Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.

JEREMIAH 31:20KJV
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Jeremiah 31:20 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 31:20 mean?

Jeremiah 31:20 shows God expressing deep affection and compassion for Ephraim, describing him as a dear son and a pleasant child, despite past discipline. God declares that even though He spoke against Ephraim, He still remembers him and is moved with mercy, promising to show kindness again.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Israel, specifically referring to the tribe of Ephraim as a representative of the northern kingdom. The situation is one of restoration after judgment: although Ephraim had faced God's displeasure, God now reveals His ongoing love and willingness to forgive. The language is personal and emotional, highlighting God's fatherly care and the depth of His attachment.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 31:20

  • "Dear" (יֶקֶר, yeqer): This word means "precious" or "valued," emphasizing how much Ephraim means to God, even after failure.
  • "Bowels" (מֵעֶה, me'eh): In Hebrew thought, the "bowels" were seen as the seat of deep emotion or compassion, so when God says His bowels are troubled, it means He feels strong, heartfelt concern for Ephraim.
  • "Surely...mercy" (רָחוֹם, racham): This verb is repeated for emphasis ("I will surely have mercy"), stressing God's determination to show compassion, not just a passing feeling.

Why Jeremiah 31:20 matters

  • This verse corrects the idea that God’s discipline means rejection; instead, it shows that even in anger, God’s love and memory of His people remain strong.
  • The emotional language reveals the depth of God’s attachment, not just a formal or distant relationship, but one filled with genuine feeling.
  • Jeremiah 31:20 connects to the wider theme of restoration in this chapter, where God promises to bring His people back and renew His covenant with them.

Where else these words appear

“pleasant” Hebrew H8191 · used in 9 verses

  • Psalms 119:24 Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
  • Psalms 119:92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.
  • Proverbs 8:30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

“bowels” Hebrew H4578 · used in 30 verses

  • Genesis 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
  • 2 Chronicles 21:19 And it came to pass, that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness: so he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
  • Isaiah 48:19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

“troubled” Hebrew H1993 · used in 32 verses

  • 1 Kings 1:41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?
  • Psalms 77:3 I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
  • Isaiah 51:15 But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his name.

“since” Hebrew H1767 · used in 35 verses

  • Exodus 36:5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.
  • 1 Samuel 18:30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
  • Isaiah 28:19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.