth set on edge" illustrates an unpleasant, inherited burden or consequence.
  • "In those days they shall no longer say": This phrase marks a pivotal prophetic declaration. It signifies a radical shift in divine administration and human perception regarding sin and justice. The emphatic "no longer" isn't merely a suggestion but a definitive prophetic pronouncement of a changed reality and theological understanding under the promised New Covenant. It signifies that the people will cease to blame past generations, as their personal, heart-level relationship with God under the New Covenant will necessitate direct, individual accountability for their own actions and choices.

Jeremiah 31 29 Bonus section

This divine pronouncement by Jeremiah (and reinforced by Ezekiel 18) served as a direct theological correction against a pervasive misunderstanding of God's justice. While the Mosaic Law does speak of God "visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children" (Ex 20:5; 34:7), this primarily referred to corporate and national consequences for persistent, systemic idolatry, often tied to a failure to maintain the covenant across generations. It did not imply that individually righteous people would be judged guilty for their ancestors' personal sins to the point of spiritual death or that the sole cause of current suffering was prior generations' actions, absolving the current generation of their own sin. The New Covenant emphasizes an individual's spiritual standing being determined by their own heart and response to God's law, which would be supernaturally written within them (Jer 31:33-34). This ensures that personal salvation, condemnation, and moral accountability are fundamentally individual, even while acknowledging the complex interplay of societal and generational influences. The cessation of the proverb therefore signifies an end to misapplied collective guilt as an alibi for personal spiritual stagnation and a ushering in of an era of personal spiritual directness with God.

Jeremiah 31 29 Commentary

Jeremiah 31:29 powerfully anticipates a fundamental reorientation of justice and responsibility within God's covenant with Israel. By explicitly abolishing this popular proverb, God directly addresses a deeply rooted fatalism that undermined individual moral choice and spiritual culpability among His people. The verse isn't suggesting that the actions of previous generations have no lingering societal or spiritual impact; rather, it dismantles the excuse that one's personal suffering, or more importantly, one's personal spiritual standing, is solely or primarily dictated by ancestral sin, independent of one's own relationship with God. In the New Covenant era, people will engage directly and individually with God through a renewed heart, making personal obedience and faith paramount. Each individual will bear the consequences of their own actions and spiritual condition, affirming God's precise and personal justice. This emphasizes a mature, direct accountability where external blame gives way to internal transformation and a personalized covenant relationship. A modern example might be a person blaming all their spiritual lukewarmness on a deficient religious upbringing; under this principle, they would be called to personal repentance and a direct relationship with God.