Jeremiah 30:19

Jer 30:19 And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

Ver. 19. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving.] Mox ubi fides, inde prodit et laus et confessio. Faith is a fruitful grace, the very womb wherein all the rest are conceived.

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.

30:19-21 The rebuilt Jerusalem would be the center of a healthy and growing nation. Its growing population would experience joy and sing songs of thanksgiving. The city would be honored by its neighbors, and its streets would be filled with children who would grow up and prosper. The nation would have its own ruler again.

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

He showeth how the people shall with praise and thanksgiving acknowledge these benefits.

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

thanksgiving--The Hebrew word includes confession as well as praise; for, in the case of God, the highest praises we can bestow are only confessing what God really is [BENGEL], (Jer 17:26; Jer 31:12-13; Jer 33:11; Isa 35:10; Isa 51:11).

multiply them-- (Zac 10:8).

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 19. I will multiply them] They shall be very numerous; even where at present they have but tents.

I will also glorify them] I will put honour upon them every where, so that they shall be no longer contemptible. This will be a very great change, for they are now despised all over the earth.

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

The Prophet confirms what he had said. We have stated that the Jews, while any hope remained for them, were perverse towards God, but that, after they were brought to extremities, they became extremely dejected; for they lost all hope as to their state, and became so desponding that they would receive no consolation. It was not therefore enough, slightly, or in a few words, to promise them restoration; it was necessary that the promise should be repeatedly confirmed. This then is now the subject of the Prophet; he promises that praise and the voice of joy would proceed from them.

We ought to notice here the contrast between sighings, groanings, complaints, lamentations, and giving of thanks; for as long as they were detained in exile, no praise could have been heard among them. Sorrow is, indeed, no hinderance to prevent us to bless God in extreme misery; but we cannot with a full mouth, so to speak, bless God, except when some cause of joy is presented to us. Hence is that saying of James,

“Is any joyful among you? let him sing.” (James 5:13)

As then the Prophet speaks of thanksgiving, he intimates that God’s favor would be so great as to remove every sorrow and sadness from the Jews. But he indirectly exhorts the faithful to celebrate God’s kindness. Had he only said, “Go forth from them shall the voice of joy,” it would, indeed, have been a complete sentence; but it was also necessary to remind the faithful for what end God would deal so kindly with his people, even that they might proclaim his goodness; for this is the design for which we receive every good from God’s hand. Thanksgiving is then usually connected with joy, when mention is made of the Church.

But we have said that the faithful cannot with so much alacrity praise God, when they are pressed down by distresses, as when God makes their hearts to rejoice; for grief holds bound all the feelings of men; but joy, proceeding from a perception of God’s paternal favor, dilates as it were their souls; and hence also their tongues are set loose. For this reason it is said in Psalm 51:15,

“O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.”

David there intimates that he had been for a time silent; when God hid from him his face, he could not taste of his paternal goodness. During that time David had his heart as it were bound and his mouth closed; but he prays the Lord to open his mouth, that is, to grant him joy that he might give him thanks.

We now perceive the meaning of the Prophet: he intimates, that though the Jews would be in sorrow for a time, would groan and mourn, yet this condition would not be perpetual; for God would at length comfort them, so that they would not only rejoice, but also proclaim his mercy when liberated.

He adds, I will increase them, and they shall not be lessened; I will adorn them, etc. Some render this also, “I will increase them:“ but the words are different; and כבדcebed, means sometimes to increase, and sometimes to adorn, to glorify, to honor. The words which follow are also different, מעת moth, and צער tsor. And though the Prophet meant to repeat nearly the same thing, yet there is no doubt but that he intended to set forth the favor of God by this variety, as though he had said, that so remarkable would be the mercy of God, that the Jews would acknowledge, that what had been promised to their father Abraham had been fillfilled to them,

“Thy seed shall be as the sand of the sea, and as the stars of heaven.” (Genesis 22:17)

The perpetuity also, or the continuity of his favor is denoted, when he says, they shall not be lessened, they shall not be made small. It is possible for a people to increase for a short time; but such a thing is often of no long duration, for the form of this world passeth away. God then promises stability and perpetuity to his Church, for he would manifest his favor to it from day to day, and from year to year. This is the meaning. It follows —

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.

19. small] contemptible.

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.

And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of them that make merry,.... That is, out of Jacob's tents and dwelling places, the city and palaces of Jerusalem; for those who will inhabit them, when thus rebuilt, sensible of the divine favours, and thankful for them, will offer not any ceremonial sacrifices, as when before in their own land, which they will now see are abolished; but the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving only, which will be attended with great spiritual mirth and melody: perhaps this is said in allusion to the mirth and music used formerly in the solemn and religious festivals; see Rev 19:1;

and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; the Jews, at the time of their conversion, will be very numerous, Hos 1:10; especially the number of God's spiritual Israel will then be very great; though Jacob is now small, he shall then arise and become a great multitude; the church's converts will be surprisingly many, Isa 49:18;

and I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small; numbers of converts add to the glory of the church; it will be a glorious time; and this is what will make a considerable part of the latter day glory; namely, the conversion of the nation of the Jews at once, and the bringing in the fulness and forces of the Gentiles. The Targum is,

"I will strengthen them, and they shall not be weak.''

It may be rendered, "I will honour them, and they shall not be little" (c); or "mean" and contemptible; they shall be honoured with temporal and spiritual blessings, and be in great esteem, especially among the Christian nations.

(c) "et honorabo eos, et non evilescent", Montanus; "neque parvi habebuntar aut vilescent", De Dieu.

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

Play, or laugh. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "make merry," chap. xxxi. 4. --- Lessened. The Jews were as numerous in our Saviour’s time (Haydock) as ever they had been. (Calmet)

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).

Out of them shall proceed thanksgiving; thanksgiving to God, as Jer 17:26, either thank-offerings, Lev 7:12,13, or vocal thanksgivings.

And the voice of them that make merry; either in a religious sense, or in a civil sense if it be taken in the former, it signifieth their mirth at their religious festivals, of which we read much in Scripture, Psa 42:4; 118:15, &c.; if in the latter, it signifieth their happy and joyful state after their restoration.

I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; though they be diminished in the captivity, yet I will return to them in my wonted providences, and multiply them according to my promise to Abraham, so as they shall be for number many.

I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small; and as to their quality, it shall be honourable; though during those seventy years they shall be a people of mean or no reputation, yet after that time they shall recover their ancient reputation, and again be a people great for honour and glory.

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

Comp. this verse with Jer_33:11 Out of them; i.e. out of city and palace. They shall not be few; rather, not be diminished. They shall not be small; rather, not be lightly regarded.

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

and I will increase them I will make them a numerous nation.

and they shall not become few in number like יִמְעָטוּ.

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.