Jeremiah 31: New Covenant in Christ

Below is a verse-by-verse explanation of Jeremiah 31 (ESV), where the New Covenant was foretold.

Jeremiah 31:1 – “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”

God reaffirms His covenant relationship with His people. In Reformed theology, this anticipates the New Covenant, where God’s people are not just ethnic Israel, but all in Christ (Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 3:29). The phrase “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” is the heart of covenant promise, ultimately fulfilled in Christ and the Church.

Jeremiah 31:2 – “Thus says the LORD: The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest,”

God’s grace is extended to the remnant. Reformed theology sees the “remnant” as those preserved by God’s sovereign election (Rom. 11:5), and the “wilderness” as a place of dependence on God, pointing forward to the spiritual rest found in Christ (Heb. 4:9-10).

Jeremiah 31:3 – “the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

God’s everlasting love and faithfulness are the foundation of the covenant. In New Covenant theology, this love is supremely demonstrated in Christ’s redemptive work (Eph. 1:4-5).

Jeremiah 31:4 – “Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.”

Restoration is promised. The “virgin Israel” language points to renewal and purity, fulfilled in the Church, the bride of Christ, made pure by His sacrifice (Eph. 5:25-27).

Jeremiah 31:5 – “Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit.”

Blessing and fruitfulness are restored. In Reformed thought, this is typological of the spiritual fruitfulness of the New Covenant community (John 15:5).

Jeremiah 31:6 – “For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.’”

Unity in worship is anticipated. In the New Covenant, Gentiles and Jews are called together to worship God in Christ (Eph. 2:14-18).

Jeremiah 31:7 – “For thus says the LORD: ‘Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, “O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.”’”

Salvation and praise are central. The “remnant” is the elect, and the call to praise is fulfilled in the worship of the Church (1 Peter 2:9-10).

Jeremiah 31:8 – “Behold, I will bring them from the north country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she who is in labour, together; a great company, they shall return here.”

God’s gathering is inclusive and gracious. In New Covenant theology, this foreshadows the ingathering of all nations into the people of God (Rev. 7:9).

Jeremiah 31:9 – “With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”

Repentance and restoration are God’s work. The “brooks of water” symbolize spiritual refreshment in Christ (John 7:37-39). God as Father is realized in the New Covenant (Gal. 4:6).

Jeremiah 31:10 – “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’”

God’s faithfulness extends to the nations. The shepherd imagery is fulfilled in Christ, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and the Church’s global mission.

Jeremiah 31:11 – “For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.”

Redemption is by God’s initiative. In Reformed theology, this points to Christ’s atoning work (Mark 10:45; Eph. 1:7).

Jeremiah 31:12 – “They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.”

Abundant blessing and joy are promised. In the New Covenant, the Church enjoys spiritual abundance in Christ (John 10:10).

Jeremiah 31:13 – “Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.”

Transformation from sorrow to joy is a New Covenant reality (John 16:20-22; Rev. 21:4).

Jeremiah 31:14 – “I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD.”

Spiritual satisfaction is found in God. In Christ, all believers are priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9) and are satisfied in Him.

Jeremiah 31:15 – “Thus says the LORD: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.’”

This verse is cited in Matthew 2:17-18, fulfilled in the slaughter of the innocents, showing that even in sorrow, God’s redemptive plan is unfolding.

Jeremiah 31:16 – “Thus says the LORD: ‘Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the LORD, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.’”

Hope is promised beyond sorrow. In Christ, resurrection and restoration are assured (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

Jeremiah 31:17 – “There is hope for your future, declares the LORD, and your children shall come back to their own country.”

God’s promises are future-oriented. The ultimate return is to God Himself, fulfilled in Christ (Heb. 11:16).

Jeremiah 31:18 – “I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the LORD my God.’”

Repentance is God’s gracious work in the heart (Phil. 2:13). Restoration is by God’s initiative.

Jeremiah 31:19 – “For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.”

True repentance involves shame over sin and a return to God, a fruit of the Spirit’s work (2 Cor. 7:10).

Jeremiah 31:20 – “Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the LORD.”

God’s fatherly compassion is central in the New Covenant (Luke 15:20; 1 John 3:1).

Jeremiah 31:21 – “Set up road markers for yourself; make yourself guideposts; consider well the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities.”

God calls for intentional repentance and return. In Christ, the way back to God is open (John 14:6).

Jeremiah 31:22 – “How long will you waver, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth: a woman encircles a man.”

This enigmatic phrase points to something radically new—interpreted by some as a prophecy of the virgin birth (see Calvin, Matthew Henry), or the reversal of roles in redemption.

Jeremiah 31:23 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes: “The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness, O holy hill!”’”

Restoration brings renewed blessing and holiness. In the New Covenant, Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30).

Jeremiah 31:24 – “And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks.”

All God’s people are included in the restoration, pointing to the unity of the Church (Eph. 2:19-22).

Jeremiah 31:25 – “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

Christ fulfills this as the One who gives rest to the weary (Matt. 11:28).

Jeremiah 31:26 – “At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.”

Jeremiah’s vision brings hope and comfort, a foretaste of the peace found in Christ (Phil. 4:7).

Jeremiah 31:27 – “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast.”

God promises new life and growth. In the New Covenant, the Church multiplies and flourishes (Acts 2:47).

Jeremiah 31:28 – “And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD.”

God’s sovereignty in both judgment and restoration is emphasized. He builds His Church (Matt. 16:18).

Jeremiah 31:29 – “In those days they shall no longer say: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’”

Personal responsibility is highlighted. In the New Covenant, each is accountable for their own response to God (Ezek. 18:20).

Jeremiah 31:30 – “But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.”

Individual sin and accountability are underscored, fulfilled in the New Covenant’s emphasis on personal faith and repentance.

The forthcoming New Covenant prophesied by Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:31 – “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

This is the great promise of the New Covenant, fulfilled in Christ (Luke 22:20; Heb. 8:8-12). The New Covenant is not a mere renewal, but a fundamentally new arrangement.

Jeremiah 31:32 – “not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.”

The Mosaic covenant was broken; the New Covenant is unbreakable because Christ’s obedience and sacrifice establish it.

Jeremiah 31:33 – “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”