Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;

JEREMIAH 33:20KJV
Know the Bible

Jeremiah 33:20 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 33:20 mean?

Jeremiah 33:20 says that if anyone could break God’s agreement that keeps day and night coming at their proper times, only then could God’s promises be broken. The verse uses the regular pattern of day and night as a picture of how certain and unbreakable God’s covenant is.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah, who are facing hardship and exile. God is reassuring them that His promises—especially about the future of David’s line and the priests—are as dependable as the cycle of day and night. The verse sets up an impossible condition to show that God’s commitment cannot fail.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 33:20

  • "covenant" (בְּרִית, berit): This word means a binding agreement or promise. By calling the regular pattern of day and night a "covenant," God is highlighting the reliability and seriousness of His promises.
  • "break" (הֵפֵר, hefer): This word means to violate or annul. The verse suggests that breaking God’s covenant with day and night is as impossible as breaking the natural order itself.
  • "season" (עֵת, et): This word refers to the appointed or proper time. The mention of day and night coming "in their season" emphasizes the ongoing, orderly nature of God’s creation and faithfulness.

Why Jeremiah 33:20 matters

  • Jeremiah 33:20 clears up any fear that God might abandon His promises, even when circumstances look hopeless for His people.
  • The verse emphasizes that God’s faithfulness is tied to the very order of creation, making His covenant unbreakable from a human standpoint.
  • This statement prepares the reader for the promises that follow in the chapter, showing that God’s restoration of His people is as certain as sunrise and sunset.

Where else these words appear

“break” Hebrew H6565 · used in 46 verses

  • Genesis 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
  • Ezra 4:5 And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
  • Isaiah 24:19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

“day” Hebrew H3119 · used in 50 verses

  • Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
  • Nehemiah 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
  • Isaiah 4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.