Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps: set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.

JEREMIAH 31:21KJV
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Jeremiah 31:21 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 31:21 mean?

Jeremiah 31:21 tells the people of Israel to set up markers and landmarks as they travel, so they can find their way back home. The verse urges Israel, pictured as a young woman, to remember the road she took into exile and to prepare for her return to her own cities.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the Israelites who have been scattered and exiled. The instruction to "set thee up waymarks" and "make thee high heaps" uses the image of physical markers along a road, encouraging the people to remember the path of their journey. The call to "turn again" is a hopeful message, inviting Israel to come back and reclaim her land and identity.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 31:21

  • "Waymarks" (צִיּוּן, tsiyyun) refers to signposts or markers placed along a road. These would help travelers remember the way, especially on a long or difficult journey, highlighting the idea of not forgetting the route home.
  • "Heaps" (תֵּל, tel) means piles or mounds, often of stones, used as visible landmarks. These would stand out in the landscape and serve as reminders or guides for returning travelers.
  • "Virgin" (בְּתוּלָה, b'tulah) is a poetic way to refer to Israel, emphasizing innocence or a new beginning, and perhaps the hope of restoration after a time of loss.

Why Jeremiah 31:21 matters

  • This verse clears up the idea that Israel’s return from exile is not just a vague hope, but something to actively prepare for, with practical steps like marking the way.
  • The use of physical images—waymarks and heaps—makes the call to return very concrete, showing that restoration involves remembering and retracing one’s steps.
  • Jeremiah 31 as a whole is about hope and renewal for Israel, and this verse fits into that larger promise by showing God’s care in guiding His people back home.

Where else these words appear

“waymarks” Hebrew H6725 · used in 3 verses

  • 2 Kings 23:17 Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.
  • Ezekiel 39:15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.

“highway” Hebrew H4546 · used in 26 verses

  • Numbers 20:19 And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet.
  • 2 Samuel 20:13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
  • Isaiah 11:16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

“virgin” Hebrew H1330 · used in 50 verses

  • Genesis 24:16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
  • Esther 2:2 Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
  • Jeremiah 31:4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

“up” Hebrew H5324 · used in 75 verses

  • Genesis 18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
  • Numbers 23:6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.
  • 1 Kings 5:16 Beside the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work.