The Meaning of Jeremiah 31:20 Explained

Jeremiah 31:20

KJV: Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

YLT: A precious son is Ephraim to Me? A child of delights? For since My speaking against him, I do thoroughly remember him still, Therefore have My bowels been moved for him, I do greatly love him, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Darby: Is Ephraim a dear son unto me? is he a child of delights? For whilst I have been speaking against him, I do constantly remember him still. Therefore my bowels are troubled for him: I will certainly have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah.

ASV: Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a darling child? for as often as I speak against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my heart yearneth for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[Is] Ephraim  my dear  son?  [is he] a pleasant  child?  for since  I spake  against him, I do earnestly  remember  him still: therefore my bowels  are troubled  for him; I will surely  have mercy  upon him, saith  the LORD. 

What does Jeremiah 31:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Yahweh still regarded the people of Ephraim as His dear son and delightful child. Even though He had rebuked him, He still remembered and yearned for him. He would surely have mercy on these people (cf. Hosea 11:1-4; Hosea 11:8-9).

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 31:20 mean?

[Is] son dear My Ephraim lo [Is he] a child pleasant for though I spoke against him earnestly I remember him still upon thus yearns My heart for him surely I will have mercy on him says Yahweh -
؟ הֲבֵן֩ יַקִּ֨יר לִ֜י אֶפְרַ֗יִם אִ֚ם ؟ יֶ֣לֶד שַׁעֲשֻׁעִ֔ים כִּֽי־ מִדֵּ֤י דַבְּרִי֙ בּ֔וֹ זָכֹ֥ר אֶזְכְּרֶ֖נּוּ ע֑וֹד עַל־ כֵּ֗ן הָמ֤וּ מֵעַי֙ ל֔וֹ רַחֵ֥ם אֲ‍ֽרַחֲמֶ֖נּוּ נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה ס

؟ הֲבֵן֩  [Is]  son 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יַקִּ֨יר  dear 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יַקִּיר  
Sense: rare, very precious, honour, dear.
לִ֜י  My 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
אֶפְרַ֗יִם  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
אִ֚ם  lo 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
؟ יֶ֣לֶד  [Is  he]  a  child 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יֶלֶד  
Sense: child, son, boy, offspring, youth.
שַׁעֲשֻׁעִ֔ים  pleasant 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים  
Sense: delight, enjoyment.
מִדֵּ֤י  though 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּדֵי 
Sense: sufficiency, enough.
דַבְּרִי֙  I  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בּ֔וֹ  against  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
זָכֹ֥ר  earnestly 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
אֶזְכְּרֶ֖נּוּ  I  remember  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
ע֑וֹד  still 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
עַל־  upon 
Parse: 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.
כֵּ֗ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
הָמ֤וּ  yearns 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָמָה  
Sense: to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar.
מֵעַי֙  My  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: מֵעֶה  
Sense: internal organs, inward parts, bowels, intestines, belly.
ל֔וֹ  for  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
רַחֵ֥ם  surely 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive absolute
Root: רָחַם  
Sense: to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion.
אֲ‍ֽרַחֲמֶ֖נּוּ  I  will  have  mercy  on  him 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: רָחַם  
Sense: to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation