Jeremiah 16:15
in Jeremiah 16Instead they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’ For I will return them to their land that I gave to their forefathers.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
but, As Jehovah liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries whither he had driven them. And I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
KJV
But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.
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This verse in Jeremiah 16
Commentary
10 notes on this verseBut the Lord liveth,.... Or they shall swear by the living Lord; or declare his power, as the Targum: "that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north"; that is, from Babylon, which lay north of Judea. The Jews (d) gather from hence, that the land of Israel was higher than all other lands, because it is said, that "brought up", or "caused to ascend"; as out of the land of Egypt as before, so out of all other lands.
This site's exposition
the days are coming, declares the LORD
on Jeremiah 16:14-15
A new oath replaces the old. People will no longer swear by the LORD “who brought the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt”. The return from exile becomes the greater exodus by which later generations recall his power, a homecoming set inside a chapter of judgment.
This site's exposition
Instead they will say
Gill names the land of the north as Babylon. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown take the return from Babylon as the first meaning, and a final return from every land as the full one. Matthew Henry finds more pardoning mercy in this return than in the exodus from Egypt.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Vers. 14, 15.) Therefore, behold, days are coming," says the Lord, "and it will no longer be said, 'As the Lord lives, who brought the children of Israel up from the land of Egypt,' but 'As the Lord lives, who brought the children of Israel up from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to their land that I gave to their ancestors.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
They are cast out, but they are not cast off, they are not cast away. They shall be brought up from the land of the north, the land of their captivity, where they are held with a strong hand, and from all the lands whither they are driven, and where they seemed to be lost and buried in the crowd; nay, I will bring them again into their own land, and settle them there.
In this there was more of pardoning mercy (the most glorious branch of divine mercy) than in that; for their captivity in Babylon had more in it of the punishment of sin than their bondage in Egypt; and therefore that which comforts Zion in her deliverance out of Babylon is this, that her iniquity is pardoned, Isa. xl.
In Egypt they were used as servants that were useful, in Babylon as captives that had been hateful. They shall be warned, and God shall be glorified, by these judgments brought upon them. These judgments have a voice, and speak aloud, (1.) Instruction to them.
Some hopes are given that the punishment of the sin should prove the reformation of the sinners, and that they should return to God at length in a way of duty, and so be qualified for his returns to them in a way of favour,
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The land of the north - Chaldea: and their deliverance thence will be as remarkable as the deliverance of their fathers from the land of Egypt.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
But while the return from Babylon is primarily meant, the return hereafter is the full and final accomplishment contemplated, as "from all the lands" proves. "Israel" was not, save in a very limited sense, "gathered from all the lands" at the return from Babylon (see on Jer 24:6;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
22 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֣י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life of | H2416 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶעֱלָ֜ה | heelah | he brought up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנֵ֤י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מֵאֶ֣רֶץ | meeretz | from a land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| צָפ֔וֹן | tzafon | [the] north | H6828 → | 153 times |
| וּמִכֹּל֙ | umikol | and from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָֽאֲרָצ֔וֹת | haaratzot | the lands | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הִדִּיחָ֖ם | hidicham | he had banished them | H5080 → | 55 times |
| שָׁ֑מָּה | shamah | there towards | H8033 → | 834 times |
| וַהֲשִֽׁבֹתִים֙ | vahashivotim | and I will bring back them | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | to | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אַדְמָתָ֔ם | ʾadmatam | land their | H127 → | 225 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָתַ֖תִּי | natati | I gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לַאֲבוֹתָֽם׃ ס | laavotam | to ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
כִּ֣יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
חַי־[by] [the] life of
chai-H2416 →498 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֶעֱלָ֜הhe brought up
heelahH5927 →890 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנֵ֤י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מֵאֶ֣רֶץfrom a land of
meeretzH776 →2504 times
צָפ֔וֹן[the] north
tzafonH6828 →153 times
וּמִכֹּל֙and from all
umikolH3605 →5413 times
הָֽאֲרָצ֔וֹתthe lands
haaratzotH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הִדִּיחָ֖םhe had banished them
hidichamH5080 →55 times
שָׁ֑מָּהthere towards
shamahH8033 →834 times
וַהֲשִֽׁבֹתִים֙and I will bring back them
vahashivotimH7725 →1056 times
עַל־to
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
אַדְמָתָ֔םland their
ʾadmatamH127 →225 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נָתַ֖תִּיI gave
natatiH5414 →2011 times
לַאֲבוֹתָֽם׃ סto ancestors their
laavotamH1 →1212 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 24:6I will keep My eyes on them for good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 42:10
‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I will relent of the disaster…
- Jeremiah 29:10
For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
- Jeremiah 33:7
I will restore Judah and Israel from captivity and will rebuild them as in former times.
- Jeremiah 12:15
But after I have uprooted them, I will once again have compassion on them and return each one to his inheritance and to his land.
- Jeremiah 32:41
Yes, I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.
- Jeremiah 42:10
Through
Ezekiel 36:24For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 37:21
you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all…
- Ezekiel 34:13
I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in…
- Ezekiel 37:21
Through
Jeremiah 32:37I will surely gather My people from all the lands to which I have banished them in My furious anger and great wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 23:3
Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock from all the lands to which I have banished them, and I will return them to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and…
- Jeremiah 23:3
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.