Jeremiah 31:33

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares YHWH: I will put my instruction within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be to them Elohim, and they will be to me a people.”
Jeremiah 31:33 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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Jeremiah announces a new covenant, written on the heartFaithfulness God promises a new covenant and forgiveness for his peopleHope

With the Hebrew beneath

Forכִּיthis isזֹאתthe covenantהַבְּרִיתthatאֲשֶׁרI will makeאֶכְרֹתwith the houseאֶת בֵּיתof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלafter those days,אַחֲרֵי הַיָּמִים הָהֵםdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH:יְהוָהI will putנָתַתִּיmy instructionאֶת תּוֹרָתִיwithin them,בְּקִרְבָּםand on their heartוְעַל לִבָּםI will write it;אֶכְתֲּבֶנָּהand I will beוְהָיִיתִיto themלָהֶםElohim,לֵאלֹהִיםand theyוְהֵמָּהwill beיִהְיוּto meלִיa people.לְעָם

Quotation · Hebrews 10:16-17

Go to Hebrews 10:16-17

Hebrews attributes the quotation to the Holy Spirit and abbreviates it; it had already quoted it in full in 8:8-12.

Formula: μαρτυρεῖ δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον “the Holy Spirit also testifies to us” (Hebrews 10:15)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη ἣν διαθήσομαι πρὸς αὐτοὺς μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας λέγει κύριος διδοὺς νόμους μου ἐπὶ καρδίας αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν ἐπιγράψω αὐτούς καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθήσομαι ἔτι

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כִּי זֹאת הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר אֶכְרֹת אֶת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרֵי הַיָּמִים הָהֵם נְאֻם יְהוָה נָתַתִּי אֶת תּוֹרָתִי בְּקִרְבָּם וְעַל לִבָּם אֶכְתֲּבֶנָּה וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים וְהֵמָּה יִהְיוּ לִי לְעָם וְלֹא יְלַמְּדוּ עוֹד אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ וְאִישׁ אֶת אָחִיו לֵאמֹר דְּעוּ אֶת יְהוָה כִּי כוּלָּם יֵדְעוּ אוֹתִי לְמִקְטַנָּם וְעַד גְּדוֹלָם נְאֻם יְהוָה כִּי אֶסְלַח לַעֲוֺנָם וּלְחַטָּאתָם לֹא אֶזְכָּר עוֹד

This passage could not be located with certainty in the transcription of the Septuagint we use, so it is not compared.

Allusion · 2 Corinthians 3:3

Go to 2 Corinthians 3:3

Both texts speak of writing on hearts; in Jeremiah 31:33, YHWH writes his instruction.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

אֶכְתֲּבֶejtaveH3789ἐγγεγραμμένηengegrammenēG1449“write”
יְהוָהyehvaH3068θεοῦtheouG2316“YHWH (the proper name of God)”
לִבָּlibaH3820καρδίαιςkardiaisG2588“heart”

Jeremiah 31:33, word by word

the covenantבְּרִיתberit

covenant

The commitment God makes with his people, with promises and commands.

Where else “berit” appears

I will makeאֶכְרֹתechrot

make a covenant

Literally "cut": to seal a solemn agreement, splitting animals.

Where else “echrot” appears

with the houseבֵּיתbet

dynasty

Someone's descendants: "the house of David".

Where else “bet” appears

of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears

after those daysיָּמִיםyamim

time

Literally "the days": a period, an age, or the span of someone's life.

Where else “yamim” appears

declaresנְאֻםneum

declaration

Solemn words God himself speaks: "oracle of YHWH".

Where else “neum” appears

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

I will putנָתַתִּיnatati

put

To place something somewhere.

Where else “natati” appears

my instructionתּוֹרָתִtorati

teaching of YHWH

What YHWH teaches his people so they may live.

Where else “torati” appears

within themקִרְבָּkirba

inside

One's inner part, one's inmost self.

Where else “kirba” appears

and on their heartלִבָּliba

heart

The deepest part of a person: where they think, feel and decide.

Where else “liba” appears

I will write itאֶכְתֲּבֶechtave

write

To put words in writing, in a book or tablet, so that they last.

Where else “echtave” appears

and I will beהָיִיתִיhayiti

To be: "I will be their Elohim".

Where else “hayiti” appears

Elohimאלֹהִיםlohim

Elohim

The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.

Where else “lohim” appears

a peopleעָםam

crowd

The people gathered in a place: the crowd, or the troops that go out to war.

Where else “am” appears

Translation note

“My instruction” (תּוֹרָה); Hebrews 8:10 quotes “my laws.” Cf. 2 Corinthians 3:3.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Hebrews 10:16-17

Hebrews attributes the quotation to the Holy Spirit and abbreviates it; it had already quoted it in full in 8:8-12.

See them side by side

Jeremiah 31:33

³³For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares YHWH: I will put my instruction within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be to them Elohim, and they will be to me a people.

Hebrews 10:16-17

¹⁶This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: putting my laws on their hearts, I will also write them on their mind,

The context

32not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares YHWH.

33 · This verse (above)

34And no longer will they teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know YHWH,’ for all of them will know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, declares YHWH; for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will not remember anymore.”

Read all of Jeremiah 31

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