And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the horse gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD; it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever.

JEREMIAH 31:40KJV
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Jeremiah 31:40 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 31:40 mean?

Jeremiah 31:40 describes how even the most defiled and neglected parts of Jerusalem—including the valley filled with dead bodies and ashes, and all the fields stretching to the brook Kidron and the horse gate—will become holy to the LORD and will never again be destroyed or uprooted. This verse promises a complete and lasting transformation of the city’s most unclean places into something sacred and secure.

Jeremiah is speaking God’s message to the people of Judah, who have suffered judgment and exile. The verse uses specific locations known for death and impurity to show that God’s restoration will reach everywhere, not just the obvious or respectable places. This is part of a larger promise in Jeremiah 31 that God will renew His covenant and bring lasting peace and holiness to His people and their land.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 31:40

  • "Valley" (עֵמֶק, ʿēmeq): This word points to a specific low-lying area outside Jerusalem, often associated with shame or uncleanness, highlighting the depth of the transformation.
  • "Bodies" (פֶּגֶר, peger) and "ashes" (דָּשֶׁן, deshen): These words refer to places of death and ritual impurity, underlining how God’s holiness will reach even the most unclean spots.
  • "Holy" (קֹדֶשׁ, qodesh): This word means set apart for God, showing that these places will be completely dedicated to Him, not just cleaned up but made sacred.
  • "Up" (נָתַשׁ, natash) and "down" (הָרַס, haras): These verbs mean to uproot and to tear down, emphasizing that this new holiness and security will be permanent.

Why Jeremiah 31:40 matters

  • Jeremiah 31:40 clears up the idea that God’s restoration is only for the obviously good or pure parts of life; it shows that God’s renewal reaches even the most hopeless and defiled places.
  • The verse emphasizes that the transformation God promises is not temporary—these places will never again be uprooted or destroyed, highlighting the lasting nature of God’s work.
  • This promise connects to the wider chapter, which speaks of a new covenant and a total renewal for God’s people, showing that God’s plans for restoration are thorough and all-encompassing.

Where else these words appear

“fields” Hebrew H7709 · used in 6 verses

  • Deuteronomy 32:32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:
  • 2 Kings 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.
  • Isaiah 37:27 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded: they were as the grass of the field, and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.

“Kidron” Hebrew H6939 · used in 10 verses

  • 2 Samuel 15:23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
  • 2 Kings 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.
  • 2 Chronicles 15:16 And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

“ashes” Hebrew H1880 · used in 14 verses

  • Leviticus 1:16 And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes:
  • Judges 9:9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
  • Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

“up” Hebrew H5428 · used in 19 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:28 And the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.
  • Jeremiah 12:15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
  • Jeremiah 42:10 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.