The Meaning of Jeremiah 31:33 Explained

Jeremiah 31:33

KJV: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

YLT: For this is the covenant that I make, With the house of Israel, after those days, An affirmation of Jehovah, I have given My law in their inward part, And on their heart I do write it, And I have been to them for God, And they are to me for a people.

Darby: For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith Jehovah: I will put my law in their inward parts, and will write it in their heart; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

ASV: But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Jehovah: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But this [shall be] the covenant  that I will make  with the house  of Israel;  After  those days,  saith  the LORD,  I will put  my law  in their inward parts,  and write  it in their hearts;  and will be their God,  and they shall be my people. 

What does Jeremiah 31:33 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Instead of God"s law being external to them, the Lord would write it on their heart (i.e, mind and will; cf. Jeremiah 17:1). He will do something for them that they cannot do for themselves (cf. Deuteronomy 30:5-6). "Writing on the heart" suggests the removal of written documents and merely human mediators. Having the Lord"s Word in the heart prevents sin and fosters obedience (cf. Deuteronomy 11:18; Psalm 119:11). [1] David equated having the law written on his heart with desiring to do God"s will ( Psalm 40:8)
"It will become part of the nature of God"s people; it will be instinctive. The core of the new covenant is God"s gift of a new heart (cf. Ezekiel 36:25-27). Herein lies the sufficient motivation for obeying God"s law." [2]; Ezekiel 11:19; 18:31; and Wiersbe, p123.]
". . . there is no further need of any external means like mutual teaching about God ..." [3]
God would also enter into an intimate relationship with His people as His covenant partners (cf. Jeremiah 7:23; Jeremiah 11:4; Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 30:22; Jeremiah 31:1; Jeremiah 32:38; Deuteronomy 31; Ezekiel 11:20; Ezekiel 36:28). The old Mosaic Covenant being broken, a new relationship would begin.
"If the sheer grace of God"s election of Israel as covenant partner was apparent in the first covenant making, how much more so in this promise following their history of unfaithfulness and rebellion ( Jeremiah 31:32)." [4]
Notice that Jeremiah revealed nothing about human responsibility under the New Covenant. That would come later with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles.

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 31:33 mean?

But this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after days those says Yahweh I will put - My law in their minds and on their hearts write it and I will be their God and they shall be My people
כִּ֣י זֹ֣את הַבְּרִ֡ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶכְרֹת֩ אֶת־ בֵּ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אַחֲרֵ֨י הַיָּמִ֤ים הָהֵם֙ נְאֻם־ יְהוָ֔ה נָתַ֤תִּי אֶת־ תּֽוֹרָתִי֙ בְּקִרְבָּ֔ם וְעַל־ לִבָּ֖ם אֶכְתֲּבֶ֑נָּה וְהָיִ֤יתִי לָהֶם֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים וְהֵ֖מָּה יִֽהְיוּ־ לִ֥י לְעָֽם

זֹ֣את  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הַבְּרִ֡ית  the  covenant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אֶכְרֹת֩  I  will  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
בֵּ֨ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל  of  Israel 
Parse: 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.
אַחֲרֵ֨י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
הַיָּמִ֤ים  days 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הָהֵם֙  those 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
נָתַ֤תִּי  I  will  put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תּֽוֹרָתִי֙  My  law 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
בְּקִרְבָּ֔ם  in  their  minds 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.
וְעַל־  and  on 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
לִבָּ֖ם  their  hearts 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
אֶכְתֲּבֶ֑נָּה  write  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
וְהָיִ֤יתִי  and  I  will  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְהֵ֖מָּה  and  they 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
יִֽהְיוּ־  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לִ֥י  My 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
לְעָֽם  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.