The Meaning of Jeremiah 31:40 Explained

Jeremiah 31:40

KJV: And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

YLT: And all the valley of the carcases and of the ashes, And all the fields unto the brook Kidron, Unto the corner of the horse-gate eastward, Are holy to Jehovah, it is not plucked up, Nor is it thrown down any more to the age!

Darby: And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the torrent Kidron, unto the corner of the horse-gate toward the east, shall be holy unto Jehovah: it shall not be plucked up, nor overthrown any more for ever.

ASV: And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto Jehovah; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the whole valley  of the dead bodies,  and of the ashes,  and all the fields  unto the brook  of Kidron,  unto the corner  of the horse  gate  toward the east,  [shall be] holy  unto the LORD;  it shall not be plucked up,  nor thrown down  any more for ever. 

What does Jeremiah 31:40 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The whole new, enlarged city would be devoted to Yahweh, and it would never experience invasion or overthrow again. The valley of the dead bodies probably refers to the Hinnom Valley to Jerusalem"s south and west (cf. Jeremiah 7:31). The Kidron Brook lay on Jerusalem"s east side, and the Horse Gate stood at the southeast corner of the city wall and led out to the Kidron Valley. What had formerly been unclean land, full of dead bodies, would be holy to the Lord. The city"s change in character would be even more remarkable than its change in size.
"Since a literal nation must have an actual geographical location in which to reside, it is now revealed that the capital, Jerusalem, will be rebuilt and expanded-yes, the very city that Jeremiah was before long to see destroyed by the Chaldean army." [1]
The description of rebuilt Jerusalem in Nehemiah"s day does not coincide with this picture. Furthermore, the temple that the restoration community rebuilt did not continue to exist (cf. Jeremiah 31:40); the Romans destroyed it in A.D70. That this is a description of a heavenly city is unlikely in view of the large amount of detail. Contextual considerations also demand an eschatological rebuilding of the city on the ancient site (cf. chs32-33). Ezekiel 40-48 and Zechariah 2 , 14also describe this future (millennial) city.

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 31:40 mean?

And whole the valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes and all - the fields as far as the Brook Kidron to the corner of Gate the Horse toward the east [shall be] holy to Yahweh not it shall be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever -
וְכָל־ הָעֵ֣מֶק הַפְּגָרִ֣ים ׀ וְהַדֶּ֡שֶׁן וְכָֽל־ [השרמות] (הַשְּׁדֵמוֹת֩) עַד־ נַ֨חַל קִדְר֜וֹן עַד־ פִּנַּ֨ת שַׁ֤עַר הַסּוּסִים֙ מִזְרָ֔חָה קֹ֖דֶשׁ לַֽיהוָ֑ה לֹֽא־ יִנָּתֵ֧שׁ וְֽלֹא־ יֵהָרֵ֛ס ע֖וֹד לְעוֹלָֽם ס

וְכָל־  And  whole 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָעֵ֣מֶק  the  valley 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵמֶק  
Sense: valley, vale, lowland, open country.
הַפְּגָרִ֣ים ׀  of  the  dead  bodies 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: פֶּגֶר  
Sense: corpse, carcass, monument, stela.
וְהַדֶּ֡שֶׁן  and  of  the  ashes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּשֶׁן  
Sense: fat ashes, fatness.
וְכָֽל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
[השרמות]  - 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
(הַשְּׁדֵמוֹת֩)  the  fields 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: שֻׁפִּם 
Sense: field.
עַד־  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
נַ֨חַל  the  Brook 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
קִדְר֜וֹן  Kidron 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: קִדְרֹון  
Sense: a stream east of Jerusalem.
פִּנַּ֨ת  the  corner 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: פִּנָּה  
Sense: corner.
שַׁ֤עַר  of  Gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
הַסּוּסִים֙  the  Horse 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
מִזְרָ֔חָה  toward  the  east 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מִזְרָח  
Sense: place of sunrise, east.
קֹ֖דֶשׁ  [shall  be]  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
לַֽיהוָ֑ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
יִנָּתֵ֧שׁ  it  shall  be  plucked  up 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָתַשׁ  
Sense: to pull up, expel, root out, pluck up.
יֵהָרֵ֛ס  thrown  down 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָרַס  
Sense: to tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, ruined, destroyer, utterly.
ע֖וֹד  anymore 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
לְעוֹלָֽם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation