The Meaning of Jeremiah 31:9 Explained

Jeremiah 31:9

KJV: They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

YLT: With weeping they come in, And with supplications I bring them, I cause them to go unto streams of waters, In a right way -- they stumble not in it, For I have been to Israel for a father, And Ephraim -- My first-born is he.

Darby: They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them; I will cause them to walk by water-brooks, in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I will be a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

ASV: They shall come with weeping; and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They shall come  with weeping,  and with supplications  will I lead  them: I will cause them to walk  by the rivers  of waters  in a straight  way,  wherein they shall not stumble:  for I am a father  to Israel,  and Ephraim  [is] my firstborn. 

What does Jeremiah 31:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

They would return, weeping tears of repentance and praying for the Lord"s favor. He would lead them back tenderly, as a father deals with his firstborn son (cf. Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 32:6; Luke 15:11-32), and would make the trip refreshing, pleasant, and safe.
"The designation of Ephraim as the first-born of Jahveh simply shows that, in the deliverance of the people, Ephraim is in no respect to be behind Judah,-that they are to receive their full share in the Messianic salvation of the whole people; in other words, that the love which the Lord once displayed towards Israel, when He delivered them out of the power of Pharaoh, is also to be, in the future, displayed towards the ten tribes, who were looked on as lost." [1]

Context Summary

Jeremiah 31:1-9 - 15-34, An Everlasting Love
It is all-inclusive: all the families of Israel. It is patient under provocation: during forty years it bore with Israel. It has a drawing-power which overcomes our obduracy. It longs to restore the old joyous confidence and freedom: thou shalt go forth in the dances of them that make ready. It will never rest till it has broken down misunderstandings and alienation, so that even Ephraim shall propose to worship at Mount Zion. It meets the heart: they shall come with weeping. It sets the blind by rivers of waters, and the blind and the lame in a straight way. The effect of such love is still further described in Jeremiah 31:18-19 we bemoan our sins with profound remorse. These words, which were so sweet to the prophet, Jeremiah 31:26, are yet to be fulfilled; but in the meantime the covenant is for us all and each one may claim the fulfillment of the I wills of Jeremiah 31:33-34. See Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 8:8.
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 31:9 mean?

With weeping they shall come and with supplications I will lead them I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a way straight not they shall stumble in which for I am to Israel a Father and Ephraim My firstborn is -
בִּבְכִ֣י יָבֹ֗אוּ וּֽבְתַחֲנוּנִים֮ אֽוֹבִילֵם֒ אֽוֹלִיכֵם֙ אֶל־ נַ֣חֲלֵי מַ֔יִם בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ יָשָׁ֔ר לֹ֥א יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ בָּ֑הּ כִּֽי־ הָיִ֤יתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְאָ֔ב וְאֶפְרַ֖יִם בְּכֹ֥רִי הֽוּא ס

בִּבְכִ֣י  With  weeping 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בְּכִי  
Sense: a weeping, weeping.
יָבֹ֗אוּ  they  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וּֽבְתַחֲנוּנִים֮  and  with  supplications 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: תַּחֲנוּן  
Sense: supplication, supplication for favour.
אֽוֹבִילֵם֒  I  will  lead  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָבַל  
Sense: to bring, lead, carry, conduct, bear along.
אֽוֹלִיכֵם֙  I  will  cause  them  to  walk 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
נַ֣חֲלֵי  the  rivers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
מַ֔יִם  of  waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ  in  a  way 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
יָשָׁ֔ר  straight 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָשָׁר 
Sense: straight, upright, correct, right.
יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ  they  shall  stumble 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּשַׁל  
Sense: to stumble, stagger, totter.
בָּ֑הּ  in  which 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
הָיִ֤יתִי  I  am 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙  to  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
לְאָ֔ב  a  Father 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְאֶפְרַ֖יִם  and  Ephraim 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
בְּכֹ֥רִי  My  firstborn 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בְּכֹר  
Sense: firstborn, firstling.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation