Jeremiah 31:34

Context

Chapters 30–33 of Jeremiah contain promises of restoration set amid prophecies of judgment, and they are therefore commonly called the "Book of Consolation." In Jeremiah 31:31-34, the LORD declares through Jeremiah that He will make a "new covenant" with Israel and Judah. He first states that the people broke the covenant made at the time of the Exodus (v. 32). He then promises to write His law in their hearts (v. 33). Verse 34 concludes the passage by stating the result: all will know the LORD, and their sins will be forgiven. The Hebrew word yada, translated "know," is understood to mean more than intellectual knowledge. It encompasses the intimate knowledge and obedience that belong to a covenant relationship. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), this passage appears in chapter 38.

Interpretation

• New Testament reading: Hebrews 8 quotes verses 31-34 in full to present Christ as "the mediator of a better covenant." Hebrews 10:16-17 quotes again the promise that sins will be remembered no more. It concludes that where remission of sins has been granted, there is no longer any need for an offering for sin. The "new covenant" of which Jesus spoke when He instituted the Lord's Supper is also generally read in connection with this prophecy.
• Covenant theology reading: The Reformed tradition holds that the new covenant is fulfilled in Christ and applied to the church. It understands the covenants of the Old and New Testaments as the unfolding of a single covenant of grace.
• Dispensationalist reading: Dispensationalist interpreters emphasize that the recipients of this promise are "the house of Israel" and "the house of Judah." They therefore hold that it will be literally fulfilled for national Israel in the future. Their views differ on how the church participates in its spiritual blessings.
• Jewish reading: Jewish tradition reads this verse as a promise of restoration given to Israel. It reportedly tends to understand the new covenant as a renewal of the existing covenant rather than its replacement.

Debates and Issues

The statement "for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them" is frequently raised in the infant baptism debate.

• The position of some Baptists: Because every member of the new covenant community must be one who knows the Lord, only those who have personally professed faith are proper candidates for baptism.
• The position of Presbyterians and other denominations that practice infant baptism: This promise will be fully realized only at the end of the age, and the present church remains a mixed body. These denominations also appeal to the continuity of the covenant and hold that the sign of the covenant is given to the children of believers as well.

Some readers take "they shall teach no more every man his neighbour … saying, Know the LORD" to mean that teachers or church offices are unnecessary. The prevailing interpretation, however, is that the verse describes a relationship in which God is known directly, without a mediator, and does not abolish teaching itself.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, the phrase "I will remember their sin no more" is frequently cited in sermons on forgiveness and the assurance of salvation. Verses 31-34 are also read in sermons on the Lord's Supper that take the new covenant as their theme.

Related Passages

• Hebrews 8:6-13
• Ezekiel 36:25-27
• 2 Corinthians 3:3-6
• Luke 22:19-20
• Psalm 103:11-12