Jeremiah 31:31 · Bible study
Jeremiah 31:31 Commentary: The New Covenant Foretold
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
God promises a new covenant, not like the old one made at Sinai. This covenant will be written on the heart and based on forgiveness.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises a new covenant, not like the Sinai covenant, based on inward transformation and full forgiveness.
- Key words: “new” (חָדָשׁ, new in kind), “covenant” (בְּרִית, a binding agreement), “make” (כָּרַת, literally “cut,” from covenant-cutting ritual).
- Main debate: Whether this covenant is already fulfilled in the Church (majority Christian view) or still awaits a future fulfillment for national Israel.
- Theological theme: The transition from external law to internal grace, the heart of the gospel.
- Best use: A key Old Testament text for understanding the New Covenant in Christ; central to preaching on grace, forgiveness, and the new birth.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,
KJV King James Version 1769
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Lo, days are coming, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have made with the house of Israel And with the house of Judah a new covenant,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Behold, days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Behold the days shall come, saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
He aquí que vienen días, dice Jehová, en los cuales haré nuevo pacto con la casa de Jacob y con la casa de Judá:
Eis que vêm dias,diz o SENHOR, em que farei um novo pacto com a casa de Jacó e a casa de Judá;
Voici, les jours viennent, dit l’ Éternel,
Siehe, es kommt die Zeit, spricht der HERR, da will ich mit dem Hause Israel und mit dem Hause Juda einen neuen Bund machen;
Ziet, de dagen komen, spreekt de HEERE, dat Ik met het huis van Israel en met het huis van Juda een nieuw verbond zal maken;
Ecco, i giorni vengono, dice l’Eterno, che io farò un nuovo patto con la casa d’Israele e con la casa di Giuda;
Oto dni idą, mówi Pan, których uczynię z domem Izraelskim i z domem Judzkim przymierze nowe;
Вот наступают дни, говорит Господь, когда Я заключу с домом Израиля и с домом Иуды новый завет,
耶和華 說：「 日子 將到，我要與 以色列 家 和 猶大 家 另立 新 約，
See, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 31:31
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 31:31 announces a new covenant distinct from the one given at Sinai. Barnes notes that the old covenant had external sanctions, but the new covenant's sanctions are spiritual, written in the heart. Calvin sees this as necessarily pointing to Christ, for without him nothing superior to the Law could be hoped for. Matthew Henry observes that the covenant is not new in substance, for it was made with Abraham and David, but it is new in revelation and in the efficacy of the Spirit attending it. Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the new covenant is internal: God puts His law within the people and writes it on their hearts, making knowledge of God universal and based on the forgiveness of sins. The writer of Hebrews (8:8-12) quotes this passage directly, applying it to the New Covenant in Christ. The consensus is that this covenant is permanent, inward, and rooted in grace, a decisive shift from the covenant that Israel had broken.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God promises a new covenant that will be internal, not external, and founded on the forgiveness of sins — a decisive advance beyond the Sinai covenant.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of fulfillment | Christians agree the new covenant is inaugurated by Christ's death and resurrection and applied through the Holy Spirit. | Some (Reformed, many Evangelical) see the Church as the primary fulfiller; others (Dispensationalist) see a future national fulfillment for Israel after the Church age. |
| Identity of the parties | The covenant is made with the house of Israel and Judah, God's chosen people. | Some hold that 'Israel' is literal physical Israel; others see it as spiritual Israel, including all believers. |
| Continuity with the Mosaic covenant | The new covenant replaces the old covenant as a mode of administration. | Catholics and some Protestants see the Mosaic law as fulfilled in Christ, not abolished, while others see it as abrogated entirely. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah prophesied in the final years before the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon (ca. 597, 586 BC). The nation had repeatedly broken the Sinai covenant, as Jeremiah 31:32 states. The people had taken comfort in the temple and the law while ignoring the covenant's demands for justice, mercy, and exclusive loyalty to Yahweh. The opening words, “Behold, the days come,” appear five times in chapters 30, 33, linking this promise to the restoration of Israel and Judah after punishment. The immediate context includes images of sowing seed (v. 27), rebuilding and planting (v. 28), and the end of the proverb about sour grapes (v. 29, 30), which taught that each person is responsible for their own sin. Against this background of judgment and individual accountability, the promise of a new covenant arrives as an unearned gift. Unlike the Sinai covenant, which was tied to a specific historical event (the Exodus) and depended on external obedience, this new covenant would be founded on inner transformation and complete forgiveness. The covenant language echoes ancient treaty forms, but here God takes the initiative to address the failure of the human heart itself. The phrase “with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah” recalls the divided kingdom, suggesting that the new covenant will reunite God's people. This promise is the climax of Jeremiah's teaching, transforming the very concept of religion from an external code to an internal relationship.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Jeremiah 31:31 is well-preserved with no significant variants. The Septuagint (LXX) translation differs slightly in wording but agrees in substance; it reads 'I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.' The verse appears in the New Testament quotation of Hebrews 8:8, which follows the LXX tradition. The consulted sources note no variants that affect the meaning.
Reception History
This verse has been central to Christian theology from the beginning. The writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah 31:31, 34 in full (Heb 8:8, 12) and applies it to the New Covenant in Christ, declaring that the old covenant is obsolete (Heb 8:13). Early church fathers such as Justin Martyr and Augustine saw in this prophecy the supersession of the Mosaic law by the gospel. During the Reformation, Luther and Calvin emphasized that the new covenant reveals salvation by grace alone through faith, not by works of the law. In modern times, this passage has been a key text in debates about covenant theology and dispensationalism. It is also read in many Christian liturgies as a promise of inner transformation and is often cited in teaching on the assurance of forgiveness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The failure of the old covenant. God gave the law at Sinai, but Israel broke it. The problem was not the law but the human heart (Jer 31:32).
- The promise of a new covenant. God vows to make a new covenant, not like the old. This one will be written on hearts, not on stone (Jer 31:33).
- The foundation of forgiveness. The new covenant is based on God’s free pardon. When sin is remembered no more, the heart is freed to know and love God (Jer 31:34).
Five-point outline
- God announces a new work. “Behold, the days come” signals a divine intervention as decisive as the Exodus.
- This covenant is personal. The law moves from external tablets to internal transformation.
- Relationship replaces ritual. “I will be their God, and they shall be my people”, not just formal religion but living union.
- Knowledge of God becomes universal. No more reliance on human teachers; every believer has direct access.
- Forgiveness is the basis. The covenant rests on God’s grace, not human performance.
Illustration hooks
- A worn-out contract that has been broken so many times it becomes meaningless. But instead of giving up, the creditor offers a new agreement based on grace, not debt.
- A child who fails to keep the house rules, not because the rules are bad, but because their heart rebels. The parent doesn’t just make new rules; they seek to transform the child’s heart through love and forgiveness.
- An old wedding vow that was broken; the marriage was restored only when the couple forgave each other and made a new covenant of grace, not demanding performance.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How is the new covenant in Christ better than the old covenant under the law?
- If the new covenant is for Israel and Judah, what does that mean for Gentile Christians?
- Why do we still struggle with sin if the law is now written on our hearts?
Leading a Discussion
Jeremiah 31:31 is one of the most important promises in the Old Testament. It shows that God’s plan was never just about giving rules; He intended to change people from the inside out. As you discuss this passage, consider what the “old covenant” lacked and how the “new covenant” addresses that deeper need.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 31:31, 34 aloud. What words or phrases stand out to you?
- What does this passage tell us about the problem with the old covenant that God made at Sinai? (See v. 32 and the surrounding context.)
- How is the new covenant different? List the specific promises God makes in verses 33, 34.
- What does it mean for God to write His law on someone’s heart? How is this different from knowing the law as an external code?
- The writer of Hebrews quotes this passage (Hebrews 8:8, 12). Why do you think the early church saw this as a prophecy about Christ?
- If the new covenant is about inward transformation and forgiveness, how should that shape the way we think about our own relationship with God?
- What difference does it make, in your daily life, that your relationship with God is based on a covenant of grace rather than performance?
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)
| Jeremiah 23:5 | “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch; and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will execute justice and righteousness in the land. |
| Jeremiah 30:3 | For, behold, the days come,’ says Yahweh, ‘that I will reverse the captivity of my people Israel and Judah,’ says Yahweh. ‘I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they will possess it.’” |
| Jeremiah 31:27 | “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of animal. |
| Jeremiah 31:34 | They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” |
| Jeremiah 32:40 | I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from following them, to do them good. I will put my fear in their hearts, that they may not depart from me. |
| Jeremiah 33:14 | “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah. |
| Jeremiah 33:16 | In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. This is the name by which she will be called: Yahweh our righteousness.” |
| Jeremiah 50:4 | “In those days, and in that time,” says Yahweh, “the children of Israel will come, they and the children of Judah together; they will go on their way weeping, and will seek Yahweh their God. |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
A new covenant - The Christian dispensation.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that the old covenant was temporary because its sanctions were material and externally understood. The new covenant replaces it with spiritual sanctions written on the heart, founded on the free forgiveness of sins, making it permanent. He sees this prophecy fulfilled when Jews who accepted Jesus expanded the Jewish into the Christian Church.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that the promise of a new covenant must refer to Christ's kingdom, because the Law was already the perfect doctrine; only through Christ could something superior come. He adds that God introduced this new covenant to overcome the Jews' despair, offering a completely unprecedented display of mercy.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary stresses that the new covenant marks a radical shift from an external law imposed on Israel to an internal transformation written directly on the heart. The motive for obedience moves from fear to gratitude, as personal forgiveness through grace produces a willing, intuitive conformity to God’s will. This inward renewal makes individual knowledge of God immediate and personal.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Beholde, the dayes come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new couenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Iudah,
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the new covenant is called "new" not because it was newly made—it existed from eternity with the elect in Christ—but because of its new way of being presented, through the Gospel and its ordinances rather than through types and shadows. This covenant applies to all God's elect, whether Jews or Gentiles, as it is made known and applied to them.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB insists that the new covenant is made first with literal Israel and Judah, not primarily with spiritual Israel. It already applies to the believing remnant, but its full national fulfillment awaits the last days, as Paul confirms in Romans 11.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists the new covenant is not merely a fuller version of the old one but a different kind of relationship altogether. The old covenant was external and broken; the new one is written on the heart, based on real forgiveness won by Christ’s sacrifice, and lasts as surely as the laws of nature.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the deep shift in the new covenant: God writes his law inwardly on the heart, not on stone, so that knowledge of him becomes universal and personal. The old proverb about sour grapes gives way because each person now bears responsibility for their own sin.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the covenant is not called new because its substance is new, since it was already made with Abraham and the Jews. Rather it is new in how it is revealed: more fully, plainly, and clearly, and with a much greater outpouring of the Spirit's power, without the ceremonial law.