Jeremiah 33 26

Jeremiah 33:26 kjv

Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

Jeremiah 33:26 nkjv

then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.' "

Jeremiah 33:26 niv

then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.'?"

Jeremiah 33:26 esv

then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them."

Jeremiah 33:26 nlt

I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David's descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them."

Jeremiah 33 verses

Jeremiah 33 26 meaning

Jeremiah 33:26 is a profound affirmation of God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises with Israel and the Davidic dynasty. It declares that just as the established order of day and night is irrevocable, so too is God's covenant with His people and the perpetual reign of a descendant of David over them. The verse presents a hypothetical scenario of rejection – "then will I cast away the offspring of Jacob and David my servant" – only to emphatically dismiss it as impossible. Instead, it concludes with a firm declaration of God's restorative and merciful intent, reinforcing that His election and covenant remain intact.

Jeremiah 33 26 Context

Jeremiah 33 unfolds during a period of intense distress for Judah. Jerusalem is under Babylonian siege (Jer 32:2), Jeremiah is imprisoned in the court of the guard (Jer 33:1), and the kingdom is on the brink of destruction. It seems utterly impossible for any of God's promises of restoration, particularly those regarding the Davidic line and the continued existence of Israel, to be fulfilled. The people, and likely surrounding nations, questioned God's faithfulness, interpreting the destruction as an ultimate rejection and the nullification of His covenants.

Against this backdrop of despair and doubt, God provides a message of hope, not based on Judah's merit, but solely on His own unchanging character and promises. Jeremiah 33:1-13 speaks of healing, cleansing, and returning joy. Verses 14-16 reiterate the promise of a "righteous Branch" from David. Then, in verses 17-22, God directly reconfirms the permanence of the Davidic dynasty and the Levitical priesthood, linked to the unchangeable "covenant of the day and night."

Jeremiah 33:26, therefore, is the emphatic conclusion and answer to the rhetorical questions raised in verses 23-24: "Have you not observed what these people are saying: ‘The Lord has rejected the two clans that He chose’? Thus they despise My people, no longer to be a nation in their sight." Verse 26 directly refutes this widespread notion of abandonment and rejection, affirming that such a complete casting away of both the people (Jacob's offspring) and their chosen ruler (David's servant) is utterly impossible because it would be tantamount to God Himself breaking the very fixed order of creation.

Historically and culturally, the ancient Near East had treaties and covenants, but they were often conditional and mutable, depending on the power and whims of human rulers or the perceived reliability of their deities. God's declaration here is a polemic against the idea that the Creator God is like fallible human kings or the fickle gods of the nations whose power might wane or whose promises might fail. He contrasts His enduring word and covenant with the despair and faulty conclusions drawn by His own people and their observers.

Jeremiah 33 26 Word analysis

• Then (אָז, 'az): "Then" marks a temporal or logical consequence. In this context, it signals the result if God were to reject them—a consequence the verse immediately proves impossible. It implies a conclusion that would follow if the initial premise (rejecting the covenant) were true.

• Will I cast away (מָאַס, ma'as): This is a strong Hebrew verb meaning to reject, despise, abhor, spurn, or refuse. It conveys utter and decisive repudiation. The active voice and divine subject highlight the gravity of such an action if it were to occur. It reflects the people's deepest fears about God's reaction to their sin.

• The offspring of Jacob (זֶרַע יַעֲקֹב, zera' Ya'aqov): "Offspring" (זֶרַע, zera') denotes seed, posterity, or descendants, representing the entirety of the Israelite people, not just a select few. "Jacob" represents the nation of Israel as a whole, reminding them of the patriarchal covenant and the covenant God made with them as a people. It emphasizes the corporate identity.

• And David my servant (וְדָוִד עַבְדִּי, wə-Dāwīḏ 'aḇdī): "Servant" (עֶבֶד, 'eved) here is a title of honor, signifying special relationship, chosenness, and delegated authority, not mere servitude. David is the exemplar of the king in covenant with God. This refers to the specific royal line and the covenant of eternal kingship through his descendants. It signifies the covenant made not only with the people but with their divinely ordained leadership.

• So that I will not take (לְבִלְתִּי קַחְתִּי, lə-ḇiltî qaḥtî): This phrase emphasizes the impossibility of the subsequent action. It's a double negative construction that strengthens the impossibility of God taking an heir from David if He were to cast them away. It denotes cessation, ensuring no one from David’s line would rule.

• One of his offspring (מִזַּרְעוֹ, mizzar'ō): Again, "offspring" (זֶרַע, zera') here refers specifically to a descendant from David's royal line, reinforcing the succession. This particular phrasing "one of his offspring" refers to a direct, chosen successor, highlighting the specific promise of continuous dynastic rule.

• To be rulers over (מֹשְׁלִים בְּ־, mōšəlí̄m bə-): Denotes exercise of authority, kingship, or governance. This clarifies the function of David’s offspring: to rule as kings.

• The offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (עַל־זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, 'al-zera' 'Aḇrāhām Yitsḥāq wə-Ya'aqov): By explicitly naming all three patriarchs, the text connects the Davidic covenant firmly to the broader, foundational Abrahamic covenant promises, including land, nation, and blessing. This shows that the Davidic covenant is integral to the entire redemptive plan established with the forefathers.

• For I will restore their fortunes (כִּי־אָשִׁיב אֶת־שְׁבוּתָם, kî 'āšīḇ 'et-šěvūṯām): "For" (כִּי, kî) introduces the reason and the true state of affairs. This negates the hypothetical rejection entirely. "Restore their fortunes" (שְׁבוּתָם, šěvūṯām) is a Hebrew idiom that generally means to reverse their adverse condition, to bring them back from exile and re-establish their prosperity, signifying a complete national restoration and well-being. It can literally mean "restore their captivity."

• And have mercy on them (וְרִחַמְתִּים, wə-riḥamtîm): "Have mercy" (רִחֵם, riḥem) speaks of deep compassion, pity, and tender affection, especially like a parent to a child. It is a fundamental attribute of God. This reinforces that God's actions are driven by His unchanging character of love and grace, rather than human merit or failings.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Then will I cast away... David my servant, so that I will not take one of his offspring to be rulers...": This lengthy conditional clause, prefaced by the preceding verse's rhetorical question about God rejecting His chosen clans, constructs an absurd impossibility. It states what would have to happen if God were to prove unfaithful to His foundational covenants. The implication is that since God cannot lie or change His mind, this rejection is simply inconceivable.
  • "For I will restore their fortunes, and have mercy on them": This concluding declaration entirely undercuts the hypothetical. It reverses the narrative from one of despair and potential abandonment to one of assured hope and divine intervention. It shifts the focus from Israel's sin (which merited exile) to God's steadfast character, illustrating His sovereignty over judgment and mercy.

Jeremiah 33 26 Bonus section

The divine "I will cast away" (מָאַס, ma'as) here is in the imperfect tense, expressing a hypothetical future or a continuous state. The structure with the preceding "if" (from vv. 20-21, 23-24 implying a conditional rejection) truly emphasizes that this action will not happen. The people's accusation in v. 24, "The Lord has rejected the two clans that He chose," is directly refuted by God's own unassailable character. This passage beautifully highlights the theological concept of "God's unconditional covenant" vs. "conditional blessings/curses." While the blessings associated with the covenant might be temporarily withheld due to Israel's disobedience (leading to exile), the covenant itself and God's ultimate intention to save and use His chosen people remain firm. This distinction is crucial for understanding how judgment can coexist with unfailing love.

Jeremiah 33 26 Commentary

Jeremiah 33:26 serves as an absolute guarantee of God's covenant faithfulness in the face of human despair and national calamity. Amidst the physical destruction of Jerusalem and the imminent exile, it was easy for both Judahites and surrounding nations to conclude that God had completely abandoned His people and broken His promises to Abraham and David. However, this verse vehemently denies such a notion. By presenting a hypothetical rejection—of Jacob (Israel as a nation) and David (the royal line)—the Lord uses a form of reductio ad absurdum. He implies that for Him to break these sacred covenants would necessitate Him breaking His more fundamental, unbreakable covenant with the fixed order of day and night, as stated in Jer 33:20-21 and 31:35-37. This demonstrates that the permanence of His promises to His chosen people is as unshakeable as the natural laws governing the universe. The inclusion of "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" further solidifies the continuity of this divine plan across generations. The final, unequivocal declaration, "For I will restore their fortunes, and have mercy on them," transforms the verse from a hypothetical question of abandonment into a definitive statement of future restoration. It grounds Israel's future, and ultimately the world's salvation through Christ, not in their merits or current situation, but in the unchangeable character and merciful disposition of God Himself.