But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

JEREMIAH 16:15KJV
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Jeremiah 16:15 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 16:15 mean?

Jeremiah 16:15 says that the LORD, who lives, will one day bring the people of Israel back from the lands where they were scattered, especially from the north, and return them to the land originally given to their ancestors. This verse promises a future restoration for Israel after a time of exile.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God’s words to the people of Judah, who are facing judgment and exile because of their unfaithfulness. The verse shifts from warning to hope, assuring them that exile will not be the end—God will gather them back from all the places they have been driven and restore them to their homeland. The mention of the “land of the north” refers to the direction from which many enemies, like Babylon, came.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 16:15

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God, emphasizing that the promise comes from the covenant-keeping God of Israel.
  • liveth (חַי, chai): This word means “lives” or “is alive,” stressing that God is active and present, not a distant or absent deity.
  • driven (נָדַח, nadach): This verb means “to drive away” or “scatter,” highlighting that God was the one who allowed their scattering, but also has the power to bring them back.
  • again (שׁוּב, shuv): This word means “to return” or “bring back,” which underlines the idea of restoration and reversal of exile.

Why Jeremiah 16:15 matters

  • Jeremiah 16:15 clarifies that the return from exile will be so significant that it will overshadow even the memory of the Exodus from Egypt, which was the defining act of deliverance in Israel’s history.
  • The verse emphasizes God’s faithfulness to His promises, even after judgment, showing that punishment is not the final word—restoration is possible.
  • This promise connects to the broader message of hope in Jeremiah, where God’s plans for His people include both discipline and a future filled with hope and restoration.

Where else these words appear

“driven” Hebrew H5080 · used in 51 verses

  • Deuteronomy 4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
  • Nehemiah 1:9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
  • Jeremiah 29:14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

“north” Hebrew H6828 · used in 141 verses

  • Genesis 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
  • 1 Chronicles 26:14 And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.
  • Ezekiel 21:4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north: