THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET
JEREMIAH

Jeremiah 33

1God reneweth his promise to the captive Jews of a gracious return, 10a joyful state, 12and settled peace. 15Christ, the Branch of righteousness, is promised, 17and a perpetuity of the kingdom and priesthood. 19The stability of God's covenant with David and with the Levites; 23and of his promise to bring back Israel and Judah.


1MOREOVER the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was 1yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

1 See Jer. 32:2, 3.

2Thus saith the LORD the 2maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name;

2 Namely, that which He has revealed and promised by me, concerning the restoration of Jerusalem and of His church. See Exod. 3:14, 15. Other, the maker thereof (namely, Jerusalem and His church, of which is spoken in what went before and that what follows), or the former thereof, etc., the meaning being all one.

33Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and 4mighty things, which thou knowest not.

3 That is, pray fervently, ye My people, or, thou Jeremiah, who are here shut up in prison. See Job 36 on verse 13.

4 Which are firmly determined by Me, yea, as were locked up in My secret counsel, and therefore are most firm and sure. Compare Deut. 32:34.

4For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this 5city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the 6mounts, and by the sword;

5 Notwithstanding (the Lord wants to say) the condition of this city and of her inhabitants shall be so miserable that it shall be outside any human probability of restoration, yet will I restore it, as follows verse 6.

6 That is, which shall suddenly and certainly be broken down, when the Chaldeans, by means of their mounts and bulwarks which they shall cast up (Compare Ezek. 26:9) shall take the city by warlike means and by force of arms. Compare Jer. 32 on verse 24. Other, for mounts and for the sword, that is, the houses that are broken down to make bulwarks of them against the enemy and to make opposition or resistance out of them.

57They 8come to fight with the Chaldeans, but 9it is to 10fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom 11I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and 12for all 13whose wickedness I have hid my 14face from this city.

7 Namely, saith the LORD, from verse 4.

8 In the city of Jerusalem, to defend it against the besiegers, as, against the time of a siege, men are wont to fill the main cities with valiant soldiers.

9 Chaldeans, who seek nothing else but to kill and slay. Others understand: the houses, that is, (as they expound it) families, of which mention is made in the previous verse.

10 That is, to satiate, that they may wreak their malice by killing and destroying the Jews. Concerning such use of the word fill, compare Exod. 15:9; Job 16:10 with the annotations.

11 Will slay by the sword of the Chaldeans, instead that they intend against My will (in a manner) to slay the Chaldeans.

12 Other, and because I have hid my face from this city, for all the wickedness thereof.

13 Of the inhabitants.

14 See Deut. 31 on verse 17.

6Behold, I will bring 15it 16health and cure, and I will cure 17them, and will 18reveal unto them the abundance of 19peace and truth.

15 The city Jerusalem and My church.

16 Or, lay a bandage and medicine upon thee. See Jer. 30:13, 17.

17 The inhabitants of Jerusalem and members of My church.

18 Unawares, and since it seemed beyond all hope and expectation.

19 By the Messiah. Compare John 1:17. Other, a constant, durable, or certain peace.

7And I will cause the captivitya of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will 20buildb them, as 21at the first.

a Jer. 32:44.

20 See Jer. 31:28.

b Jer. 24:6; 31:4.

21 Or, in the beginning; also verse 11; that is, as aforetime.

8And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardonc all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.

c Jer. 31:34.

9¶And 22it shall be to me a 23name of 24joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I 25procure unto 26it.

22 Namely, Jerusalem and My church.

23 Compare Deut. 26:19 with the annotations.

24 Hebr. name of joy, that is, which will be very acceptable unto Me, and will make Me joyful.

25 Hebr. make, do.

26 Jerusalem, My church.

10Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye 27say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,

27 As Jer. 32:43.

11Thed voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of 28hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the 29sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the 30captivity of the land, 31as at the first, saith the LORD.

d Jer. 7:34.

28 See 1 Kings 18 on verse 15.

29 Or, peace offering, thanksgiving, thank offering.

30 Or, cause the captives of the land to return; also verse 26, and elsewhere often.

31 That is, that they, being returned out of captivity, shall dwell peaceably in this land, as aforetime. Compare verse 7.

12Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, 32shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to 33lie down.

32 Or, shall again be habitations, etc. Hebr. an habitation, etc.

33 Or, encamp. A sign of a peaceable situation, and of a well-ordered government in the land, as also in the sequel. Compare Jer. 31:24.

13In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him 34that telleth them, saith the LORD.

34 That is, of the tithing-man, who smote the tenth sheep or goat with the rod, and set it apart for the Lord. See hereof Lev. 27 on verse 32; Ezek. 20 on verse 37.

14Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will 35perform that 36goode thing which I have promised 37unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

35 Or, establish, settle, that is, keep, as we use to say.

36 That is, gracious and blessed promise of Christ, in Whom all the promises are yea and amen, 2 Cor. 1:20.

e Jer. 29:10.

37 Or, concerning, of.

15¶In those days, and at that time, will I cause the 38Branchf of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute 39judgment and righteousness in the land.

38 See Jer. 23 on verse 5.

f Jer. 23:5.

39 As a king. See Jer. 23:5.

1640In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The 41LORD our righteousness.

40 See Jer. 23 on verse 6.

41 Namely, the Lord Christ, Who shall call His church, namely, outwardly by the preaching of the Gospel, and inwardly by the powerful working of His Holy Spirit, and shall execute in her His work of grace unto the end. See Jer. 23 on verse 6.

17¶For thus saith the LORD; David shall 42never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;

42 See 1 Kings 2 on verse 4. With these and the following words, which are borrowed from the state of the Old Testament (concerning the kingdom and the priesthood), it is signified the perpetuity and unchangeableness of the Kingdom and Priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ. See Luke 1:32, 33; Heb. 7:1, 2, 3, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 24, 28, etc.; Who moreover has under Him, not only the shepherds and teachers of His church, but also all its members, whom He has made all kings and priests, wherefore His church is also called a royal priesthood. See 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10. Likewise Rom. 12:1; Heb. 13:15, 16.

18Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice 43continually.

43 That is, forever.

19¶And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying,

20Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my 44covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;

44 That is, the order that I have set upon the courses, and the continuation of day and night. Compare Gen. 8:22; Psalm 89:36, 37; 119:89, 90, 91; Jer. 31:35, 36.

21Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and 45with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

45 Understand herewith: the covenant with, etc.

22As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and 46the Levites that minister unto me.

46 Other, of the Levites, namely, seed.

23Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,

2447Considerest thou not what 48this people have 49spoken, saying, The 50two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no 51more a nation before them.

47 That is, perceivest, or heardest.

48 Namely, the mocking Jews, who despised the promises of God, and murmured against His judgments; or (as some) the wicked Chaldeans and other Gentiles, to whom they in a special manner apply the last words of this verse.

49 Hebr. speak, as often.

50 Judah and Israel, of whom is spoken above. Others understand Judah and Benjamin.

51 Or, shall not be again; because they were so small and miserable, that in their judgment there was no hope of restoration, so that there was no other account to be made, but that they would perish and come to nothing. Compare Jer. 48:2, 42.

25Thus saith the LORD; If my 52covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the 53ordinances of heaven and earth;

52 See on verse 20. These things God repeats for the raising up and strengthening of those who believe in Him, as if He would say, however this thing might also be outside any human probability, yet it would fail so little as the continuation of day and night upon each other, etc.

53 See Jer. 31:35, 36.

26Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be 54rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercyg on them.

54 This indeed was first fulfilled in Zerubbabel and other following governors of David’s family, but it is principally and spiritually accomplished in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Branch of David, and the everlasting King of His church.

g Jer. 31:20.