King James Version

What Does Jeremiah 3:19 Mean?

“But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. from me: Heb. from after me a goodly: Heb. an heritage of glory, or, beauty pleasant: Heb. land of desire”

Context

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. imagination: or, stubbornness

In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers. with: or, to given: or, caused your fathers to possess

But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. from me: Heb. from after me a goodly: Heb. an heritage of glory, or, beauty pleasant: Heb. land of desire

Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. husband: Heb. friend

A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(19) **But I said.**—Better, *And I said. *There is no contrast with what precedes. The speaker is, of course, Jehovah. The *How shall I put thee! *is an exclamation rather than a question, the utterance of a promise as with an intensity of affirmation. Special stress is laid on the pronoun “I.” The words have been rendered by some commentators, following the Targum, *How shall I clothe thee with children?* **A pleasant land.**—Literally, as in the margin, *a land of desire, i.e., *desirable. **A goodly heritage of the hosts of nations.**—More accurately, *a heritage of the beauty of beauties *(Hebrew for “chief beauty”) *of the nations. *The English version rests on the assumption that the word translated “beauties” is the same as that elsewhere rendered “Sabaoth,” or “hosts,” which it closely resembles. **And I said.**—Not, as in the English, the answer to a question, but the continuance of the same thought. God will treat repentant Israel as His child: He will lead Israel to trust Him as a father. The days of apostasy (“turning away”) will then be over. The original Hebrew seems, to judge from the LXX. version, to have had the plural “ye shall call,” “*ye *shall not turn away,” the prophet passing from the collective unity to the individuals that composed it.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Jeremiah. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Jeremiah 3:19 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.