New Living Translation
Jeremiah 31:3
3Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
Jeremiah 31:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
- English Standard Version (ESV)the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
Context of Jeremiah 31:3
1“In that day,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people. 2This is what the Lord says: “Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel.” Long ago the Lord said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. 4I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will again be happy and dance merrily with your tambourines. 5Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there.
Read all of Jeremiah 31Jeremiah 31:3 word by word
מֵרָח֕וֹק יְהוָ֖ה נִרְאָ֣ה לִ֑י וְאַהֲבַ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ אֲהַבְתִּ֔יךְ עַל־כֵּ֖ן מְשַׁכְתִּ֥יךְ חָֽסֶד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- The Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath appearedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- of oldרָחֹקrâchôq râchôq · distantH7350
- Yea, I have lovedאָהֵב'âhab 'âhêb · to love: loverH157
- thee with an everlastingעוֹלָם‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm · forever: enduringH5769
- loveאַהֲבָה'ahăbâh · loveH160
- therefore with lovingkindnessחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- have I drawnמָשַׁךְmâshak · to drawH4900
Cross-references for Jeremiah 31:3
- Deuteronomy 7:7“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!
- Deuteronomy 10:15Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today.
- Deuteronomy 33:3Indeed, he loves his people; all his holy ones are in his hands. They follow in his steps and accept his teaching.
- Hosea 11:1“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt.
- Malachi 1:2“I have always loved you,” says the Lord. But you retort, “Really? How have you loved us?” And the Lord replies, “This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob,
- Romans 9:13In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”
- 1 John 4:19We love each other because he loved us first.
- Psalms 103:17But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children
- Isaiah 45:17But the Lord will save the people of Israel with eternal salvation. Throughout everlasting ages, they will never again be humiliated and disgraced.
- Isaiah 54:8In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.
- Romans 11:28Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth.
- 2 Timothy 1:9For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.
- Hosea 11:4I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him.
- John 6:44For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.
- Romans 8:30And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.
Commentaries on Jeremiah 31:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3I have loved thee with an everlasting love - אהבתיך עולם ואהבת veahabath olam ahabtich, "and with the old love I have loved thee." "Also, with a love of long standing have I loved thee." - Blayney. "But I love thee always." - Dahler. I still bear to the Jewish people that love which I showed to their fathers in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in the promised land. Can it be supposed, by any person seriously considering the context, that these words are…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Of old - From afar (margin). See Jeremiah 30:10. To the Jew God was enthroned in Zion, and thus when His mercy was shown unto the exiles in Assyria it came from a distant region 2 Chronicles 6:20, 2 Chronicles 6:38. With lovingkindness - Rather, I have continued lovingkindness unto thee.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Long ago, the Lord showed himself during the Exodus (see Exodus 15:13; 20:6; 34:6–7; Numbers 14:18–19; Deuteronomy 5:10; 7:7, 10, 12–13; 10:15, 18).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Israel gratefully acknowledges in reply God's past grace; but at the same time tacitly implies by the expression "of old," that God does not appear to her now. "God appeared to me of old, but now I am forsaken!" God replies, Nay, I love thee with the same love now as of old. My love was not a momentary impulse, but from "everlasting" in My counsels, and to "everlasting" in its continuance; hence originated the covenant whereby I gratuitously adopted…Read the comment
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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
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