Jeremiah 31:13 · Bible study
Jeremiah 31:13 Commentary: Mourning to Joy in Restoration
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore how God promises to turn Israel's mourning into joy, with dancing as a sign of complete restoration in Jeremiah 31:13.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises to transform Israel’s mourning into communal joy, expressed in dance that involves all ages.
- Key words: מָחוֹל (machol, dance), אֵבֶל (evel, mourning), שָׂשׂוֹן (sason, joy), and the verbs הָפַךְ (haphakh, turn) and נָחַם (nacham, comfort).
- Main debate: Whether the dance is literal or a metaphor for celebratory worship, and whether it applies directly to the church or primarily to Israel’s restoration.
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty in redemption, God alone changes sorrow to joy, and his comfort is both present and future.
- Best use: A promise of hope for those in lament; often read in Advent, funerals, and seasons of waiting for restoration.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then the maidens will rejoice with dancing, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, and give them comfort and joy for their sorrow.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
KJV King James Version 1769
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Then rejoice doth a virgin in a chorus, Both young men and old men--together, And I have turned their mourning to joy, And have comforted them, And gladdened them above their sorrow,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and old together; for I will turn their mourning into gladness, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice after their sorrow.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, the young men and old men together: and I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them joyful after their sorrow.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Entonces la virgen se holgará en la danza, los mozos y los viejos juntamente; y su lloro tornaré en gozo, y los consolaré, y los alegraré de su dolor.
Então a virgem se alegrará na dança, como também os jovens e os velhos juntamente; e tornarei seu pranto em alegria, e os consolarei, e os alegrarei em sua tristeza.
Alors les jeunes filles se réjouiront à la danse,
Alsdann werden auch die Jungfrauen fröhlich am Reigen sein, dazu die junge Mannschaft und die Alten miteinander. Denn ich will ihr Trauern in Freude verkehren und sie trösten und sie erfreuen nach ihrer Betrübnis.
Dan zal zich de jonkvrouw verblijden in den rei, daartoe de jongelingen en ouden te zamen; want Ik zal hunlieder rouw in vrolijkheid veranderen, en zal hen troosten, en zal hen verblijden naar hun droefenis.
Allora la vergine si rallegrerà nella danza, i giovani gioiranno insieme ai vecchi; io muterò il loro lutto in gioia, li consolerò, li rallegrerò liberandoli del loro dolore.
Tedy się weselić będzie panna z pląsaniem, także młodzieńcy i starcy społem; albowiem kwilenie ich obrócę w radość, a pocieszę ich, i rozweselę ich po smutku ich;
Тогда девица будет веселиться в хороводе, и юноши и старцы вместе; и изменю печаль их на радость и утешу их, и обрадую их после скорби их.
那時，處女 必歡樂 跳舞；年少的、年老的，也必一同歡樂；因為我要使他們的悲哀 變為 歡喜，並要安慰他們，使他們的愁煩 轉為快樂。
Then the virgin will have joy in the dance, and the young men and the old will be glad: for I will have their weeping turned into joy, I will give them comfort and make them glad after their sorrow.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 31:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Jeremiah 31:13 pictures the complete and joyful restoration of God’s people. Calvin describes the dancing as a chaste and sacred expression of joy in worship, not wanton enthusiasm. Barnes clarifies that dancing among the Israelites was normally confined to women except at religious solemnities, so the inclusion of young men and old together underscores the universal scope of the transformation. Gill interprets the virgin as a collective image for the church, with the joy being spiritual and ongoing. Matthew Henry places the verse within the return from Babylon and sees it as a type of the fuller redemption in Christ. The core consensus stands: God himself turns mourning into joy, comforts his people, and causes them to rejoice beyond their sorrow. The dance language points to joy that is tangible, embodied, and shared by the entire community.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God sovereignly transforms the mourning of his people into joy, and this joy is expressed in communal celebration involving all ages.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Expression of joy through dance | Dance was a recognized part of Israel's worship and celebration (Psalm 149:3, Exodus 15:20), and the inclusion of dancing here signifies a profound, embodied joy. | Some traditions see dancing as an appropriate expression of worship today, while others view it as a cultural practice of the Old Testament that is not normative for the church. |
