King James Version
What Does Jeremiah 31:19 Mean?
“Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.”
Context
17
And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border.
18
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.
19
Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth.
20
Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD. are: Heb. sound
21
Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(19) **After that I was turned.**—The words have been referred by some commentators (Hitzig) to the previous turning away from God—the apostasy of Ephraim; but the repetition of the word that had been used in the previous verse makes it far more natural to connect it with the first movement of repentance. The “smiting upon the thigh” is, like the Publican’s “smiting on his breast” (Luke 18:13), an Eastern expression of extremest grief. So in Ezekiel 21:17 we have the “smiting of the hands together” as a symbol of anger, which is also sorrow. In Homer (*Odyss. *xiii. 193) we have the very gesture here depicted—
“And then he groaned, and smote on both his thighs
With headlong hands, and so in sorrow spoke.”
**The reproach of my youth**—*i.e.,* the shame which the sins of his youth had brought upon him.
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 31:19 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Cross-References
Verses related to Jeremiah 31:19
Cross-references from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge