The Meaning of Jeremiah 31:18 Explained

Jeremiah 31:18

KJV: I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

YLT: I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, 'Thou hast chastised me, And I am chastised, as a heifer not taught, Turn me back, and I turn back, For thou art Jehovah my God.

Darby: I have indeed heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus: Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock not trained: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God.

ASV: I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus , Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed to the yoke : turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I have surely  heard  Ephraim  bemoaning  himself [thus]; Thou hast chastised  me, and I was chastised,  as a bullock  unaccustomed  [to the yoke]: turn  thou me, and I shall be turned;  for thou [art] the LORD  my God. 

What does Jeremiah 31:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh heard Ephraim, the people of the Northern Kingdom, acknowledging that He had chastened them like an untrained calf. They cried out to Him to restore them because He was their God.

Context Summary

Jeremiah 31:1-40 - Shepherds That Mislead God's Flock
It is God's purpose to care for His people through shepherds (pastors) who are responsible to Him. Jesus our Lord is the Branch into which we may be grafted. He is our King who saves us and clothes us with His own spotless righteousness. God finds us in Him, Philippians 3:9. Because He reigns, we are saved and dwell in safety. When we are brought into contact with false shepherds, whether the failure be in doctrine or example, let us ask for the broken heart of Jeremiah 23:9.
God is everywhere present; as the latter paragraph indicates, He is near at hand to overhear the blasphemy of those who deride religion, and to be a very present help in time of trouble. If He fills heaven and earth, can He not fill thy heart? If His Word is like fire, let it cleanse thee! If it is as a hammer, let it pulverize thy pride! Let those of us who essay to teach and preach, not steal our words from our neighbors, or utter our own, but receive them from the source of all truth. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 31

1  The restoration of Israel
10  The publication thereof
15  Rahel mourning is comforted
18  Ephraim repenting is brought home again
22  Christ is promised
27  His care over the church
31  His new covenant
35  The stability,
38  and amplitude of the church

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 31:18 mean?

Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself You have chastised me and I was chastised Like bull not an untrained Restore me and I will return for You [are] Yahweh my God
שָׁמ֣וֹעַ שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ מִתְנוֹדֵ֔ד יִסַּרְתַּ֙נִי֙ וָֽאִוָּסֵ֔ר כְּעֵ֖גֶל לֹ֣א לֻמָּ֑ד הֲשִׁיבֵ֣נִי וְאָשׁ֔וּבָה כִּ֥י אַתָּ֖ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי

שָׁמ֣וֹעַ  Surely 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
שָׁמַ֗עְתִּי  I  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
מִתְנוֹדֵ֔ד  bemoaning  himself 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נוּד  
Sense: to shake, waver, wander, move to and fro, flutter, show grief, have compassion on.
יִסַּרְתַּ֙נִי֙  You  have  chastised  me 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: יָסַר 
Sense: to chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish.
וָֽאִוָּסֵ֔ר  and  I  was  chastised 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָסַר 
Sense: to chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish.
כְּעֵ֖גֶל  Like  bull 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵגֶל  
Sense: calf, bull-calf.
לֻמָּ֑ד  an  untrained 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לָמַד  
Sense: to learn. teach, exercise in.
הֲשִׁיבֵ֣נִי  Restore  me 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וְאָשׁ֔וּבָה  and  I  will  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אַתָּ֖ה  You  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהָֽי  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).