Jeremiah 31:13
in Jeremiah 31Then the maidens will rejoice with dancing, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, and give them comfort and joy for their sorrow.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
KJV
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
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This verse in Jeremiah 31
Commentary
7 notes on this verse(Verse 13) Then the virgin shall rejoice in the dance (or the virgins) and the young men and the old men together, and I will turn their mourning into joy, and I will comfort them and make them rejoice from their sorrow. Then the virgin will rejoice in the choir, of whom the Apostle writes: For I have betrothed you to one husband to present a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2).
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
I will turn their mourning into joy
Barnes notes that dancing was the women's part, save at a religious feast, so the men here rejoice beside the dancing maidens. Matthew Henry quotes a Latin proverb: when the state prospers, the old man dances. He ties the turn from mourning to joy to Psalm 126.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together,.... Not any particular virgin, but all virgins, as Kimchi interprets it.
When they shall have returned to their own land they shall come and sing in the high place of Zion; on the top of that holy mountain they shall sing to the praise and glory of God. We read that they did so when the foundation of the temple was laid there; they sang together, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, Ezra iii.
Salva res est, saltat senex--The state prospers, and the aged dance. God will turn their mourning into joy, their fasts into solemn feasts, Zech. viii. It was in the return out of Babylon that those who sowed in tears were made to reap in joy, Ps. cxxvi.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Both gives the idea of the men dancing, which is incorrect. Except at a religious solemnity 2Sa 6:14, dancing was confined to women. Render and young men and old rejoice together.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָ֣ז | ʾaz | then | H227 → | 141 times |
| תִּשְׂמַ֤ח | tismach | she will rejoice | H8055 → | 155 times |
| בְּתוּלָה֙ | betulah | a virgin | H1330 → | 50 times |
| בְּמָח֔וֹל | bemachol | with dancing | H4234 → | |
| וּבַחֻרִ֥ים | uvachurim | and young men | H970 → | 44 times |
| וּזְקֵנִ֖ים | uzekenim | and old [men] | H2205 → | 178 times |
| יַחְדָּ֑ו | yachdav | alike | H3162 → | 141 times |
| וְהָפַכְתִּ֨י | vehafakhti | and I will turn | H2015 → | 94 times |
| אֶבְלָ֤ם | ʾevlam | mourning their | H60 → | 24 times |
| לְשָׂשׂוֹן֙ | lesason | into joy | H8342 → | 22 times |
| וְנִ֣חַמְתִּ֔ים | venichamtim | and I will comfort them | H5162 → | 108 times |
| וְשִׂמַּחְתִּ֖ים | vesimachtim | and I will make glad them | H8055 → | 155 times |
| מִיגוֹנָֽם׃ | migonam | from sorrow their | H3015 → | 14 times |
אָ֣זthen
ʾazH227 →141 times
תִּשְׂמַ֤חshe will rejoice
tismachH8055 →155 times
בְּתוּלָה֙a virgin
betulahH1330 →50 times
בְּמָח֔וֹלwith dancing
bemacholH4234 →
וּבַחֻרִ֥יםand young men
uvachurimH970 →44 times
וּזְקֵנִ֖יםand old [men]
uzekenimH2205 →178 times
יַחְדָּ֑וalike
yachdavH3162 →141 times
וְהָפַכְתִּ֨יand I will turn
vehafakhtiH2015 →94 times
אֶבְלָ֤םmourning their
ʾevlamH60 →24 times
לְשָׂשׂוֹן֙into joy
lesasonH8342 →22 times
וְנִ֣חַמְתִּ֔יםand I will comfort them
venichamtimH5162 →108 times
וְשִׂמַּחְתִּ֖יםand I will make glad them
vesimachtimH8055 →155 times
מִיגוֹנָֽם׃from sorrow their
migonamH3015 →14 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 51:11So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
it leads to
- Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove the disgrace of His people from the whole earth. For the LORD has spoken.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Revelation 21:4
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
- 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.’”
- Isaiah 35:10
So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
- Isaiah 25:8
Through
Isaiah 61:3to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be…
it leads to
- Psalms 30:11
You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
- Jeremiah 17:7–8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.
- John 16:20
Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
- Isaiah 61:10
I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom…
- Psalms 30:11
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, 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.