Jeremiah 3:17

Jer 3:17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

Ver. 17. They shall call Jerusalem,] i.e., The Church Christian.

The throne of the Lord.] The throne of glory; {Jer 4:2} so Exo 17:16, because the hand upon the throne of the Lord - that is, say some, Amalek’s hand upon the Church, which is elsewhere also called the temple of God.

Neither shall they walk any more, &c., ] i.e., Not at random, but by rule. {Eph 5:15} Heb., Not any more after the sight of their heart - i.e., as themselves thought good, but as God directeth them.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jer_3:17

The throne of the Lord.

The Church Christs throne

1. Jerusalem had been of old the throne of God: the symbol of God rested on the ark. Hence called the city of the Great King.

2. Jerusalem became the throne of God as never before when Emmanuel visited her. Yet she rejected her King.

3. Christ by His death founded a kingdom in which His Church has become the true throne of God.

I. In the conversion of sinners the kingly power and authority of Christ is manifested. Each case is a victory of Christ over the enmity of the carnal mind and the resistance of hellish foes.

II. In maintaining his ascendency over the lives and affections of His converts. Law in their members at war with Him. The world strives to wrest them from His rule. Satan strives to recover his lost power. But they are held in obedience to Christ, and kept by the power of God unto salvation.

III. In governing the world providentially for His Churchs advantage. Christ reigns as mediator: works all things for our good and His glory; and by, and for, and from His Church He puts forth His power, that shall subdue all enemies under His feet. How does Christs rule affect individual members of His Church?

1. To what extent can and may they enjoy personally the presence of their King? Sits enthroned in their heart and affections individually.

2. Christ must hold unrivalled and unlimited sway and sovereignty over their liven His kingship absolute: their affections undivided: they habitually and entirely under the constraining influences of His love.

3. They will recognise that His care extends to every individual believer, sending expressions of His kindness and love to each, and never--save in faithfulness--afflicting them. (R. Gordon, D. D.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jer 3:17. At that time — Of reformation, διορθωσεως, emendation, (Heb 9:10,) when things should be put into a better state by the coming of the Messiah; they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord — Instead of the ark, the Christian Church, typified by Jerusalem, shall be the place of God’s special residence, power, and glory; where he will rule and act, and display his glory, in and by his word and ordinances, and especially in and by the Messiah. And all the nations shall be gathered unto it — Not only the Jews and Israelites, but many of all nations: many of the heathen shall be brought to worship the true God, and to embrace the Christian faith. To the name of the Lord — Which shall be both manifested and called upon in his church, as formerly at Jerusalem. Neither shall they walk, &c. — Both Jews and Gentiles shall now conform themselves to the will of God. The word שׁררות, here rendered imagination, is derived from a root that signifies to see, and is sometimes applied to the judgment, and sometimes to the affections. Here it may comprehend both: they shall neither follow their own corrupt judgment nor affection, but wholly the word of God.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3:17 In the future, the city of Jerusalem would be a global center of worship called The Throne of the Lord, and people from nations around the earth would renounce their rebellion (7:24; Deut 29:19; Isa 60:9).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, the Church, where the Lord will be present to the world’s end, Matt. 28:20.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Jerusalem--the whole city, not merely the temple. As it has been the center of the Hebrew theocracy, so it shall be the point of attraction to the whole earth (Isa 2:2-4; Zac 2:10-11; Zac 14:16-21).

throne of . . . Lord--The Shekinah, the symbol of God's peculiar nearness to Israel (Deu 4:7) shall be surpassed by the antitype, God's own throne in Jerusalem (Psa 2:6, Psa 2:8; Eze 34:23-24; Zac 2:5).

imagination--rather, as Margin, "the obstinacy" or stubbornness.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 17. They shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord] The new Jerusalem, the universal Church of Christ, shall be God's throne: and wherever he is acknowledged as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, there God sits on his throne, and holds his court.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

