Jeremiah 31:32
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God emphasizes the depth of His commitment to Israel by saying He was their "husband," a term implying deep intimacy and responsibility, yet they still broke the covenant. This highlights that the fault for the covenant's failure lay not with God's faithfulness but with their persistent unfaithfulness, even after He personally led them out of Egypt.
not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God is announcing a completely new covenant with His people, one that will be fundamentally different from the one He established when He rescued them from Egypt. That original covenant, though initiated with God's tender care like a parent leading a child, was ultimately broken by their unfaithfulness, despite His loving relationship with them as a husband.
Imagine God gently leading you out of slavery, holding your hand. That's how this covenant began. Yet, it was broken.
The passage paints a vivid picture of God's initial covenant with Israel after bringing them out of Egypt. He describes it as a personal act of care, 'taking them by the hand.' This imagery speaks of a loving parent guiding a child, signifying God's tenderness, protection, and commitment. Despite this deep personal involvement and the authority God held as their 'husband' (a term signifying ownership, commitment, and intimate relationship), the people broke their part of the agreement. This wasn't just a minor slip-up; it was a fundamental breach of trust, characterized by their unfaithfulness and rebellion.
Why would God promise a 'new' covenant if the old one was broken? It's not about changing the rules, but changing the hearts.
Jeremiah contrasts the old covenant with a coming new one, not because God is unreliable, but because humanity's ability to keep the old covenant was insufficient. The first covenant, established at Sinai, was primarily outward—a set of laws given and promises made. While God was faithful, Israel repeatedly failed. The new covenant, spoken of here and later fulfilled in Christ, promises something different: an inward transformation. God declares, 'I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.' This signifies a fundamental change where God’s will is not just an external command but an internal desire and ability to obey, empowered by His Spirit.
Ask a follow-up
This verse highlights the repeated failure of the people of Israel to uphold their end of the Mosaic Covenant, despite God's consistent faithfulness and care. The 'taking by the hand' signifies God's intimate, parental guidance, yet this deep betrayal necessitated a promise of a new covenant written on the heart, a significant shift from the external law given at Sinai.
~1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, a foundational event establishing the covenant relationship with the nation.
~1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God establishes the Mosaic Covenant, a formal agreement with the Israelites based on the Law given at Mount Sinai, including promises of blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience.
c. 931 BC
Dividing of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom splits into two: Israel (the northern ten tribes) and Judah (the southern two tribes), leading to further religious and political division.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, resulting in the deportation of its people and the loss of the ten tribes.
586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonian Empire conquers the Southern Kingdom of Judah, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiles many of the remaining people.
c. 586 BC
Prophecy of the New Covenant
Jeremiah delivers this prophecy during or shortly after the fall of Jerusalem, speaking of a future, deeper covenant that God will establish with His people.
This passage directly quotes Jeremiah 31:32, highlighting the failure of the old covenant due to the people's unfaithfulness and God's subsequent rejection of them.
Exodus 24:7-8This passage describes the initial making of the old covenant with Israel after their deliverance from Egypt, detailing their promise of obedience and the covenant's ratification by blood, setting the stage for Jeremiah's prophecy about its breaking.
Hosea 2:1-13This prophetic oracle uses the metaphor of a failed marriage to describe Israel's unfaithfulness to God, echoing Jeremiah's description of God as a husband whose covenant has been broken by His people.
Jeremiah 3:14This verse also uses the husband metaphor, with God calling back His 'backsliding children' and declaring, 'for I am married to you,' reinforcing the imagery of a broken marital covenant present in Jeremiah 31:32.
Deuteronomy 1:31This verse uses the imagery of God carrying His people 'as a man carries his son' during the wilderness journey, which parallels Jeremiah's description of God taking Israel 'by the hand' to lead them out of Egypt.
calvinJeremiah 31:31-32: "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:"
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
Non secundum foedus quod percussi cum patribus eorum die quo apprehendi manum eorum, ut educerem eos e terra Egypti, qu…
pooleJeremiah 31:32: "Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:"
Not in substance differing from it, but in circumstances vastly differing, as was showed before, and is further declared afterward. The covenant which God made with the Jews when they came out of the land of Egypt, was on God’s part the law which he gave th…
God emphasizes the depth of His commitment to Israel by saying He was their "husband," a term implying deep intimacy and responsibility, yet they still broke the covenant. This highlights that the fault for the covenant's failure lay not with God's faithfulness but with their persistent unfaithfulness, even after He personally led them out of Egypt.
God is announcing a completely new covenant with His people, one that will be fundamentally different from the one He established when He rescued them from Egypt. That original covenant, though initiated with God's tender care like a parent leading a child, was ultimately broken by their unfaithfulness, despite His loving relationship with them as a husband.
God is announcing a completely new covenant with His people, one that will be fundamentally different from the one He established when He rescued them from Egypt. That original covenant, though initiated with God's tender care like a parent leading a child, was ultimately broken by their unfaithfulness, despite His loving relationship with them as a husband.
"not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD." — God emphasizes the depth of His commitment to Israel by saying He was their "husband," a term implying deep intimacy and responsibility, yet they still broke the covenant. This highlights that the fa…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
