What does Jeremiah 31:26 mean?
What is the meaning of Jeremiah 31:26?

At this

The little phrase points back to everything the prophet has just heard in Jeremiah 31:1-25—a sweeping promise that scattered Israel will be gathered, mourners will be comforted, and weary souls will be satisfied. Those words of restoration are the immediate cause of what follows, much like the comforting revelation Joseph received in Matthew 1:20 or the encouraging vision Paul saw in Acts 18:9-10 that changed his outlook.


I awoke

Jeremiah had evidently been receiving these promises in a prophetic dream, similar to Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28:12-16) and Solomon in Gibeon (1 Kings 3:5, 15). The awakening signals that the experience was not mere imagination but a God-given revelation. It also underscores that God can reach His servants even while they sleep, fulfilling Numbers 12:6: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, reveal Myself to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.”


and looked around

Opening his eyes to the familiar surroundings of Jerusalem or its outskirts, Jeremiah finds that nothing outward has changed yet—but his heart has. The act of looking around echoes Jacob’s startled survey of Bethel (Genesis 28:16-17) and Peter’s coming to himself after the angel freed him from prison (Acts 12:11). In both cases, a physical glance confirms a spiritual reality: God is at work even when circumstances appear unchanged.


My sleep had been most pleasant to me.

The word “pleasant” testifies that the promises he heard produced deep refreshment—exactly what the Lord had just pledged: “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint” (Jeremiah 31:25). It mirrors Psalm 4:8, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety,” and Proverbs 3:24 where fear is banished by trust in God. The rest Jeremiah enjoys previews the national rest God will grant His people, foreshadowing the ultimate Sabbath-rest spoken of in Hebrews 4:9-11. In other words, the pleasant sleep is a personal token of the collective peace promised to Israel.


summary

Jeremiah 31:26 records the prophet’s awakening from a God-given dream of Israel’s restoration. He stirs, scans his surroundings, and realizes the vision has filled him with a sweet, refreshing peace. The verse therefore affirms that the promises just delivered are not only future realities for the nation but present comfort for the believer’s heart, turning even a night’s sleep into a tangible foretaste of the rest God guarantees His people.

How does Jeremiah 31:25 relate to the broader theme of hope in the Book of Jeremiah?
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