We now understand more clearly what I have already said, — that the Prophet promises here that there would be concord between the ten tribes and the kingdom of Judah, when both returned from exile; as though he had said, that their condition would be better than it ever had been; for the seed of Abraham had been torn as it were asunder; and the people whom God intended that they should continue in a holy union had become divided in the most shameful manner. We indeed know that there had been inveterate hatred between the Jews and the Israelites. As then there had been such disgraceful division for a long time between the children of Abraham, the Prophet now shews what would be the fruit of exile; for after having been for a time chastised by the Lord, they would return to their own country, not to entertain the same emulation as had existed, but to unite together in calling on God, in order that the Jews might be as brethren to the Israelites, and the Israelites might cultivate mutual concord with the tribe of Judah.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(17) They shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord.—Up to Jeremiah’s time that title, “the throne of God,” though the language of the Old Testament had referred it to the “heavens” (Psa_11:4; Psa_103:19), had probably been applied, in popular language, to the ark where the Lord “dwelt between the cherubim” (1Sa_4:4; 2Ki_19:15). The prophet extends it to the whole city, in that future of which he was doubtless thinking. To him, as to Micah (Mic_4:1-2) and Isaiah (Isa_2:1-3), there came a vision of the holy city as the centre of the divine Kingdom. It was not given to him to see what even the Apostles were slow to understand, that there is no holy city upon earth, and that his hopes would only be fulfilled in the heavenly Jerusalem which is the Church or family of God.

The imagination.—Better, stubbornness, as in the margin.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. all the nations] Gentile peoples shall be gathered into the Church of God, which shall thus become Universal. But see introd. note on Jer_3:14-18.

stubbornness] a favourite word in this Book.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord,.... That is, the Gospel church, the heavenly Jerusalem, the Jerusalem above, that is free, and the mother of us all; which is Christ's kingdom, where he has his throne and subjects, and where he sits and reigns as King of saints; and where they yield a cheerful and ready subjection to him, signified by calling the church his throne:

and all the nations shall be gathered unto it: which shows that Jerusalem, literally understood, cannot be meant, but the church of Christ; to which the Gentiles, being converted, should join themselves in great numbers in all nations, as they have done; and which will be more largely accomplished and verified in the latter day, Isa 2:2.

to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem; to name his name, to trust in his name, to call upon it, and to worship him in Jerusalem, in his church, and among his people; and so the Targum,

"and all nations shall give themselves to worship in it the name of the Lord, in Jerusalem:''

neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart; for the Gospel being preached to all nations, according to Christ's commission, by the pastors he promises, and that being blessed to the turning of the Gentiles from their idols to serve the living God, they shall no more worship the gods they chose for themselves, and their evil hearts devised.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The throne of the Lord - Yahweh’s throne shall not be the ark, but Jerusalem, i. e., the Christian Church Rev 21:2; Gal 4:26.

To Jerusalem - The Septuagint and Syriac are probably right in omitting this word.

Imagination ... - Stubbornness (margin). A word always used in a bad sense, for “obstinacy.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

All. Many might embrace the Jewish religion. But the predictions of the prophets on this head, were not verified, till the gospel was preached. (Calmet) --- Then many embraced the faith: several captives also returned to God. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

They shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; instead of the ark, whereon was the mercy-seat, now the church, typified by Jerusalem, Gal 4:26; Rev 21:2, shall be the place of God’s residence, where by his Spirit he will rule and act in his word and ordinances, and in special the Messias. See Jer 14:21, and Jer 3:16.

All the nations shall be gathered unto it; intimating both their readiness to come in, and their number, according to first prophecy of Jacob, Gen 49:10. See Isa 2:2. By

nations here understand either the ten tribes, who are called many people, both Israel and Judah united, their distance being taken away; see Jer 3:18; or rather some of all nations, that shall flock into the gospel church; for when the prophets foretell this state, they generally usher it in with the return of this people, at which time the church shall be greatly enlarged.

To the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem, i.e. dwelling in Jerusalem, or where the Lord placed his name, viz. of old in Jerusalem, Psa 122:2,3, &c., but now in the church, Rev 21:2,3, without ark or temple, Rev 21:22, where he will be known as it were by his proper name, Isa 60:9, or as manifest in the flesh.

Neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart; both Jew and Gentile shall now conform themselves to the will of God, Isa 2 3.

The word imagination here comes from a root that signifies to see, and thus it is sometimes applied to the judgment, Psa 17:2, and sometimes to the affection, Psa 66:18; here it may comprehend both, they will follow neither their own judgment nor affection, but wholly the word of God. The word is thus phrased Num 15:39; Ecc 11:9; some read it after the hardness, Deu 29:19.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. All the nations shall be gathered — Let this passage, the meaning of which is so unmistakable, explain all similar passages. The sense in which the nations of the earth shall gather to Jerusalem, according to this golden vision, is doubtless that in which the Jewish people shall gather there. It only means that the spiritual Jerusalem shall be the capital of the world, and all nations shall “bring their glory and honour into it.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jerusalem"s spiritual glory. With Jeremiah"s description, comp. that of Ezekiel," The name of the city from that day shall be, "The Lord is there". (Eze_48:35) This gives us the positive aspect of the Messianic period (comp. on ver. 16). Jerusalem shall be the spiritual center of the universe, because it is pervaded by the presence of the Most High. (Isa_4:5) May we explain with Dr. Payne Smith, "Jerusalem, i.e . the Christian Church?" Only if the provisional character of the existing Church be kept well in view. All the nations; i.e. all except the chosen people. The word for "nations" (goyim) is that often rendered "heathen." To the name; or, because of the name, i.e. because Jehovah has revealed his name at Jerusalem. The phrase occurs again with a commentary in Jos_9:9, "Thy servants are come because of the name of Jehovah thy God, for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt." But we must not suppose that "name" is equivalent to "revelation;" rather, there is here an ellipsis of the name" is equivalent to "because of the revelation of the name," or better still, "... of the Name." The "Name of Jehovah" is in fact a distinct hypostasis in the Divine Being; no mere personification of the Divine attributes (as the commentators are fond of saying), but (in the theological sense) a Person. The term, "Name of such and such a God,:" is common to Hebrew with Phoenician religion. In the famous inscription of Eshmunazar, King of Zidon, Ashtoreth is called "Name of Baal;" and to whichever proper name the religious term Name may be attached, it means a personal existence in the Divine nature, specially related to the world of humanity; or, to use the language of Hengstenberg, the bridge between the latter and the transcendent heights of God as he is in himself. In short, the Name of Jehovah is virtually identical with the Logos of St. John, or the second Person in the blessed Trinity. Hence the personal language now and again used of this Name in the Old Testament, e.g. Isa_30:27, "The Name of Jehovah cometh from far... his lips are full of indignation;" Isa_26:8, "The desire of our soul was to thy Name;" Isa_59:19, "So shall they fear the Name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun." Comp. Pro_18:10; men do not run for safety to an abstract idea. Nor will all nations in the latter days resort either to a localized or to a spiritually diffused Jerusalem in the future, to gratify a refined intellectual curiosity. Neither shall they walk, etc.; i.e. the Israelites of the latter days; not the "nations" before mentioned (as Hengstenberg). The phrase occurs eight times in Jeremiah, and is always used of the Israelites. The word rendered "imagination" is peculiar (sheri-ruth). As Hengstenberg has pointed out, it occurs independently only in a single passage; (Deu_29:18) for in Psa_81:13, it is plainly derived, not from the living language, from which it had disappeared, but from the written. (The close phraseological affinity between the Books of Deuteronomy and Jeremiah has been already indicated.) The rendering of the Authorized Version, which is supported by the Septuagint, Peshito, Targum, is certainly wrong; the Vulgate has pravitatum; the etymological meaning is "stubbornness." The error of the versions may perhaps have arisen out of a faulty inference from Psa_81:13, where it stands in parallelism to "their counsels.

The gathering of the nations to Jehovah"s throne.

I THE NEW CHARACTER IN WHICH JERUSALEM APPEARS. It is no longer to be considered simply as the center of Israelite affection and devotion, the city where was the palace of a human king, and the temple of Jehovah as the peculiar deity of Israel. It is no longer to be the place of a peculiar worship. Its character henceforth is to be far more glorious, one in which Israel shall lose nothing, yea, rather gain, in remembering what it has been able to contribute in attaining such an end. Jerusalem, that had been associated with all sorts of idolatrous abominations, is first of all to be desolated and humbled, whatever human pride and glory there was in it extinguished; and then the true glory will come. The city shall be Jehovah"s throne, the throne of him who is God above all gods and King above all kings. And when men would recognize the authority of a king, his throne is the place they must come to. Hence to Jehovah, seated on his throne, all the nations are to be gathered; forsaking national idols and national ideals, all that is local and narrow and self-originated will vanish. The ark of the covenant passes away, and the tables of stone become unnecessary, for from his throne Jehovah will take means whereby he may write on the fleshy tables of every human heart the two great principles, "Love God and love thy fellow-man.

II How THE GATHERING IS TO BE BROUGHT ABOUT. How clear it is that, the Ark of the Covenant passing away, mere local, terrestrial Jerusalem must also cease to have any peculiar value! The taking away of the Ark of the Covenant is really the taking away of all in the way of dependence that is merely visible and material. It is plain that the gathering together to Jerusalem cannot mean an actual travelling there from all parts of the earth"s surface. Not that the mere local Jerusalem can become as a common spot of earth. After these northern desolators, of whom Jeremiah so often spoke, had done with it, it was rebuilt, and in due time became the scene of great spiritual redeeming acts profoundly affecting every child of man. The thought of the local scenes where-Christ-died, rose again, and ascended into glory, may well help every sinner in his believing approaches to his Savior. Those who gather at Jerusalem gather there by virtue of the power which there is in every believing heart. Innumerable pilgrims, on piety intent, have gone on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, doing laborious penances by the way, only to discover in the end that they have been walking after the imaginations of their evil hearts. There may be great value in a journey to the Holy Land, if only those who go there have first of all had their minds opened to apprehend the work which he who died at Jerusalem did for them; otherwise their travels, whatever the human joy and interest of them, may only add to their subsequent condemnation. To go to Jerusalem spiritually is the great thing. The Jerusalem of our journey is situated in the pages of the New Testament rather than in Palestine. It is as we read the Gospels that we feel how Jerusalem is indeed the throne of Jehovah in this sense, that there, through his Son Jesus, he manifested righteousness, power, and love, all the glorious attributes of his eternal reign. The transactions at Jerusalem are incomparable. No transactions in any one nation, however much they may affect the career of that nation, can rival the transactions at Jerusalem. The Englishman as an Englishman may feel his deep concern in Magna Charta and the Bill of Rights. The American as an American thinks of Philadelphia and the Declaration of Independence. The Negro as a Negro remembers Lincoln and the proclamation, which gave freedom to the slaves. But underneath the natural, the peculiar, the merely terrestrial, there is another man, the man who has to think of sin within him, and death and eternity before him. Such a man, if he thinks rightly, will feel that it is towards Jerusalem that his most earnest considerations should gather. All who truly ponder the great questions of life must gather there, and thence in faith their thoughts will ascend to the true, the heavenly, the everlasting Jerusalem. Y.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The throne - Instead of the ark, the church typified by Jerusalem, shall be the place of God's residence, where by his spirit he will rule and act in his word and ordinances. Jerusalem - Dwelling in Jerusalem, or where the Lord placed his name, of old in Jerusalem, but now in the church. Neither - Both Jews and Gentiles shall now conform themselves to the will of God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

This is Yahweh's throne

Here "Yahweh's throne" represents the place from where Yahweh rules. AT: "This is from where Yahweh rules" (See: Metonymy)

They will no longer walk in the stubbornness of their wicked hearts

Yahweh speaks of people's actions as if the people were walking along a path. Here the word "hearts" represents their minds or wills. AT: "They will no longer stubbornly do the wicked things that they want to do" (See: Metaphor and Metonymy)

the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel

Here "walk with" represents being united. AT: "the people of Judah will be united with the people of Israel" (See: Metaphor)

the house of Judah

The word "house" is a metonym for the family that lives in the house. In this case it refers to the kingdom of Judah, which included the descendants of Judah and Benjamin. AT: "Judah" or "the kingdom of Judah" or "the people of Judah" (See: Metonymy)

the house of Israel

The word "house" is a metonym for the family that lives in the house. In this case it refers to the kingdom of Israel. AT: "Israel" or "the kingdom of Israel" or "the people of Israel" (See: Metonymy)

the land that I gave your ancestors as an inheritance

God speaks of giving them the land to possess forever as if it were an inheritance. AT: "the land that I gave to your ancestors so that it would belong to their descendants forever" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

Jerusalem

throne

nation

name

walk

stiff-necked

house

inherit

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

shall gather Heb. ונקוו, an expression of: מקוה מים, a gathering of water.

the idea of an expression of seeing. Comp. אשורנו “I see him” (Num. 24:17).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.