Seventh-day Adventist Bible CommentaryJeremiah 33

Yet shut up. The prophet is still in the place of his imprisonment mentioned in ch. 32 (see on ch. 32:2).

The maker thereof. That is, of the earth as understood by implication (see Jer. 10:11; cf. Isa. 45:18). The Lord. Heb. Yahweh, the sacred Tetragrammaton (see Vol. I, pp. 171–173).

Mighty things. “incomprehensible things.”

Thrown down. See on ch. 32:24.

They come to fight. The Israelites sally forth against the Babylonians, only to be repulsed at the cost of many “dead bodies of men” (see on ch. 32:24).

Health and cure. God now turns from a consideration of the chastisement of His people to a promise of their restoration, when they will have “the abundance of peace and truth.” Verses 6–26 present a vivid picture of the glory that might have been Israel’s after the return from captivity if the people had heeded the light from Heaven and had cooperated with God in the carrying out of His plans and purposes for the salvation of the world. Unfortunately they turned again and again from their glorious destiny and so realized only in a small measure the blessedness here predicted. With the transfer of the promises to spiritual Israel many of the forecasts will see a fulfillment in principle in the Christian church (see pp. 25–38).

Of Israel. Israel, as well as Judah, is included in the promise of a return from exile.

Cleanse them. The enjoyment of temporal blessings was dependent upon meeting certain spiritual requirements (see p. 27). In order to experience the glory portrayed in vs. 6–26 it would be necessary for Israel to forsake her sins. For those who genuinely repented, God held out the promise of pardon, full and free. Men were not to be discouraged by the magnitude of their past transgressions, thinking that their case was hopeless. Not only would God forgive their sins, He would also supply grace for future obedience (Eze. 36:25–28).

A name of joy. Although Israel had grievously sinned, God had not withdrawn any of His promises of favor. These were, of course, conditional on obedience. It was possible for Israel after the Captivity to attain to the full glory promised the ancient people (see pp. 31, 32). Through Zechariah the assurance was given, “They shall be as though I had not cast them off” (Zech. 10:6). Thus it is also in the spiritual realm. No matter how far a man may have departed from the path of rectitude, he may be accepted before God as if he had not sinned (SC 62).

Without man. See on ch. 32:43.

The voice of joy. A repetition of the promised joys of the restoration that will come to God’s people. The very sounds of joy that would disappear during the Exile (see on ch. 7:34) would now be heard again in the land. Sacrifice of praise. See Jonah 2:9; Heb. 13:14, 15.

South. See on ch. 32:44.

I will perform. See on ch. 23:5–7.

Branch of righteousness. See Isa. 11:1; see on Zech. 3:8; 6:12.

This is the name. Although v. 16 repeats the prediction of ch. 23:6, it differs from that reference in that here the city is called “The Lord our righteousness.” If Jerusalem had only lived up to what God designed that it should be, its future would have been most glorious (see p. 30).

David shall never. This repeats the promise of 2 Sam. 7:16; 1 Kings 2:4; Ps. 89:20, 29, 35, 36. See on 1 Kings 2:4.

Meat offerings. That is, “meal offerings,” or “cereal offerings” (see Vol. I, pp. 703, 704).

Covenant of the day. Again, as previously, God guarantees the surety of His “covenant” with His people by referring to the surety of natural law (see on ch. 31:35).

Host of heaven. The infinite number of the heavenly bodies is used to illustrate the great multitude who will be accounted the “seed of David.”

What this people have spoken. Some commentators have understood this passage to be the taunt of the heathen at the seeming downfall of “the two families,” which these commentators interpret to be the two kingdoms of the Israelites, Israel and Judah (see Eze. 35:10; 36:19, 20). Others interpret “this people” to be the Israelites themselves (see Jer. 4:10; 5:14, 23; 6:19), who in their faithlessness had given way to despair (chs. 32:42, 43; 33:10), because even “the two families,” the family of David and of Levi (ch. 33:21, 22), seem to have been forsaken by God.

If my covenant. God meets this despair by holding up the surety of natural law as proof of the surety of His promises toward His people (see on v. 20).

Seed of Jacob. Some suggest that the “two families” (v. 24) may be the house of Jacob and the house of David. God gives His answer to the disdainful taunt of the heathen or to the utterance of discouragement on the part of His people (see on v. 24). He promises to return them to their own land and to restore their former glory (see on v. 9).