Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 3:18
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
18. For the reunion of the returned Israel and Judah cp. Eze 37:16-28; also Isa 11:12-14.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
With – To (margin). The prophet has just described the return of the ten tribes Jer 3:14, etc. Israel is represented as the first to repent, and Judah must go to her, in order that they may come together back to the holy land, divided no longer into Jews and Israelites, but merged into one people.
Out of the land of the north – The objection that the Jews were not carried like the Israelites into the northern provinces of Assyria Jer 3:12, but into Babylonia, misinterprets the whole prophecy, the gist of which is that in case of Israels repentance, Judah must humbly seek her out, and be content henceforward to take the inferior place, as having been the more guilty (see Jer 3:11).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 18. The house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel] That is, in those days in which the Jews shall be brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles.
Out of the land of the north] From Chaldea. This prophecy has two aspects: one refers to the return from the Babylonish captivity; the other, to the glorious days of Christianity. But the words may refer to that gathering together of the Jews, not only from Chaldea, but from the countries of their dispersion over the face of the whole earth, and uniting them in the Christian Church.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel; these two kingdoms shall become one, that had been so long divided; the enmity that was between them shall be taken away, and they shall walk hand in hand in a friendly manner one with another, which is implied in this phrase of walking together, Psa 55:14; Amo 3:3; and this points at their incorporating into one body united by the same Spirit, as members of the same body under Christ their Head, and that without distinction of nations. See Isa 11:12,13; Eze 37:16,17; Eph 2:14-16; 3:6.
Of the north, viz. of their captivity: see the place, Jer 3:12.
To the land, viz. Canaan; both a promise of their enjoying again their ancient possession at their last conversion, and typifying the church of Christ, which they shall be of, when brought out of their spiritual captivity.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
18. Judah . . . Israel . . .togetherTwo distinct apostasies, that of Israel and that ofJudah, were foretold (Jer 3:8;Jer 3:10). The two have neverbeen united since the Babylonish captivity; therefore their jointrestoration must be still future (Isa 11:12;Isa 11:13; Eze 37:16-22;Hos 1:11).
north (Jer3:12).
land . . . given . . .inheritance (Am 9:15).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel,…. Which had its accomplishment when some of the ten tribes, scattered among the nations whither the Gospel came, as well as in the land of Judea, being converted under it, joined together in a Gospel church state, and walked together in all the commandments and ordinances of Christ: and it may also denote the agreement of all Christian confessors, as Judah signifies, and of all Israelites indeed, in worship, whether Jews or Gentiles; becoming through Christ members of one body, fellow heirs and partakers of the same grace, promises, and privileges; and which harmony will still be more manifest in the latter day, Isa 11:7:
and they shall come together out of the land of the north; out of these northern kingdoms of ours, and other parts of Europe, where they chiefly are; this will be when the fulness of the Gentiles is brought in, and the Jews are converted and joined to Christian churches: the allusion is to the return of the Jews from Babylon, which lay north of Judea:
to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers; for when the Jews are converted they shall return to their own land, which God gave for an inheritance to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their seed after them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In those days when Jerusalem is glorified by being made the throne of the Lord, Judah along with Israel will come out of the north into the land which the Lord gave to their fathers. As the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple is foretold implicite in Jer 3:16, so here the expulsion of Judah into exile is assumed as having already taken place, and the return not of Israel, only, but of Judah too is announced, as in Hos 2:2, and more fully in Eze 27:16. We should note the arrangement, the house of Judah with ( , prop. on) the house of Israel; this is as much as to say that Israel is the first to resolve on a return and to arise, and that Judah joins itself to the house of Israel. Judah is thus subordinated to the house of Israel, because the prophet is here seeking chiefly to announce the return of Israel to the Lord. It can surely not be necessary to say that, as regards the fulfilment, we are not entitled hence to infer that the remnant of the ten tribes will positively be converted to the Lord and redeemed out of exile sooner than the remnant of Judah. For more on this point see on Jer 31:8.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Then is added, what is of the same meaning, In those days shall come the house of Judah with the house of Israel It hence appears, that the Prophet speaks of the posterity of Abraham and not of other nations; for he adds this verse as explanatory. It might, indeed, have been asked, “What does this mean, All nations shall come?” To this he answers, “The house of Israel shall unite with the house of Judah;” that is, there shall be no more hatred between these two nations, for they shall acknowledge one another as brethren, and know that they have arisen from the same source, and that they ought to be one people. In short, the Prophet explains in this verse what he had said before. And we ought especially to notice what he adds, Come shall they together from the land of the north into the land which I have given to be possessed by their fathers The Jews had not yet gone into exile; the Prophet said this to them while they were quiet, as it were, in their own nest at Jerusalem, and in the country around; nor could he convince them of what they afterwards found to be true to their great loss, — that an exile was nigh them, like that which they then saw had happened to their brethren, the Israelites. But yet the Prophet spoke of them, as though they had been exiled and dwelt like the Israelites in the north country; Come together , he says, shall they from the land of the north (91)
They might have objected and said, “We are as yet enjoying our own inheritance, and no one can drive us hence, for it cannot be that God shall be deprived of his own temple, as he has chosen for himself a perpetual habitation among us.” Such words were no doubt clamorously spoken by them. But the Prophet here repels their vain confidence, and says, that their only hope of deliverance was in looking forward to the restoration which the Lord would grant them after they had been for a time banished from their country. Now the Prophet here sets forth to them the benefit which would arise from exile, in order that they might bear with more submission the punishment they were to endure: for they might have a hundred times despaired, had they no hope that this exile would be only for a time, and that they would again be gathered together with their brethren the Israelites. It now follows —
(91) Calvin uses the verb “ venient, “shall come, twice: but the first verb is to walk, and expresses the associating of Judah with Israel, or their union. The words are, —
In those days walk will the house of Judah with the house of Israel, And come shall they together from the land of the north, To the land which I made their fathers to inherit.
They would be first united, and then advance together to their own land. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(18) In those days . . .As with Isaiah (Isa. 11:13), so with Jeremiah, the hope, however distant, of national reformation was bound up with that of a restoration of national unity. The healing of the long-standing breach between Israel and Judah, coeval almost with the commencement of Israel as a people, was to be the glory of the Messiahs kingdom.
Out of the land of the north.The thoughts of the prophet turn chiefly to the land of the exile of the ten tribes; but his words imply that he foresees a like exile also in the north for Judah. In that far-off land the house of Judah shall walk to (rather than with) the house of Israel, seeking its alliance, asking for reconciliation, and both should once again dwell in the land of their inheritance.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
18. Judah shall walk with Israel The lost harmony shall be restored. Partners in a common exile, they shall rejoice in a common deliverance. Hand in hand shall these wanderers return from the land of “the north,” or midnight, into the warmth and light, the safety and the glory, of the city of God.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 3:18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
Ver. 18. In that day shall the house of Judah walk with the house of Israel. ] All the elect shall be reunited in Christ; unless we shall understand it of the last reduction of the nation into one. Isa 11:13 Eze 37:16 ; Eze 37:22 Hos 1:11
And they shall come together out of the land of the north,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
In those days. Still referring to the future Restoration.
the house of Judah. This expression occurs eleven times in this book: here; Jer 5:11; Jer 11:10, Jer 11:17; Jer 12:14; Jer 13:11; Jer 22:6; Jer 31:27, Jer 31:31; Jer 33:14; Jer 36:3.
walk with = go unto.
the house of Israel. See note on Jer 2:4.
and they shall = that they may.
come = enter.
together: or, at the same time.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
In: Jer 30:3, Jer 50:4, Jer 50:20, Isa 11:11-13, Eze 37:16-22, Eze 39:25-28, Hos 1:11, Hos 11:12, Zec 10:6
with: or, to
out: Jer 3:12, Jer 23:8, Jer 31:8, Amo 9:15
given: etc. or, caused your fathers to possess
Reciprocal: Isa 11:13 – the envy Isa 17:7 – General Isa 43:6 – bring Jer 7:7 – in the land Jer 12:14 – and pluck Jer 16:15 – that brought Jer 30:10 – I Jer 31:1 – of Jer 50:19 – bring Eze 11:17 – General Eze 37:22 – I will make Eze 47:13 – Joseph Oba 1:20 – the captivity of this Mic 2:12 – surely assemble Mic 4:6 – and I Mic 7:12 – also Zep 2:7 – turn Zec 2:6 – and flee Zec 8:8 – and they shall dwell
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 3:18. Those days refers to the time of return from the captivity. When Judah, and Israel are named in one connection it means the 2-tribe and 10-tribe kingdoms. When the return from exile takes place both of these kingdoms will have been there in the same territory that was ruled by the Babylonians, and will all be released as one people. This prediction refutes the notion so long held by some that the ten tribes were lost while In captivity. The inspired prophet saw all twelve tribes returning to thefr native land together. For the explanation of the north see the comments on Isa 14:31 in Vol. 3 of this Commentary.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 3:18. In those days the house of Judah, &c. Judah and Israel shall be happily united; the enmity that was between them shall be taken away, and they shall walk one with another, in a friendly manner, in the ways of God. This implies their being incorporated in one body, by one spirit, under Christ their head, and that without distinction of nations. This reunion of Israel and Judah, and their joint participation of the blessings of the Messiahs kingdom, is elsewhere foretold. See the margin. And they shall come together out of the land of the north Namely, out of their captivity; to the land that I have given them That is, the land of Canaan. Both Assyria and Chaldea fell into the hands of Cyrus, and his proclamation extended to all the Jews in all his dominions. And therefore we have reason to think that many of the house of Israel came with those of Judah out of the land of the north; though at first there returned but forty-two thousand, of whom we have an account, Ezra 2., yet Josephus saith, (Antiq., lib. 11. cap. 4,) that some years after, under Darius, Zerubbabel went and fetched up above four million of souls to the land that was given for an inheritance to their fathers. And we never read of such animosities and enmities between Israel and Judah as had been formerly. And the happy coalescence between Israel and Judah in Canaan was a type of their union, and that of Jews and Gentiles in the gospel church, when, all enmities being slain, they should become one flock under one shepherd. It may also be implied in these words, as many commentators think is expressly declared in many other passages of the ancient prophets, that in the latter days the Jews and Israelites, after their conversion to Christianity, shall actually return from their several dispersions to dwell, as a nation, in their own land.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together from the land of the {s} north to the land that I have given for an inheritance to your fathers.
(s) Where they are now in captivity.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jews from both Israel and Judah would return to the Promised Land from their various places of captivity "in those days" (cf. Hos 3:5; Mic 2:12). The Israelites had gone off to the north to Assyria, and the Judahites would go off to the north to Babylon, and they would return from that direction. The "north," here, represents wherever the Israelites had gone following the Lord’s disbursal of them. The ten tribes of Israel are not, and never were, "lost," but scattered, awaiting their repentance and regathering in faith to the land. Some of them returned to the Promised Land at the end of the Exile, but Titus scattered the Jews again-in all directions-when he destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
"Since there is no indication that the ten tribes ever repented, the projected union must point to the Messianic age of grace, when Jew and Gentile alike will do honour before the enthroned Lord in Zion." [Note: Ibid., p. 67. Cf. Zechariah 14:16-19.]