| Scope of restoration | The verse describes a restoration that encompasses all ages and genders, the virgin, young men, and old together, showing that no one is excluded. | Some interpreters (Matthew Henry, Calvin) see the return from Babylon as a type of the spiritual redemption brought by Christ and the final resurrection; others focus on the literal-historical restoration of Israel to the land. |
| Interpretation of 'the virgin' | Most commentators understand the term collectively to refer to the young women of the community who would lead the dancing. | A minority reading, more common in allegorical interpretation (Gill), sees the virgin as a figure for the church or the congregation of Israel, espoused to God. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 31:13 is part of the “Book of Consolation” (chapters 30, 33), written to sustain hope during the final years of the kingdom of Judah. The preceding verses (31:8, 12) promise that God will gather the exiles from the north, leading them with weeping turned to petitions, and bring them to a watered land where they will sing on the height of Zion. The dance (מָחוֹל, machol) was a familiar part of Israel’s worship and festivals, Miriam led the women with dancing after the Red Sea, and Psalm 149:3 calls the congregation to praise God with dance. The term “virgin” (בְּתוּלָה, betulah) here is collective, referring to the young women of the community who often led such celebrations.
Barnes notes that apart from religious occasions like David’s dance before the ark (2 Samuel 6:14), dancing was the domain of women. So when Jeremiah names young men and old together with the maidens, he signals an extraordinary joy, one that breaks normal social customs. The old men, typically more reserved, join in. Calvin adds that this joy is not frivolous but a sacred rejoicing over God’s deliverance. The language of turning mourning into joy echoes Psalm 30:11 and anticipates the reversal described in Esther 9:22. Just a few verses later (Jeremiah 31:15), Rachel’s bitter weeping for her children highlights the depth of the sorrow being reversed. This transformation is wholly God’s work: “I will turn … I will comfort … I will make glad.”
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note one minor textual variant in the second half of the verse. The Masoretic Text reads יַחְדָּו (yachdaw, “together”), but the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges suggests repointing the MT to match the Septuagint, which yields a verb for “rejoice.” Most English translations (WEB, KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT) follow the MT reading of “together.” Whether the young and old are said to rejoice “together” or simply “rejoice,” the meaning is not significantly affected, the point remains that all ages share in the joy.
Reception History
Christian readers across the centuries have drawn hope from this verse. In the early church, it was likely read in the light of Christ’s resurrection and the promise that sorrow would be turned to gladness. Medieval liturgies for the departed echoed its comfort, and Reformation commentators like Calvin applied it to the joy of the church under Christ’s reign. In more recent times, the verse has been woven into hymns and songs about God’s consolation and the hope of restoration. It remains a treasured promise for those grieving, pointing to the God who transforms mourning into joy.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s Sovereign Transformation. The verbs are all first-person: “I will turn their mourning into joy … I will comfort them … I will make them rejoice.” Restoration does not depend on human effort; God himself acts to change the state of his people.
- The Corporate Nature of Restoration. The joy is not private, it involves the virgin (young women), young men, and old together. Every demographic participates. The community that mourned together now celebrates together.
- Joy Expressed in Worship. Dancing here is a religious response, not mere entertainment. It reflects a wholehearted, physical offering of praise to the God who delivers.
Five-point outline
- The Context of Exile and Judgment. The prophecy follows the announcement of coming disaster. God first strips away false security, then promises true hope.
- The Agent of Change. Every clause points to divine action: “I will turn … I will comfort … I will make glad.” The transformation originates with God alone.
- The Scope of Inclusion. Young women, young men, the elderly, all ages and both sexes. No one is left out of the restoration joy.
- The Nature of the Joy. It comes “from their sorrow”, the joy is deeper because it arises out of real grief that God has healed. It is not escapism but redemption.
