What is the meaning of Jeremiah 31:10? Hear, O nations, the word of the LORD Jeremiah opens this declaration by turning outward, calling every nation to attention. God’s message about Israel is not a private, tribal affair; it is a global proclamation. Isaiah issues a similar summons: “Come near, you nations, and listen” (Isaiah 34:1). The psalmist echoes: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations” (Psalm 46:10). Paul affirms that this worldwide broadcast has already begun: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth” (Romans 10:18). God wants the whole world to recognize His faithful dealings with Israel so that His character and purposes are clearly seen. and proclaim it in distant coastlands The command moves from hearing to heralding. Those who receive the message are instructed to relay it to “distant coastlands,” a phrase that pictures the farthest reaches of the known world. Isaiah foretells that the Servant’s justice will reach “the coastlands” (Isaiah 42:4). Jesus extends the same impulse when He says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), and again in Acts 1:8: “to the ends of the earth.” The scope is unmistakable—God’s redemptive plan centers on Israel but is meant to bless every people group who hears and believes. “The One who scattered Israel will gather them God Himself owns both the scattering and the regathering. Israel’s exile was not random history; it was God’s righteous discipline (see Deuteronomy 30:3–4 for the promise of return even from “the farthest heavens”). Yet the same God pledges to reverse that dispersion. Ezekiel records, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered” (Ezekiel 11:17). Paul sees this promise culminating when “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). The exile underscores God’s holiness, the gathering underscores His mercy, and together they show His unwavering covenant commitment. and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock The imagery shifts to tender care. Scattered sheep need not only retrieval but ongoing protection. David knew this Shepherd: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1–4). Jesus fulfills the picture: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). He promises everlasting security: “No one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27–28). Revelation closes the loop: “The Lamb…will shepherd them” (Revelation 7:17). God’s shepherding heart ensures that the gathered nation—and all who are grafted in by faith—enjoy guidance, provision, and safety forever. summary Jeremiah 31:10 declares a worldwide announcement: every nation must hear and broadcast that the God who justly scattered Israel will just as certainly regather and shepherd them. This verse showcases God’s holiness in judgment, His mercy in restoration, and His universal mission to reveal His glory to the ends of the earth. |
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