The Meaning of Jeremiah 3:19 Explained

Jeremiah 3:19

KJV: But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

YLT: And I have said, How do I put thee among the sons, And give to thee a desirable land, A beauteous inheritance of the hosts of nations, And I say, My father -- ye do call to Me, And from after Me ye do not turn back.

Darby: And as for me, I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee the pleasant land, the goodly inheritance of the hosts of the nations? And I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from following me.

ASV: But I said, How I will put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But I said,  How shall I put  thee among the children,  and give  thee a pleasant  land,  a goodly  heritage  of the hosts  of nations?  and I said,  Thou shalt call  me, My father;  and shalt not turn away  from me. 

What does Jeremiah 3:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord next explained how He longed for the day when this repentance and return would happen. He would set His chosen people among His other sons (including good angels, Gentile believers, and Christians). He would give them a pleasant land, a more beautiful inheritance than He will give believing Gentiles in the future. Israel and Judah would return to the Lord as their Father and would not turn away from Him any more (cf. Hosea 11:1).

Context Summary

Jeremiah 3:11-25 - Pleading With Faithless Children
The people of the northern kingdom, to whom this appeal is especially addressed, were more excusable than Judah, because their privileges had been less. God judges us according to our opportunities. How precious the invitation and promise of Jeremiah 3:12! Confession is an essential condition that must be fulfilled by us. See 1 John 1:7. Zion shall yet be the center of a restored Israel, Jeremiah 3:14; Jeremiah 3:18. In Jeremiah 3:21-25 the voices of the people in confession and prayer mingle with Jehovah's encouraging their return. When we lie down in broken-hearted shame and penitence, we are very near to being lifted to the bosom of God. Compare Jeremiah 3:25 with Jeremiah 4:1. The return of the Chosen People to the God of their fathers will be the cause of revival and quickening throughout the earth. Compare Jeremiah 4:2 with Romans 11:12. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 3

1  God's great mercy to Judah the polluted land
6  Judah is worse than Israel
12  The promises of the gospel to the penitent
20  Israel reproved, and called by God, makes a solemn confession of their sins

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 3:19 mean?

But I said how can I put you among the sons and give you a land pleasant a heritage of beautiful the hosts of nations and I said My Father - You shall call Me and from Me not - turn away
וְאָנֹכִ֣י אָמַ֗רְתִּי אֵ֚יךְ אֲשִׁיתֵ֣ךְ בַּבָּנִ֔ים וְאֶתֶּן־ לָךְ֙ אֶ֣רֶץ חֶמְדָּ֔ה נַחֲלַ֥ת צְבִ֖י צִבְא֣וֹת ؟ גּוֹיִ֑ם וָאֹמַ֗ר אָבִי֙ [תקראו־] (תִּקְרְאִי־) לִ֔י וּמֵאַחֲרַ֖י לֹ֥א [תשובו] (תָשֽׁוּבִי)

וְאָנֹכִ֣י  But  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
אָמַ֗רְתִּי  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵ֚יךְ  how 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
אֲשִׁיתֵ֣ךְ  can  I  put  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, second person feminine singular
Root: שִׁית  
Sense: to put, set.
בַּבָּנִ֔ים  among  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְאֶתֶּן־  and  give 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶ֣רֶץ  a  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
חֶמְדָּ֔ה  pleasant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶמְדָּה  
Sense: desire, that which is desirable adj.
נַחֲלַ֥ת  a  heritage 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
צְבִ֖י  of  beautiful 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: beauty, glory, honour.
צִבְא֣וֹת  the  hosts 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
؟ גּוֹיִ֑ם  of  nations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
וָאֹמַ֗ר  and  I  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָבִי֙  My  Father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
[תקראו־]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
(תִּקְרְאִי־)  You  shall  call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
לִ֔י  Me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
וּמֵאַחֲרַ֖י  and  from  Me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, first person common singular
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
[תשובו]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
(תָשֽׁוּבִי)  turn  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.