Jeremiah 31:10
in Jeremiah 31Hear, O nations, the word of the LORD, and proclaim it in distant coastlands: “The One who scattered Israel will gather them and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Hear the word of Jehovah, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off; and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
KJV
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
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This verse in Jeremiah 31
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The isles - The coast land of the Mediterranean, used here to show that the most distant countries are to hear and marvel at Israel’s wonderful restoration.
This site's exposition
For this is what the LORD
on Jeremiah 31:7-14
The company is named by its weakest members, “the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor.” “For I am Israel’s Father, and Ephraim is My firstborn” restores the north to the firstborn's place. Life becomes “like a well-watered garden.”
This site's exposition
Hear, O nations, the word of the LORD
Distant coastlands are called to hear this news. Barnes takes the coastlands as the lands along the Mediterranean, showing that the farthest peoples will marvel at Israel's return. The same hand that scattered is the hand that gathers, as a shepherd keeps his flock.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The calling of the nations is demonstrated clearly when Scripture says, "Hear the word of the Lord, nations, and announce it to the distant coastlands." What do they announce to the distant coastlands? They announce that "the same Lord who scattered Israel will gather him," showing that it was never in the power of his enemies to scatter Israel, but only in the will of the Lord, "and guard Israel as a shepherd guards his flock," since "the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep," "for the Lord redeemed Jacob with his own precious blood and freed him from the hands of those who were more powerful or stronger." … "They will come," it continues, no doubt referring to those who were liberated from the hand of the powerful, "and praise their liberator on Mount Zion," that is, in the church, "and stream to the goodness of the Lord of all abundance," which is known not in the fruits and foods of this flesh but in a diversity of virtues.
(Verse 10) Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and proclaim it in distant islands, and say: He who scattered Israel will gather him and will watch over him as a shepherd does his flock. Clearly the calling of the nations is shown, with the Scripture saying: Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it on the islands far away, and say. What do the islands that are far away announce? It is the Lord, who dispersed Israel, who will gather them together.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations,....
Una eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit -- The hand that inflicted the wound shall heal it. And when he has gathered him into one body, one fold, he will keep him, as a shepherd does his flock, from being scattered again. That those who are sold and alienated shall be redeemed and brought back,
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שִׁמְע֤וּ | shimu | hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| דְבַר־ | devar- | [the] word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| גּוֹיִ֔ם | goyim | O nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| וְהַגִּ֥ידוּ | vehagidu | and declare | H5046 → | 370 times |
| בָאִיִּ֖ים | vaiyim | in the islands | H339 → | 36 times |
| מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק | mimerchak | from a distance | H4801 → | 18 times |
| וְאִמְר֗וּ | veimru | and say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| מְזָרֵ֤ה | mezareh | [the] [one who] scattered of | H2219 → | 39 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| יְקַבְּצֶ֔נּוּ | yekabetzenu | he will gather it | H6908 → | 127 times |
| וּשְׁמָר֖וֹ | ushemaro | and he will keep it | H8104 → | 468 times |
| כְּרֹעֶ֥ה | keroeh | like a shepherd | H7462 → | 177 times |
| עֶדְרֽוֹ׃ | edro | flock his | H5739 → | 38 times |
שִׁמְע֤וּhear
shimuH8085 →1159 times
דְבַר־[the] word of
devar-H1697 →1440 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
גּוֹיִ֔םO nations
goyimH1471 →561 times
וְהַגִּ֥ידוּand declare
vehagiduH5046 →370 times
בָאִיִּ֖יםin the islands
vaiyimH339 →36 times
מִמֶּרְחָ֑קfrom a distance
mimerchakH4801 →18 times
וְאִמְר֗וּand say
veimruH559 →5305 times
מְזָרֵ֤ה[the] [one who] scattered of
mezarehH2219 →39 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
יְקַבְּצֶ֔נּוּhe will gather it
yekabetzenuH6908 →127 times
וּשְׁמָר֖וֹand he will keep it
ushemaroH8104 →468 times
כְּרֹעֶ֥הlike a shepherd
keroehH7462 →177 times
עֶדְרֽוֹ׃flock his
edroH5739 →38 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
Isaiah 40:11He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.
it leads to
- Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
- Psalms 23:1–6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
- Micah 5:4
He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to…
- Ezekiel 34:23
I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
- John 10:11–16
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
- Revelation 7:17
Through
Isaiah 66:19I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from among them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, and the archers of Lud; to Tubal, Javan, and the islands far away who…
it leads to
- Isaiah 52:15
so He will sprinkle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.
- Isaiah 52:15
Through
John 11:52and not only for the nation, but also for the scattered children of God, to gather them together into one.
it leads to
- John 10:16
I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
- John 10:16
Through
Ezekiel 34:12As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered…
it leads to
- John 10:11–12
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
- John 10:11–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies27
On this verse
About Jeremiah

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, SIX BOOKS ON JEREMIAH 6:17.3-5; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Calvin, Commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