- The Ultimate Fulfillment. Christian readers from Matthew Henry to Calvin see this promise reaching beyond the literal return to Babylon to the joy of the gospel and the final restoration when God wipes away every tear.
Illustration hooks
- A community that has weathered a natural disaster gathers for the first festival afterward. The older residents, usually quiet, are seen singing and swaying along with the youth.
- A family that has gone through a long illness and recovery celebrates a birthday with more intensity and gratitude than ever before. The sorrow has made the joy richer.
- In many cultures, funerals include not only weeping but eventually a meal or a celebration of the person’s life. That shift from grief to thanksgiving mirrors what God promises to do fully.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is dancing in worship acceptable today? Different traditions have different practices, how should I understand this verse in that light?”
- “When I am in the middle of mourning, how can I hold onto the promise that God will turn my sorrow into joy? Does this guarantee it will happen in this life?”
- “What does this verse say about God’s character? Can I trust him to comfort me personally, even when my situation hasn’t changed?”
Leading a Discussion
This small-group guide invites you to sit with the promise of Jeremiah 31:13. Israel had experienced deep sorrow, exile, destruction, loss. Yet God speaks a future where mourning is turned to joy through his own action. The passage calls us to hope, even when we cannot see how the change will happen.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice first when you read Jeremiah 31:13? Which words or images stand out?
- The verse mentions “the virgin,” “young men,” and “the old.” Why do you think the writer is careful to include these different groups?
- Read verses 8, 12 for context. What has God promised to do for his people before this moment of dancing? How does that set up the joy described in verse 13?
- God says, “I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.” What does this tell you about God’s character? Is the joy superficial or deep? Why?
- Compare this verse with Psalm 30:11 and Esther 9:22. How do these other passages echo the same theme? What does the pattern of mourning-to-joy teach us about God’s ways?
- How might this promise speak to someone in your community who is experiencing a season of grief or hardship? What does it mean that God himself is the one who comforts and transforms?
- What would it look like for your group to embody this kind of joy, a joy that comes out of shared sorrow and points to God’s redemption?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Ezra 6:22 | and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy; because Yahweh had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, to strengthen their hands in the work of God, the God of Israel’s house. |
| Nehemiah 12:27 | At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks and with singing, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and with harps. |
| Nehemiah 12:43 | They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even far away. |
| Esther 9:22 | as the days in which the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending presents of food to one another, and gifts to the needy. |
| Psalms 30:11 | You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness, |
| Psalms 149:3 | Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp! |
| Isaiah 35:10 | Then Yahweh’s ransomed ones will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” |
| Isaiah 51:3 | For Yahweh has comforted Zion. He has comforted all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Yahweh. Joy and gladness will be found in them, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the word "both" in older translations wrongly suggests men were dancing. In biblical culture, dancing was typically done by women except at religious events. The proper rendering is "and young men and old rejoice together," correcting the mistaken image.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
the young men and the old, etc .] For “together” it is best (pointing the MT. differently) to read with LXX “shall rejoice.”
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Then shall ye virgine reioyce in the dance, and the yong men and the old men together: for I wil turne their mourning into ioy, and wil comfort them, and giue them ioy for their sorowes.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this as the church's joy in Christ, not a literal virgin's dance. He stresses that the joy is universal, including every age and sex, because God Himself turns their mourning into joy, comforts them, and replaces sorrow with rejoicing.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the pairing of young and old covers every age group, showing the scope is all-inclusive. He connects this to the peaceful scene in Zechariah 8 where elderly and children gather safely in the streets.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that calling Ephraim God's firstborn does not give the ten tribes preference over Judah. The title simply affirms that Ephraim, long considered lost, will receive full participation in the Messianic salvation. For them, the fatherhood language reflects God's paternal care and election, not the inner witness of the Spirit.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry reads this passage as a public announcement to the entire world, not just to Israel. Every nation must hear that the God who scattered his people will gather them again like a shepherd. Those who receive this news are to spread it to the farthest islands so all may witness and understand God's work.