1 Moreover the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the guard, saying, 2 Thus says Yahweh who does it, Yahweh who forms it to establish it; Yahweh is his name: 3 Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know. 4 For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are broken down (to make a defense) against the mounds and against the sword; 5 while (men) come to fight with the Chaldeans, and to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have killed in my anger and in my wrath, and for all whose wickedness I have hidden my face from this city: 6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them; and I will reveal to them abundance of peace and truth. 7 I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. 8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, by which they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, by which they have sinned against me, and by which they have transgressed against me. 9 (This city) shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do to them, and shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure to it. 10 Thus says Yahweh: Yet again there shall be heard in this place, about which you say, It is waste, without man and without animal, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without animal, 11 the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, Give thanks to Yahweh of Armies, for Yahweh is good, for his loving kindness endures forever; (and of them) who bring (sacrifices of) thanksgiving into the house of Yahweh. For I will cause the captivity of the land to return as at the first, says Yahweh. 12 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: Yet again shall there be in this place, which is waste, without man and without animal, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. 13 In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks again pass under the hands of him who numbers them, says Yahweh. 14 Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah. 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up to David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is (the name) by which she shall be called: Yahweh our righteousness. 17 For thus says Yahweh: David shall never want a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to burn meal offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. 19 The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 20 Thus says Yahweh: If you can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, so that there shall not be day and night in their season; 21 then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. 22 As the army of the sky can't be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured; so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites who minister to me. 23 The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 Don't consider what this people has spoken, saying, The two families which Yahweh did choose, he has cast them off? thus do they despise my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. 25 Thus says Yahweh: If my covenant of day and night fails, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 then will I also cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy on them.
The promises of Jeremiah. 32 are confirmed, but with a more directly spiritual meaning. The prophet foreshows in it the happiness of the returning exiles, of which the culminating glory is Messiah's birth Jeremiah 33:15-16, in whom both the Levitical priesthood and the Davidic kingdom are combined Jeremiah 33:17-18, and God's covenant with mankind made perpetual Jeremiah 33:19-26.
In this chapter the prophet predicts a restoration of Israel and Judah to the favor of God, attended with such glorious circumstances as shall astonish all the world, Jeremiah 33:1-9. Their prosperity from that period is then described by a beautiful enumeration of circumstances, Jeremiah 33:10-13. Thus leads to the promise of the Messiah, the grand subject of the prophetical writings, and the happiness and stability which the children of Israel shall enjoy under his government; promises which, in so far as they respect the great body of the Jews, remain still to be fulfilled, Jeremiah 33:14-26.
INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 33
This chapter is a continuation of prophecies of spiritual blessings on the church of Christ in Gospel times, of which the return of the Jews from captivity, and the benefits following on that, were types. The place where Jeremiah had this prophecy communicated to him, the prison, Jeremiah 33:1; the author of it, Jehovah, who describes himself, Jeremiah 33:2; encourages the prophet to pray unto him, promising an answer, and a discovery of great and hidden things, Jeremiah 33:3; not so much concerning the destruction of the city, and the rebuilding it, Jeremiah 33:4; as spiritual blessings to the church, signified by it; such as a healthful state and condition through Christ, the sun of righteousness, arising with healing in his wings, and a revelation of abundance of peace and truth by him, Jeremiah 33:6; a release of captives, and a rebuilding of the church, Jeremiah 33:7; free and full forgiveness of all sins, Jeremiah 33:8; the church a praise in the whole earth; much joy in it, and glory to God by it, Jeremiah 33:9; spiritual pastors or shepherds feeding their flocks, and taking very diligent care of them, Jeremiah 33:12; a promise of the Messiah as a righteous Branch; as the Saviour and safeguard of his people; and as the Lord their righteousness, Jeremiah 33:14; an assurance of the continuance of the kingly and priestly offices in him, whereby the covenant of God with David and the Levites would be for ever secured, Jeremiah 33:17; and the chapter is concluded with a promise of the perseverance of the saints and people of God; which is represented as certain as the covenant with day and night, and as the ordinances of heaven and earth, in opposition to a suggestion to the contrary, Jeremiah 33:23.
(Jeremiah 33:1-13) The restoration of the Jews.
(Jeremiah 33:14-26) The Messiah promised; happiness of his times.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.