Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 32:38
And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
I will renew my covenant with them, and keep my covenant towards them; they shall serve me more faithfully, and I will own them, and take care of them, and bless them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
38. (Jer 30:22;Jer 24:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. A comprehensive summary of the covenant of grace, which shall be made known to the Jews at the time of their conversion, and the blessings of it applied to them, and bestowed on them; though now a “loammi”, Ho 1:9, is written upon them; see Jer 30:21.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Jer 32:38, Jer 32:39 are to be understood like Jer 31:33. They must in very deed become the people of the Lord, for God gives them one heart and one way of life, to fear Him always, i.e., through His Spirit He renews and sanctifies them (Jer 31:33; Jer 24:7; Jer 11:19). “ One heart and one way” that they may all with one mind and in one way fear me, no longer wander through many wicked ways (Jer 26:3; Isa 53:6). is an infinitive, as often in Deut., e.g., Jer 4:10, from which the whole sentence has been derived, and Jer 6:24, to which the expression points. The everlasting covenant which the Lord wishes to conclude with them, i.e., the covenant-relationship which He desires to grant them, is, in fact, the new covenant, Jer 31:33. Here, however, only the eternal duration of it is made prominent, in order to comfort the pious in the midst of their present sufferings. Consequently, only the idea of the is mainly set forth: “that I shall not turn away from them, to do them good – no more withdraw from them my gracious benefits;” but the uninterrupted bestowal of these implies also faithfulness to the Lord on the part of the people. The Lord desires to establish His redeemed people in this condition by putting His fear in their heart, namely, through His Spirit; see Jer 31:33-34. , “And I shall rejoice over them, by doing them good,” as was formerly the case (Deu 28:63), and is again to be, in time to come. , in truth, properly, “in faithfulness.” This expression is strengthened by the addition, “with my whole heart and my whole soul.” – So much for the promise of restoration and renewal of the covenant people. This promise is confirmed, Jer 32:42-44, by the assurance that the accomplishment of deliverance shall follow as certainly as the decree of the calamity has done; the change is similar to that in Jer 31:38. Finally, Jer 32:43, Jer 32:44, there is the application made of this to the purchase of the field which the prophet had been commanded to fulfil; and the signification of this purchase is thus far determined, that after the restoration of Judah to their own land, fields shall once more be bought in full legal form: with this, the discourse returns to its starting-point, and finishes. The article is used generically in ; hence, on the repetition of the thought, Jer 32:44, the plural is employed instead. The enumeration of the several regions of the kingdom, as in Jer 17:26, is a rhetorical individualization for strengthening the thought. The land of Benjamin is here made prominent in relation to the field purchased by Jeremiah at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. The final sentence ‘ also serves for further proof. The Hiphil in this expression does not mean the same as the usual : “I turn the captivity,” i.e., I change the adversity into prosperity. expresses restitutio in statum incolumitatis seu integritatis more plainly than – not merely the change of misfortune or misery; but it properly means, to lead back or restore the captivity, i.e., to remove the condition of adversity by restoration of previous prosperity. The expression is analogous to or , to build or raise ruins, Isa 44:26; Isa 58:12; Isa 61:4, and , to raise up desolate places, Isa 61:4, which does not mean to restore ruins or desolate places, but to build them up into inhabitable places (cf. Isa 61:4), to remove ruins or desolations by the building and restoration of cities.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
This promise held the first place in the restoration of the Church; for had the Jews been filled to satiety with wealth and plenty, and all variety of blessings, their condition would still have been by no means superior, had they not been the people of God; for men have no happiness, if they live only on the good things of this earthly and frail life, or on its pleasures and delights. Most truly it is said in the Psalms,
“
Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah.” (Psa 144:15)
For though God commands his own blessings, and designs them as testimonies of his paternal favor towards the godly, yet he will not have them to live as it were on these; but he raises up their minds by means, as it were, of these steps to the spring-head of true felicity, the very fountain itself, so that they may know that they are under his protection, and that he will ever be a Father to them.
We hence see that the Prophet, when he spoke of the restoration of the people, propounded to them the chief and the most desirable thing, even to know that God was reconciled to them, and that they were become thus his people.
We hence learn, that though God in his kindness bore with the infirmities of his ancient people, and so mentioned the fruitfulness of the land and other things, yet the end of all the promises was spiritual; nor would have this promise been true, were it explained only of God’s temporal blessings. For we must bear in mind that saying of the Prophet,
“
Thou art our God, we shall not die.” (Hab 1:12)
And doubtless the Prophet in the Psalm which we have just quoted, meant to distinguish the Church of God from all heathen nations, and meant also to distinguish the felicity of the Church from all the pleasures, honors, and those advantages, by which men persuade themselves they can be made happy, provided they obtain them. Since then the Prophet there marks the difference between the felicity of the Church and all the fleeting and empty things wished for by those who look no higher than to this world and the present life, it follows, that whenever these words are mentioned, “I will be your God,” the hope of an eternal and a celestial life is set before us.
There is another thing to be noticed, — that whatever we seek as to the things of this world can yield us no real good, except God be reconciled to us. When therefore we have all things in abundance, when nothing is wanting as to every kind of pleasure, when we are favored with great wealth, when peace and security are granted to us, yet all this, as I have said, will prove ruinous to us, except God owns us as his children, and becomes a Father to us. Therefore when we seek to become happy, we must direct our minds to the principal thing, even to be reconciled to God, so that we may be able with confidence to call him our Father, to hope for salvation from him, and ever to flee to his mercy. Ungodly men desire this and that, as their own cupidity leads them: the avaricious wishes for a large quantity of money, wide farms, and great revenues; the ambitious seeks to subdue the whole world; the man of pleasure wishes for everything that may satisfy his lusts, and even he who seems to be moderate, yet desires what is suitable to his disposition; and thus God is neglected, and also his grace. Let us then know that the wishes of men are wholly unreasonable, when they anxiously seek anything in this world except what flows from this fountain, even from the gratuitous favor of God, and when they do not prefer this singular privilege to all blessings, even that God may be reconciled to them.
We now apprehend the meaning of the words, when God declares that the Jews, after their return to their own country, would become his people, and that he would be their God.
Let us at the same time observe, that though God possesses the sovereignty of the whole world, he is not yet properly called the God of any, but of his chosen people; for as he gathers the Church for himself as a peculiar treasure, as he speaks everywhere, so this privilege cannot exist without a mutual relationship, that is, exept men know that God is their God, and are also fully persuaded that they are counted by him as his peculiar people. Now follows an explanation of this verse, which, on account of its brevity, might seem somewhat obscure.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
38. Shall be my people A promise carrying in its bosom all blissful possibilities.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 32:38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
Ver. 38. And they shall be my people. ] See Jer 24:7 ; Jer 31:33 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 24:7, Jer 30:22, Jer 31:1, Jer 31:33, Gen 17:7, Deu 26:17-19, Psa 144:15, Eze 11:19, Eze 11:20, Eze 36:28, Eze 37:27, Eze 39:22, Eze 39:28, Zec 13:9, Heb 8:10, Heb 11:16, Rev 21:7
Reciprocal: Exo 3:6 – I am Exo 15:2 – my God Lev 25:38 – and to be Lev 26:12 – will be Deu 5:3 – General Deu 29:13 – he may be 2Sa 7:24 – art become Psa 86:11 – unite Psa 115:14 – you Isa 51:16 – Thou art Isa 59:21 – this Isa 65:23 – for Jer 11:4 – ye be Jer 33:14 – General Eze 14:11 – that they Eze 16:60 – I will establish Eze 34:24 – I the Lord will Eze 37:23 – they be Hos 2:1 – Ammi Hos 2:19 – for Hos 2:23 – Thou art my God Zec 8:8 – they shall be my Mal 3:17 – they shall Joh 20:17 – your God Act 3:26 – in Act 27:23 – whose Rom 11:27 – this 2Co 6:16 – I will be Gal 4:7 – heir Eph 4:13 – we all Phi 2:13 – God 1Jo 2:19 – for Rev 21:3 – they shall
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Jer 32:38. The word people Is from the Hebrew word am and occurs over 1800 times in the Old Testament. Strong defines it, A people (as a congregated unit); specifically a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively a flock. Israel never ceased to be Gods people in the sense of race or nationality, but during tbe captivity they were not a collected group.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
He would reestablish a covenant relationship with them, give them all a faithful heart, and they would then always fear Him (cf. Jer 31:31-34). The result would be blessing for them and for their descendants. His (new) covenant with them would be everlasting, a promise not mentioned in the New Covenant passage in the preceding chapter (cf. Eze 36:24-32). He would always do them good, and they would always reverence Him, not just know Him (Jer 31:34).