God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 31:28
28Once I watched over them to uproot them, to tear them down, and to wreck, ruin, and hurt them. Now I will watch over them to build them up and to plant them,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 31:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the Lord.
- New International Version (NIV)Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord.
Context of Jeremiah 31:28
26At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant. 27“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will plant the nations of Israel and Judah with people and animals. Once I watched over them to uproot them, to tear them down, and to wreck, ruin, and hurt them. Now I will watch over them to build them up and to plant them,” declares the Lord. 29“When those days come, people will no longer say, ‘Fathers have eaten sour grapes, and their children’s teeth are set on edge.’ 30But each person will die for his own sin. Whoever eats sour grapes will have his own teeth set on edge.
Read all of Jeremiah 31Jeremiah 31:28 word by word
וְהָיָ֞ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֧ר שָׁקַ֣דְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם לִנְת֧וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֛וֹץ וְלַהֲרֹ֖ס וּלְהַאֲבִ֣יד וּלְהָרֵ֑עַ כֵּ֣ן אֶשְׁקֹ֧ד עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם לִבְנ֥וֹת וְלִנְט֖וֹעַ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- like as I have watched overשָׁקַדshâqad · to watchH8245
- them, to pluck upנָתַשׁnâthash · to uprootH5428
- and to break downנָתַץnâthats · to tearH5422
- and to throw downהָרַסhâras · to overthrowH2040
- and to destroyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- and to afflictרָעַעrâ‛a‛ · be evilH7489
- them, to buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- and to plantנָטַעnâţa‛ · to plantH5193
- saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
Cross-references for Jeremiah 31:28
- Jeremiah 44:27I am going to watch over them. I am going to watch over them to bring disasters, not blessings. In Egypt the people from Judah will die in wars and famines until everyone is gone.
- Daniel 9:14So you were prepared to bring this disaster on us. Lord our God, you are righteous in everything you do. But we never listened to you.
- Jeremiah 1:10Today I have put you in charge of nations and kingdoms. You will uproot and tear down. You will destroy and overthrow. You will build and plant.”
- Jeremiah 18:7“At one time I may threaten to tear up, break down, and destroy a nation or a kingdom.
- Jeremiah 45:4“Say this to Baruch, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will tear down what I have built. I will uproot what I have planted throughout the earth.
- Jeremiah 24:6I will watch over them for their own good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them.
- Jeremiah 32:41I will enjoy blessing them. With all my heart and soul I will faithfully plant them in this land.
- Psalms 69:35When God saves Zion, he will rebuild the cities of Judah. His servants will live there and take possession of it.
- Psalms 102:16When the Lord builds Zion, he will appear in his glory.
- Psalms 147:2The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem. He is the one who gathers the outcasts of Israel together.
- Ecclesiastes 3:2a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pull out what was planted,
- Daniel 9:25Learn, then, and understand that from the time the command is given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed prince comes, seven sets of seven time periods and sixty-two sets of seven time periods will pass. Jerusalem will be restored and rebuilt with a city square and a moat during the troubles of those times.
- Amos 9:11On that day I will set up David’s fallen tent. I will repair the holes in it. I will restore its ruined places. I will rebuild them as they were a long time ago.
- Acts 15:16‘Afterwards, I will return. I will set up David’s fallen tent again. I will restore its ruined places again. I will set it up again
Commentaries on Jeremiah 31:28
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27-34Verses 27-34 The prophet shows that the happiness of Israel and Judah, united in one prosperous nation, will rest upon the consciousness that their chastisement has been the result of sins which they have themselves committed, and that God‘s covenant depends not upon external sanctions, but upon a renewed heart. Jeremiah 31:27 So rapid shall be the increase that it shall seem as if children and young cattle sprang up out of the ground. Jeremiah 31:29…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 27-34Verses 27-34 The people of God shall become numerous and prosperous. In Heb. 8:8,9, this place is quoted as the sum of the covenant of grace made with believers in Jesus Christ. Not, I will give them a new law; for Christ came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it; but the law shall be written in their hearts by the finger of the Spirit, as formerly written in the tables of stone. The Lord will, by his grace, make his people willing people in the day…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 28The future involves the return of the exiled people to the Promised Land. The Lord had promised to plant and build them there (see Jeremiah 1:10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. (Jr 44:27). The same God who, as it were (in human language), was on the watch for all means to destroy, shall be as much on the watch for the means of their restoration.Read the comment
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries