And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

JEREMIAH 31:34KJV
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Jeremiah 31:34 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 31:34 mean?

Jeremiah 31:34 describes a future time when everyone, regardless of status or age, will have a direct and personal knowledge of the LORD, so there will be no need for people to teach each other about God. This is possible because God promises to forgive their wrongdoing and to no longer remember their sins.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Israel, describing a new kind of relationship He will have with them. The setting is a message of hope during a time of national trouble, promising a future where knowing God is not limited to a select few but is open to all. The verse highlights both the depth of God’s forgiveness and the closeness He intends to have with His people.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 31:34

  • "Know" (יָדַע, yada‘): This word means more than just intellectual knowledge; it often refers to a deep, personal, and relational understanding. Here, it emphasizes that everyone will have a real, firsthand relationship with God, not just secondhand information.
  • "Forgive" (סָלַח, salach): This word is used for God’s act of pardoning wrongdoing. Its use here shows that the new relationship with God is built on His willingness to wipe away guilt, not on human effort.
  • "Remember" (זָכַר, zakar): In Hebrew thought, to "remember" is often to act on something. When God says He will "remember their sin no more," it means He will not act against them because of their past sins.

Why Jeremiah 31:34 matters

  • Jeremiah 31:34 clarifies that knowing God will not be limited by social status, education, or age; everyone will have equal access to Him.
  • The verse highlights that forgiveness is central to the new relationship God promises, making it clear that this closeness is possible only because God chooses not to hold past sins against His people.
  • This verse connects to the wider promise in Jeremiah 31 of a "new covenant," showing a shift from external religious teaching to an internal, personal relationship with God for all people.

Where else these words appear

“forgive” Hebrew H5545 · used in 45 verses

  • Exodus 34:9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
  • Numbers 15:26 And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel, and the stranger that sojourneth among them; seeing all the people were in ignorance.
  • 2 Chronicles 6:27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

“teach” Hebrew H3925 · used in 80 verses

  • Deuteronomy 4:1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.
  • Psalms 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
  • Proverbs 5:13 And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

“least” Hebrew H6996 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
  • 1 Samuel 15:17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
  • 2 Chronicles 31:15 And next him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in the cities of the priests, in their set office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small: