If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever.
Parallel translations
- WEB “If these ordinances depart from before me,” says Yahweh, “then the offspring of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.”
- BSB “Only if this fixed order departed from My presence, declares the LORD, would Israel’s descendants ever cease to be a nation before Me.”
- NKJV “If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the Lord, Then the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.”
- NASB “If this fixed order departs From Me,” declares the Lord, “Then the descendants of Israel also will cease To be a nation before Me forever.”
- NLT “I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Only if the fixed order of creation ceased would Israel cease to be a nation before God. It guarantees the perpetual existence of God's covenant people.
Overview
Using the reliability of the natural ordinances just named, God pledges that His people will endure as surely as creation itself. This is an unconditional promise of preservation, not dependent on Israel's faithfulness. Faithful Christians have understood its fulfillment in the enduring people of God, gathered from Israel and the nations in Christ, against whom even the gates of hell will not prevail (Rom. 11:1-2; Matt. 16:18).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Isa 54:9–10For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
- Ps 89:36–37His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
- Jer 33:20–26Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;
- Ps 148:6He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
- Ps 119:89For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
- Jer 46:28Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
- Ps 102:28The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.
- Ps 72:5They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
- Amos 9:8–9Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.
- Deut 32:26I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men:
- Ps 72:17His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 31:36 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.