New English Translation
Jeremiah 31:22
22How long will you vacillate, you who were once like an unfaithful daughter? For I, the Lord, promise to bring about something new on the earth, something as unique as a woman protecting a man!’”
Jeremiah 31:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
- New International Version (NIV)How long will you wander, unfaithful Daughter Israel? The Lord will create a new thing on earth— the woman will return to the man.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)How long will you waver, O faithless daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth: a woman encircles a man."
- New King James Version (NKJV)How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth— A woman shall encompass a man.”
Context of Jeremiah 31:22
20Indeed, the people of Israel are my dear children. They are the children I take delight in. For even though I must often rebuke them, I still remember them with fondness. So I am deeply moved with pity for them and will surely have compassion on them. I, the Lord, affirm it! 21I will say, ‘My dear children of Israel, keep in mind the road you took when you were carried off. Mark off in your minds the landmarks. Make a mental note of telltale signs marking the way back. Return, my dear children of Israel. Return to these cities of yours. How long will you vacillate, you who were once like an unfaithful daughter? For I, the Lord, promise to bring about something new on the earth, something as unique as a woman protecting a man!’” 23The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I will restore the people of Judah to their land and to their towns. When I do, they will again say of Jerusalem, ‘May the Lord bless you, you holy mountain, the place where righteousness dwells.’ 24The land of Judah will be inhabited by people who live in its towns as well as by farmers and shepherds with their flocks.
Read all of Jeremiah 31Jeremiah 31:22 word by word
עַד־מָתַי֙ תִּתְחַמָּקִ֔ין הַבַּ֖ת הַשּֽׁוֹבֵבָ֑ה כִּֽי־בָרָ֨א יְהוָ֤ה חֲדָשָׁה֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ נְקֵבָ֖ה תְּס֥וֹבֵֽב גָּֽבֶר׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- How long wilt thou go aboutחָמַקchâmaq · to turn awayH2559
- O thou backslidingשׁוֹבֵבshôbêb · backslidingH7728
- daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- for the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath createdבָּרָאbârâ' · to createH1254
- a new thingחָדָשׁchâdâsh · newH2319
- in the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- A womanנְקֵבָהneqêbâh · femaleH5347
- shall compassסָבַבsâbab · to turn: surroundH5437
- a manגָּבֶרgeber · great manH1397
Cross-references for Jeremiah 31:22
- Jeremiah 2:18What good will it do you then to go down to Egypt to seek help from the Egyptians? What good will it do you to go over to Assyria to seek help from the Assyrians?
- Jeremiah 4:14“Oh people of Jerusalem, purify your hearts from evil so that you may yet be delivered. How long will you continue to harbor up wicked schemes within you?
- Jeremiah 13:27People of Jerusalem, I have seen your adulterous worship, your shameless prostitution to, and your lustful pursuit of, other gods. I have seen your disgusting acts of worship on the hills throughout the countryside. You are doomed to destruction! How long will you continue to be unclean?’”
- Hosea 8:5O Samaria, he has rejected your calf idol! My anger burns against them! They will not survive much longer without being punished, even though they are Israelites!
- Jeremiah 3:6When Josiah was king of Judah, the Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, you have no doubt seen what wayward Israel has done. You have seen how she went up to every high hill and under every green tree to give herself like a prostitute to other gods.
- Jeremiah 7:24But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They followed the stubborn inclinations of their own wicked hearts. They acted worse and worse instead of better.
- Jeremiah 8:4The Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘The Lord says, Do people not get back up when they fall down? Do they not turn around when they go the wrong way?
- Jeremiah 14:7Then I said, “O Lord, intervene for the honor of your name even though our sins speak out against us. Indeed, we have turned away from you many times. We have sinned against you.
- Jeremiah 49:4Why do you brag about your great power? Your power is ebbing away, you rebellious people of Ammon, who trust in your riches and say, ‘Who would dare to attack us?’
- Hosea 4:16Israel has rebelled like a stubborn heifer! Soon the Lord will put them out to pasture like a lamb in a broad field!
- Hosea 11:7My people are obsessed with turning away from me; they call to Baal, but he will never exalt them!
- Hosea 14:1Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sin has been your downfall!
- Zechariah 7:11“But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear.
- Numbers 16:30But if the Lord does something entirely new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up along with all that they have, and they go down alive to the grave, then you will know that these men have despised the Lord!”
- Genesis 3:15And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; her offspring will attack your head, and you will attack her offspring’s heel.”
- Isaiah 7:14For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 31:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22A woman shall compass a man - גבר תסובב נקבה nekebah tesobeb gaber, "A weak woman shall compass or circumvent a strong man." This place has given much trouble to Biblical critics. By many Christian writers it is considered a prophecy of the miraculous conception of the holy virgin; but as I am sure no such meaning is in the words, nor in the context, so I am satisfied no such meaning can be fairly brought out of them. Houbigant thinks there is a small…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. 21-26Verses 21-26 The way from the bondage of sin to the liberty of God's children, is a high-way. It is plain, it is safe; yet none are likely to walk in it, unless they set their hearts towards it. They are encouraged by the promise of a new, unheard-of, extraordinary thing; a creation, a work of Almighty power; the human nature of Christ, formed and prepared by the power of the Holy Ghost: and this is here mentioned as an encouragement to the Jews to return…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-40The Lord explained his future plan to rebuild a new nation from people who had suffered greatly during their long captivity.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. go about--namely, after human helps (Jr 2:18, 23, 36). Why not return immediately to me? Maurer translates, as in So 5:6, "How long wilt thou withdraw thyself?" Let thy past backslidings suffice thee now that a new era approaches. What God finds fault with in them is, that they looked hither and thither, leaning on contingencies, instead of at once trusting the word of God, which promised their restoration. To assure them of this, God promises to…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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries