Jeremiah 30:21
in Jeremiah 30Their leader will be one of their own, and their ruler will arise from their midst. And I will bring him near, and he will approach Me, for who would dare on his own to approach Me?” declares the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And their prince shall be of themselves, and their ruler shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is he that hath had boldness to approach unto me? saith Jehovah.
KJV
And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord.
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This verse in Jeremiah 30
Commentary
10 notes on this verseAnd their nobles shall be of themselves,.... Or, "his noble One" (d); Jacob's noble One, the Messiah, in whom all the promises centre; and whose incarnation and priesthood are the foundation of all the things above predicted. The Targum interprets these words of him; "their King shall be anointed from them, and their Messiah shall be revealed from the midst of them.'' And so it is applied to him in the Talmud (e), and in other writings of the Jews (f).
This site's exposition
This is what the LORD says
on Jeremiah 30:18-22
The rebuilding is concrete: “the city will be rebuilt on her own ruins, and the palace will stand in its rightful place.” The unit closes with the formula, “And you will be My people, and I will be your God,” the words that anchor the new covenant.
This site's exposition
Their leader will be one of their own
Israel's ruler will come from its own people. Adam Clarke points to Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, governors after the return, while Gill and the Targum read the leader as the Messiah. Matthew Henry sees Christ drawing near to God as priest for His people, which no one dares on his own.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 18 and following) Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will turn the fortunes of the tents of Jacob, and have compassion on their dwellings (or captivity). And the city shall be rebuilt on its mound, and the temple shall be founded according to its order. And praise shall come forth from them, and the voice of those who play. And I will multiply them, and they shall not be few. (And what follows: And I will glorify them, and they shall not be made small, is not found in the Septuagint). And they shall be, says the Lord, His sons as from the beginning, and His congregation shall remain before me, and I will visit all those who trouble him. And his leader shall come forth from him, and the ruler shall be produced from among them. And I will bring him near, and he shall approach me. For who is this who has applied his heart to draw near to me, says the Lord? (And this also is not found in the Septuagint.) And you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Whose image prefigured this in Zerubabel and Ezra, when the people returned and the city began to be built in its exalted state, and the religion of the Temple was observed, and the other things contained in the book of Ezra himself. But it was more fully and completely fulfilled in the Lord Savior and the Apostles, when the city was built on its highest point, of which it is written: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14); and the Temple was established according to its order and ceremonies, so that whatever was done in the former people carnally, would be spiritually fulfilled in the Church. Then praise and thanksgiving came forth. For this means Thoda, as all the Apostles said: Grace to you and peace (1 Corinthians 1:3). […]
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But it looks further, to Christ, to him as Mediator. Note, (1.) The proper work and office of Christ, as Mediator, is to draw near and approach unto God, not for himself only, but for us, and in our name and stead, as the high priest of our profession. The priests are said to draw nigh to God, Lev. x.
): Their nobles and judges shall be of themselves, of their own nation, and they shall no longer be ruled by strangers and enemies; their governor shall proceed from the midst of them, shall be one that has been a sharer with them in the afflictions of their captive state; and this has reference to Christ our governor, David our King (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Their nobles shall be of themselves - Strangers shall not rule over them; and - Their governor shall proceed from the midst of them - Both Nehemiah and Zerubbabel, their nobles and governors after the return from Babylon, were Jews.
I MENTIONED in the reading that there is a very remarkable change of tone in the Book of Jeremiah, at the 30th chapter. You read on through the 29 chapters and you hear nothing but "a weeping and wailing," while the Prophet stands before you, girt with sackcloth, bidding Israel, "lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us." When you come to the middle of the 30th chapter, all is changed—you have left the dungeon for the pleasant meads and you hear "thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry."
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
their nobles--rather, "their Glorious One," or "Leader" (compare Ac 3:15; Heb 2:10), answering to "their Governor" in the parallel clause. of themselves--of their own nation, a Jew, not a foreigner; applicable to Zerubbabel, or J. Hyrcanus (hereditary high priest and governor), only as types of Christ (Ge 49:10;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
I MENTIONED in the reading that there is a very remarkable change of tone in the Book of Jeremiah, at the 30th chapter. You read on through the 29 chapters and you hear nothing but "a weeping and wailing," while the Prophet stands before you, girt with sackcloth, bidding Israel, "lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us." When you come to the middle of the 30th chapter, all is changed—you have left the dungeon for the pleasant meads and you hear "thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry." Here flowers of promise glorify the fields and birds of praise sweeten the air with music. The people are first made to tremble and fear on account of sin and all faces are turned into paleness—and then the Lord declares His immeasurable Grace, saying, "I am with you to save you: though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet will I not make a full end of you." The condition of the sinful people is brought home to them and the nation is solemnly told—"Your bruise is incurable and your wound is grievous. There is none to plead your cause, that you may be bound up: you have no healing medicines. Why do you cry for your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable, for the multitude of your iniquity—because your sins were increased, I have done these things unto you." And then man's extremity of misery becomes God's opportunity of mercy! When and where sin abounds, Grace does much more abound, and the Lord displays His wonders of love. He graciously declares—"I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds." The reason for the change is not difficult to find.
The words behind it
20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָ֨ה | vehayah | and he will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אַדִּיר֜וֹ | ʾadiro | noble [one] its | H117 → | 27 times |
| מִמֶּ֗נּוּ | mimenu | one of it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| וּמֹֽשְׁלוֹ֙ | umoshelo | and ruler its | H4910 → | 81 times |
| מִקִּרְבּ֣וֹ | mikirbo | from [the] midst its | H7130 → | 227 times |
| יֵצֵ֔א | yetze' | he will come forth | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| וְהִקְרַבְתִּ֖יו | vehikravtiv | and I will bring near him | H7126 → | |
| וְנִגַּ֣שׁ | venigash | and he will draw near | H5066 → | 125 times |
| אֵלָ֑י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| כִּי֩ | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מִ֨י | mi | who? | H4310 → | 423 times |
| הוּא־ | hu'- | that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| זֶ֜ה | zeh | this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| עָרַ֧ב | ʾarav | has he pledged | H6148 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לִבּ֛וֹ | libo | heart his | H3820 → | 595 times |
| לָגֶ֥שֶׁת | lageshet | to draw near | H5066 → | 125 times |
| אֵלַ֖י | ʾelai | to me | H413 → | 5510 times |
| נְאֻם־ | neum- | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְהָיָ֨הand he will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
אַדִּיר֜וֹnoble [one] its
ʾadiroH117 →27 times
מִמֶּ֗נּוּone of it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
וּמֹֽשְׁלוֹ֙and ruler its
umosheloH4910 →81 times
מִקִּרְבּ֣וֹfrom [the] midst its
mikirboH7130 →227 times
יֵצֵ֔אhe will come forth
yetze'H3318 →1067 times
וְהִקְרַבְתִּ֖יוand I will bring near him
vehikravtivH7126 →
וְנִגַּ֣שׁand he will draw near
venigashH5066 →125 times
אֵלָ֑יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
כִּי֩for
kiH3588 →4482 times
מִ֨יwho?
miH4310 →423 times
הוּא־that
hu'-H1931 →1879 times
זֶ֜הthis
zehH2088 →1180 times
עָרַ֧בhas he pledged
ʾaravH6148 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לִבּ֛וֹheart his
liboH3820 →595 times
לָגֶ֥שֶׁתto draw near
lageshetH5066 →125 times
אֵלַ֖יto me
ʾelaiH413 →5510 times
נְאֻם־[the] utterance of
neum-H5002 →376 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Ezekiel 37:24My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 34:23–24
I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
- Hosea 3:5
Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.
- Ezekiel 34:23–24
Through
Acts 5:31God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
it leads to
- Luke 24:47
and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
- Acts 2:33
Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
- Hebrews 2:10
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
- Acts 11:18
When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
- Luke 2:11
Today in the city of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord!
- Luke 24:47
Through
Numbers 16:5Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to Him and who is holy, and He will bring that person near to Himself. The one…
it leads to
- Psalms 65:4
Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts! We are filled with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.
- Psalms 65:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1673: “Who Is This?” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Calvin, Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.