Chapter 31: Everlasting Love and the New Covenant
(39 Pesukim)
Overview
Chapter 31 is one of the most hopeful passages in Yermiyahu, often called part of the “Book of Consolation.” It promises restoration, joy, and a new covenant written on the hearts of God’s people. After judgment and exile, Hashem assures Israel and Judah of renewal, peace, and an unbreakable relationship.
- Hashem expresses Love and Restoration (31:1-5)
- Yirmiyahu continues the prophecy: Hashem appears to be at a distance from me. So says Hashem who recalls His eternal love:
- “I have loved you with everlasting love and drawn you with kindness.” Ahavas Olam Ahavticha.
- Israel will be rebuilt and rejoice again with music and dancing.
- Vineyards will once again flourish in Samaria, and pilgrims will call:
- “Let us go up to Zion, to Hashem our God.”
- A promise of Kibutz Galiyos – Return from the Exiles (31:6-8)
- Hashem promises to gather His people from the north and from the ends of the earth—blind, lame, expectant mothers—all returning together. הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא אוֹתָ֜ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֗וֹן וְקִבַּצְתִּים֘ מִיַּרְכְּתֵי־אָרֶץ֒ בָּם עִוֵּ֣ר וּפִסֵּ֔חַ הָרָ֥ה וְיֹלֶ֖דֶת יַחְדָּ֑ו קָהָ֥ל גָּד֖וֹל יָשׁ֥וּבוּ הֵֽנָּה
- They will come weeping, yet guided with compassion along safe paths.
- Hashem declares: “I am a Father to Israel; Ephraim is My firstborn.”
- A promise of Joy and Abundance (31:9-12)
- Nations are told to proclaim: “He who scattered Israel will gather them.”
- The redeemed will celebrate on Zion’s heights, enjoying grain, wine, oil, and flocks.
- Their lives will be like a watered garden—free from sorrow. “Velo Yosifu Deavah Od”
- Mourning will then turn to joy; priests and people will be satisfied with Hashem’s goodness. “The virgin will participate in a communal dance accompanied by music, joined by both young and older men. Their grief will be transformed into happiness; they will receive comfort and experience relief from their sorrow.”
- Rachel’s Tears and Hope – Rachel Mivakeh Al Baneha (31:13-16)
- Hashem declares – Kol Beramah Nishma…Rachel Mivakeh Al Baneha: Rachel is weeping for her children, refusing comfort.
- Hashem responded to Rachel: “Rachel, Restrain your eyes from tears— as you will receive reward for your actions. There is hope. Your children will indeed return from the enemy’s land.” “Veshavu Banim Al Gevulam”
- Haben Yakir Li Efraim – Ephraim’s Repentance (31:17-19)
- Hashem hears Ephraim lamenting past rebellion and seeks restoration: “You have corrected me, and I received your guidance like an inexperienced individual. Please restore me, and I will return, as you are my Lord and God. Upon reflection and gaining self-awareness, I reconsidered my actions and acknowledged my past mistakes; I felt regret and embarrassment for the shortcomings of my youth.”
- Hashem’s tender reply:
- “Is Ephraim not My dear son? My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy.” הֲבֵן֩ יַקִּ֨יר לִ֜י אֶפְרַ֗יִם אִם יֶ֣לֶד שַֽׁעֲשׁוּעִ֔ים כִּֽי־מִדֵּ֚י דַבְּרִי֙ בּ֔וֹ זָכֹ֥ר אֶזְכְּרֶ֖נּוּ ע֑וֹד עַל־כֵּ֗ן הָמ֚וּ מֵעַי֙ ל֔וֹ רַחֵ֥ם אֲרַֽחֲמֶ֖נּוּ נְאֻם־ה:
1. A Call to Return to the Land (Verses 20–21)
- Hashem urges Israel to “set up markers” and “place signposts” to remember the road home. The nation is called “virgin of Israel,” invited to return to her cities. Hashem asks how long Israel will hide in backsliding, for something new will occur in the land: a reversal of nature—“a woman shall go after a man”—symbolizing a powerful return of devotion and pursuit of G‑d.
2. Blessing of Restoration (Verse 22)
- Hashem promises that in the days of return, people will once again bless Jerusalem and Judea, calling it a “dwelling of righteousness” and “holy mountain.”
3. Renewal of Life and Prosperity (Verses 23–25)
- Judea and all its cities will once again be inhabited—farmers, shepherds, and travelers together. Hashem declares that He will satisfy tired souls and restore those who are weary. Yirmiyahu awakens from this prophetic vision and finds it sweet and comforting.
4. A Future of Growth After Destruction (Verses 26–27)
- Hashem promises days when He will “sow” the house of Israel and Judah with abundant life—both people and animals. Just as He once watched over them to uproot and destroy, He will now watch over them to build and to plant. “Vezarati Es Beis Yisrael Vies Beis Yehuda Zera Adam Vizera Beheima”
5. Ending the Proverb of Blame (Verses 28–29)
- In the future, the old saying—“The fathers ate unripe grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”—will no longer apply. No one will suffer for the sins of previous generations.
6. Individual Responsibility (Verse 30)
- Each person will die for his own wrongdoing. Whoever sins will bear his own guilt. There will be no more collective punishment for ancestral sins.
7. A New Covenant (31:31-33)
- Hashem declares that days are coming when He will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah—one that will transform their relationship with Him.
- Hashem promises a covenant unlike the one broken after the Exodus:
- His Torah will be written on hearts, not just tablets.
- “I will be their God, and they will be My people.”
- No one will need to teach “Know Hashem,” for all will know Him.
- Sins will be forgiven and remembered no more.
8. Eternal Assurance (31:34-39)
- Hashem anchors His promise in creation:
- If the sun, moon, and stars cease their order, then Israel would cease—but that will never happen.
- Jerusalem will be rebuilt and consecrated forever, never uprooted again.
9. G‑d’s Unchanging Covenant With Israel (31:34–36)
- Hashem declares that He is the One who established the fixed laws of nature—the sun that shines by day, the moon and stars that illuminate at night, and the sea whose waves He stirs. These cosmic laws testify to His eternal governance.
- G‑d then promises that only if the laws of creation were to cease—an impossibility—would the seed of Israel ever cease to be a nation before Him. Israel’s eternity is tied to the permanence of the natural world.
10. Israel Cannot Be Rejected (Verse 37)
- Hashem further emphasizes that only if the heavens could be fully measured and the foundations of the earth completely explored—feats beyond human ability—would He ever reject the descendants of Israel because of their sins.
- This is a declaration of absolute, irrevocable Divine commitment: no matter the failings of the people, Israel will never be cast aside.
- Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt and Expanded (Verses 38–40)
- Hashem promises that days are coming when Jerusalem will be rebuilt for Hashem, stretching from the tower of Hananel to the corner gate. The city’s boundary line (“measuring line”) will extend further across the hill of Gareb and turn to Goah, indicating a dramatic expansion. Even the most defiled and tragic areas—the valley filled with corpses and ashes, the fields extending to the Kidron Valley, the area near the Horse Gate—
will become holy to Hashem. Jerusalem will never again be uprooted or destroyed, remaining secure forever.
