Jeremiah 31:1-7
Chapter 31
Return of the Israelites to Their Land
The Lord declares that when that time comes, he will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be his people.Thus says the Lord: The survivors of the sword have found grace in the desert. As Israel was seeking his rest,
the Lord appeared from afar saying: I have loved you with everlasting love, so I have kept for you my mercy.
I will restore you again, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin Israel! You will grab your tambourines and go out dancing happily.
You will plant vineyards again on the hills of Samaria, and the farmers who plant them will enjoy their harvest.’
There shall be a day when watchmen will call out on the hills of Ephraim: “Come, let us go to Zion, to the Lord our God!”
For the Lord says this: “Shout with joy for Jacob; rejoice for the greatest of nations. Proclaim your praise and say: ‘The Lord has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!’
Commentaries
Return of the Israelites to Their Land.
This is one of the most important passages in the book, mainly directed to those who remained in the Northern Kingdom. God’s love for his people motivates him to free them as he did in the past (3). There is a return to relive the history of liberation and purification through the foundational experience of the desert. A remnant of Israel will once again experience God’s compassion and faithfulness. However, now in a new way: the entire people is seen as a virgin called to be a fruitful mother (21) with whom a new covenant is made (31-32).