Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.

JEREMIAH 31:2KJV
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Jeremiah 31:2 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 31:2 mean?

Jeremiah 31:2 says that God showed kindness and favor to the people of Israel who survived violence and hardship, giving them relief and rest in a difficult place. The verse highlights that those who escaped the sword found grace from God while they were in the wilderness.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking God's words to the people of Israel, reminding them of how God cared for their ancestors after they escaped danger, likely recalling the time after leaving Egypt. The setting is one of survival and wandering, and the verse emphasizes that God provided not just escape, but also grace and rest to those who remained.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 31:2

  • "Grace" (חֵן, ḥēn): This word means favor or kindness. Its use here stresses that what the people received was not earned, but a gift from God in a harsh environment.
  • "Wilderness" (מִדְבָּר, midbar): This refers to a wild, uncultivated place, often associated with danger and need. Mentioning the wilderness highlights the difficulty of the situation where God’s grace was shown.
  • "Rest" (רָגַע, rāgaʿ): This word carries the sense of causing to rest or giving relief. It points to God’s active role in providing peace and security after turmoil.

Why Jeremiah 31:2 matters

  • This verse clarifies that God’s grace is shown especially in times of hardship, not just in times of comfort or prosperity.
  • Jeremiah 31:2 connects the people’s present struggles to their history, reminding them that God’s help in the past is a reason for hope in the present.
  • The verse sets the stage for the rest of Jeremiah 31, which speaks of restoration and new beginnings for Israel, rooted in God’s faithful kindness.

Where else these words appear

“rest” Hebrew H7280 · used in 13 verses

  • Deuteronomy 28:65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
  • Isaiah 34:14 The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.
  • Jeremiah 47:6 O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.

“left” Hebrew H8300 · used in 28 verses

  • Numbers 21:35 So they smote him, and his sons, and all his people, until there was none left him alive: and they possessed his land.
  • Joshua 10:37 And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.
  • Job 27:15 Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep.

“grace” Hebrew H2580 · used in 67 verses

  • Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
  • Numbers 11:11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?
  • Esther 7:3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: