God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 33:22
22I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who serve me like the stars of heaven that cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore that cannot be measured.”
Jeremiah 33:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)As 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 the Levites that minister unto me.
- New International Version (NIV)I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’ ”
- English Standard Version (ESV)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."
- New King James Version (NKJV)As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’ ”
Context of Jeremiah 33:22
20“This is what the Lord says: Suppose you could break my arrangement with day and night so that they wouldn’t come at their proper time. 21Then my arrangement with my servant David could be broken, and he would not have a descendant to rule on his throne. The arrangement with my servants the Levitical priests could also be broken. I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who serve me like the stars of heaven that cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore that cannot be measured.” 23Then the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said, 24“Haven’t you noticed what these people have said? They have said that the Lord has rejected the two families he has chosen. They despise my people, and they no longer consider them a nation.
Read all of Jeremiah 33Jeremiah 33:22 word by word
אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִסָּפֵר֙ צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְלֹ֥א יִמַּ֖ד ח֣וֹל הַיָּ֑ם כֵּ֣ן אַרְבֶּ֗ה אֶת־זֶ֙רַע֙ דָּוִ֣ד עַבְדִּ֔י וְאֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֖ם מְשָׁרְתֵ֥י אֹתִֽי׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- As the hostצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · armyH6635
- of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- cannot be numberedסָפַרsâphar · to recountH5608
- neither the sandחוֹלchôl · sandH2344
- of the seaיָםyâm · seaH3220
- measuredמָדַדmâdad · to measureH4058
- so will I multiplyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
- the seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
- of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- my servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- and the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
- that ministerשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
Cross-references for Jeremiah 33:22
- Jeremiah 31:37This is what the Lord says: Only if the heavens could be measured or the foundations of the earth could be searched, would I ever reject all of Israel’s descendants because of everything that they have done, declares the Lord.
- Genesis 13:16I will also give you as many descendants as the dust of the earth. If anyone could count the dust of the earth, then he could also count your descendants.
- Genesis 15:5He took Abram outside and said, “Now look up at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He also said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”
- Genesis 22:17I will certainly bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of their enemies’ cities.
- Genesis 28:14Your descendants will be like the dust on the earth. You will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. Through you and through your descendant every family on earth will be blessed.
- Hosea 1:10“Yet, the Israelites will become as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. No one will be able to measure them or count them. Wherever they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be told, ‘You are the children of the living God.’
- Hebrews 11:12Abraham was as good as dead. Yet, from this man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore.
- Revelation 7:9After these things I saw a large crowd from every nation, tribe, people, and language. No one was able to count how many people there were. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb. They were wearing white robes, holding palm branches in their hands,
- Psalms 22:30There will be descendants who serve him, a generation that will be told about the Lord.
- Psalms 89:3⌞You said,⌟ “I have made a promise to my chosen one. I swore this oath to my servant David:
- Isaiah 53:10Yet, it was the Lord’s will to crush him with suffering. When the Lord has made his life a sacrifice for our wrongdoings, he will see his descendants for many days. The will of the Lord will succeed through him.
- Ezekiel 37:24“ ‘My servant David will be their king, and all of them will have one shepherd. They will live by my rules, and they will obey my laws.
- Zechariah 12:8On that day the Lord will defend those who live in Jerusalem so that even those who stumble will be like David, and David’s family will be like God, like the Messenger of the Lord ahead of them.
- Isaiah 66:21“I will make some of them priests and Levites,” declares the Lord.
- Ezekiel 44:15“ ‘But the priests who are Levites and descendants of Zadok took care of my holy place when the Israelites wandered away from me. They may come near me and serve me, and they may stand in my presence. They may bring fat and blood to me, declares the Almighty Lord.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 33:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22So will I multiply the seed of David - This must be understood of the spiritual David, Jesus Christ, and his progeny, genuine Christians. The two families which God chose for the priesthood, that of Aaron and Phinehas, or, on its being taken away from him, that of Ithamar, 1 Samuel 2:35, are both extinct. Nor has the office of high priest, or priest of any kind offering sacrifice, been exercised among the Jews for nearly eighteen hundred years; therefore…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-26Verses 14-26 To crown the blessings God has in store, here is a promise of the Messiah. He imparts righteousness to his church, for he is made of God to us righteousness; and believers are made the righteousness of God in him. Christ is our Lord God, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. But in this world prosperity and adversity succeed each other, as light and darkness, day and night. The…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-22Jeremiah shared God's promise. The new agreement with David's descendants and the Levitical priests would be as certain as day following night.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. (Ge 15:5; 22:17). The blessing there promised belonged to all the tribes; here it is restricted to the family of David and the tribe of Levi, because it was on these that the welfare of the whole people rested. When the kingdom and priesthood flourish in the person of Messiah, the whole nation shall temporally and spiritually prosper.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 33:22
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 33
- 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
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