Jeremiah 33 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Jeremiah 33

The Lord Promises Peace

33:1 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: 2 “Thus says the LORD who made the earth,¹ the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: 3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. 4 For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: 5 They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them² with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. 6 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. 8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. 9 And this city³ shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

10 “Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again 11 the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD:

  “‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,
    for the LORD is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!’

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD.

12 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. 13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.

The Lord’s Eternal Covenant with David

14 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

17 “For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18 and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”

19 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 20 “Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, 21 then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. 22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”

23 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not observed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. 25 Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, 26 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.”

Footnotes

[1] 33:2 Septuagint; Hebrew it
[2] 33:5 That is, the torn-down houses
[3] 33:9 Hebrew And it

Commentary

v1: These words followed soon after those in chapter 32. Again, there is a context, with Jeremiah kept in prison. God is not restricted.

v2: The mighty God who is able to do all those things He has promised.

v3: Promises of answered prayer, esp. for Jeremiah, suffering at the hands of men. He would hear and experience wonderful things. Amongst the wonderful things are the promises later in this chapter about the glorious future for the people of God.

v4-5: Despite the Jews’ defensive efforts, their city would be taken. Judah was now a defeated nation, although the final end had yet to come. There were probably but a few months to go; see 52.12.

v6-9: Promises of restoration;

Health and healing;
an abundance of peace and security;
captives of both Judah and Israel to return;
cleansing and forgiveness;
the testimony throughout the earth.

v10-11: Rejoicing in the streets, as God restores the people’s fortunes.

v12-13: Compare 32.44; no more desolation.

v14: Instead of the promises of judgment, God will fulfil His promises of good things.

v15-16: See 9.24; 23.5-6, judgment and righteousness. The Righteous Branch is Jesus Christ, the offspring from David’s line.

In chapter 23, the Righteous Branch is contrasted with the ungodly shepherds, here it is with the judgment to be poured out. Christ’s return for Israel and Judah is clearly linked with the spiritual restoration of the people.

v17-18: Restored kingship of David, and the restored priesthood of Levi (also Ezek 42-46), an indication that these families were faithful to God in earlier generations.

v19-22: See 31.35-37; it is impossible that God could lie. He will restore the lines of David and Levi. Further, the promises made to Abraham, of the host of heaven, and the sand of the seashore (13.6; 15.5) are restated. The glorious promises of God will not, ultimately, be frustrated.

v23-26: The people had started to say that God had rejected David and Levi, along with the rest of the nation. Just as the people had ignored Jeremiah’s words of judgment, they had also rejected his words of restoration.. The promises concerning Levi indicate the unending worship of God.

In 32.30, God had charged both Judah and Israel as guilty before Him, but had promised restoration (v7,14).