The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

JEREMIAH 31:3KJV
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Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 31:3 mean?

Jeremiah 31:3 describes God speaking to His people, saying that He has loved them with an everlasting love and has drawn them to Himself with lovingkindness. This verse emphasizes the unending and faithful nature of God's love, which is the reason He continues to reach out to His people.

In this passage, the prophet Jeremiah is sharing a message from God to the people of Israel during a time when they were facing hardship and exile. God reassures them that, despite their situation, His love for them has no end and is not based on their current circumstances. The verse highlights both the enduring quality of God's love and His gentle, persistent way of drawing people back to Himself.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 31:3

  • LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God used throughout the Hebrew Bible, emphasizing that the message comes directly from Israel’s covenant God.
  • everlasting (עוֹלָם, olam): This word means something like “forever” or “without end,” stressing that God’s love is not temporary or conditional.
  • lovingkindness (חֶסֶד, chesed): Often translated as “steadfast love” or “loyal love,” this word carries the idea of faithful, committed kindness that goes beyond simple affection. It points to a deep, covenant-based loyalty.
  • drawn (מָשַׁךְ, mashakh): This word means “to pull” or “to attract,” suggesting that God’s approach is gentle and inviting, not forced or harsh.

Why Jeremiah 31:3 matters

  • Jeremiah 31:3 clears up the idea that God’s love is only for a certain time or based on people’s behavior; the verse stresses that God’s love is everlasting and rooted in His own character.
  • The verse highlights that God’s way of drawing people is through kindness and loyalty, not through fear or compulsion, which shapes how readers understand God’s relationship with His people.
  • In the wider context of Jeremiah 31, this assurance of God’s unchanging love sets the stage for promises of restoration and hope, even while Israel is experiencing exile and loss.

Where else these words appear

“drawn” Hebrew H4900 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
  • Nehemiah 9:30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.
  • Isaiah 5:18 Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:

“love” Hebrew H160 · used in 37 verses

  • Genesis 29:20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
  • Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
  • Song of Solomon 7:6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!

“old” Hebrew H7350 · used in 84 verses

  • Genesis 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.
  • 2 Chronicles 6:36 If they sin against thee,(for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;
  • Isaiah 33:13 Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might.