Jeremiah 31:20

Jeremiah 31:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.

Context of Jeremiah 31:20

18I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God. 19After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the LORD. 21“Set up the road markers, put up the signposts. Keep the highway in mind, the road you have traveled. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to these cities of yours. 22How long will you wander, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the land— a woman will shelter a man.”

Jeremiah 31:20 word by word

הֲבֵן֩ יַקִּ֨יר לִ֜י אֶפְרַ֗יִם אִ֚ם יֶ֣לֶד שַׁעֲשֻׁעִ֔ים כִּֽי־מִדֵּ֤י דַבְּרִי֙ בּ֔וֹ זָכֹ֥ר אֶזְכְּרֶ֖נּוּ ע֑וֹד עַל־כֵּ֗ן הָמ֤וּ מֵעַי֙ ל֔וֹ רַחֵ֥ם אֲֽרַחֲמֶ֖נּוּ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ סRead the interlinear

• Is not Ephraimאֶפְרַ֫יִם'ephrayim · EphraimH669
• Is not Ephraimאִם'im · if: surely yesH518
• a preciousיַקִּירyaqqîyr · preciousH3357
• sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• a delightfulשַׁעֲשֻׁעִיםsha‛shûa‛ · delightH8191
• a delightfulכִּיkîy · forH3588
• childיֶ֫לֶדyeled · youthH3206
• Though I oftenדַּיday · sufficiencyH1767
• speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• I stillעוֹד‛ôd ‛ôd · stillH5750
• remember himזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
• Thereforeעַל‛al · uponH5921
• Thereforeכֵּןkên · soH3651
• My heartמֵעֶהmê‛eh · bellyH4578
• yearns for himהָמָהhâmâh · to roarH1993
• I have great compassion for himרָחַםrâcham · to have compassionH7355
• declaresנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Jeremiah 31:20

• Jeremiah 32:9So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver.
• Jeremiah 3:19Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me.
• Psalms 103:13As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
• Proverbs 3:12for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.
• Luke 15:24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
• Deuteronomy 32:36For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.
• Judges 10:16So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.
• Isaiah 57:16For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me— the breath of life I have made.
• Lamentations 3:32Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
• Hosea 11:8How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassion is stirred!
• Genesis 43:30Joseph hurried out because he was moved to tears for his brother, and he went to a private room to weep.
• 1 Kings 3:26Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”
• Philippians 1:8God is my witness how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
• Jeremiah 48:36Therefore My heart laments like a flute for Moab; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir-heres, because the wealth they acquired has perished.
• Isaiah 16:11Therefore my heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir-heres.
• Isaiah 63:15Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and glorious habitation. Where are Your zeal and might? Your yearning and compassion for me are restrained.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 31:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Is Ephraim my dear son? - It is impossible to conceive any thing more tenderly affectionate than this. Let us consider the whole account. The ten tribes, called here Ephraim, for the reason before alleged, are represented as acknowledging their sins. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself; and in his lamentation he says, Thou hast chastised me. Though he at first rebelled against the chastisement, yet at last he submitted and acknowledged his offenses. He…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-22Verses 15-22 The religious character of the restoration of the ten tribes. Chastisement brought repentance, and with it forgiveness; therefore God decrees their restoration. Jeremiah 31:15 Ramah, mentioned because of its nearness to Jerusalem, from which it was distant about five miles. As the mother of three tribes, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, Rachel is regarded as the mother of the whole ten. This passage is quoted by Matthew (marginal reference)…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-20Verses 18-20 Ephraim (the ten tribes) is weeping for sin. He is angry at himself for his sin, and folly, and frowardness. He finds he cannot, by his own power, keep himself close with God, much less bring himself back when he is revolted. Therefore he prays, Turn thou me, and I shall be turned. His will was bowed to the will of God. When the teaching of God's Spirit went with the corrections of his providence, then the work was done. This is our comfort…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20The exiled people were always in the Lord’s thoughts. God responded to their repentance with a father's love for his lost children (compare Luke 15:11–24).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Is Ephraim my dear son? &c.--The question implies that a negative answer was to be expected. Who would have thought that one so undutiful to His heavenly Father as Ephraim had been should still be regarded by God as a "pleasant child?" Certainly he was not so in respect to his sin. But by virtue of God's "everlasting love" (Jr 31:3) on Ephraim's being "turned" to God, he was immediately welcomed as God's "dear son." This verse sets forth God's…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 31:20

• Adoption
• Bowels
• Chastisement
• Ephraim
• God Continued...

In the dictionaries

• Ephraim
• Ephraim, Ephraimite
• Remember
• Unaccustomed
• Body
• Children of God
• Dear; Dearly
• God
• Jeremiah (2)

Commentaries on Jeremiah 31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings