Jeremiah 31:37
Thus says the LORD: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the LORD.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse uses the impossibility of measuring the heavens or exploring the earth's deepest foundations to highlight an even greater impossibility: God completely abandoning His people. It's not just about God's faithfulness, but about the sheer, immeasurable extent of His covenant love, which will endure despite all of Israel's failings.
Following a promise of a new covenant and forgiveness, Jeremiah uses an impossible scenario to declare God's unwavering faithfulness. He asserts that only if the immeasurable heavens and unfathomable earth could be fully grasped would God ever truly abandon His people. This emphasizes that God's commitment, despite Israel's ongoing sins and deserved punishment, is as fixed and eternal as the natural order.
Ever feel like God's love is conditional? This verse uses a mind-bending comparison to show the absolute certainty of God's commitment.
Jeremiah presents two impossible tasks: measuring the vast heavens and exploring the deepest foundations of the earth. These aren't just poetic images; they represent the absolute limits of human understanding and capability. God uses this hyperbole to make a powerful point: only if these impossible feats could be accomplished would He then cast off Israel. This isn't a suggestion that it might happen; it's a declaration that it won't happen because the conditions are impossible to meet. God is essentially saying, 'My faithfulness to my covenant people is as certain and unchangeable as the natural laws governing the universe.' Even when Israel's actions deserved complete abandonment, God's covenant faithfulness stands.
Israel had messed up, badly. So why would God not abandon them? This verse points to a deeper faithfulness that goes beyond human merit.
The phrase 'for all that they have done' is crucial here. It acknowledges the reality of Israel's sin and rebellion – sins so profound they merited judgment. However, God’s declaration immediately follows. He doesn't overlook their sin, but His covenant commitment is stronger. This isn't about Israel earning God's favor through good deeds; it's about God choosing to remain faithful to His promises despite their unfaithfulness. As commentators note, God’s mercy and covenant love are immense, like the vastness of creation itself. This promise looks forward to a future reconciliation, where a remnant would be preserved, demonstrating that God’s mercy can overcome even the greatest human failings.
Understand the original words
shamayim · Hebrew Noun
The expanse of the sky or celestial realm. It represents the visible creation that testifies to God's glory, wisdom, and sovereignty over all space and time.
ma'as · Hebrew Verb
The act of rejecting, abandoning, or casting someone off. Biblically, it is used to describe God’s withdrawal of favor or covenant blessings, though here it is used to emphasize the impossibility of such an act toward His people.
Jeremiah speaks these words of ultimate hope during the profound crisis of the Babylonian exile, particularly the destruction of Jerusalem. The unimaginable difficulty of measuring the heavens or exploring the earth's depths serves as a powerful metaphor: God's commitment to His covenant people is as vast and certain as the universe itself, far more so than their repeated failures might suggest.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of its people and the scattering of the ten tribes.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports Jewish exiles, including members of the royal family and educated elite, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Babylonian Deportation
More Judeans are deported to Babylon following a revolt against Babylonian rule, including the prophet Ezekiel.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, deporting the majority of the remaining population to Babylon. This event is a profound crisis for Israel's identity and hope.
This passage echoes Jeremiah's theme by stating that though Israel's numbers may be vast like the sand, only a remnant will return, highlighting that God's faithfulness doesn't mean complete preservation of every individual but the continuation of His covenant people.
Romans 11:1The Apostle Paul directly references this idea when questioning if God has rejected His people, affirming that God's promises to Israel are unbreakable, even when many have fallen away.
Genesis 15:5This earlier promise to Abraham, that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars, establishes the foundation for God's enduring covenant with Israel, a covenant Jeremiah leans on here to assert its ultimate security.
Jeremiah 33:22This verse is a parallel passage where Jeremiah reiterates God's promise to make the 'seed of David' as numerous as the host of heaven and the sand of the sea, reinforcing the immensity and permanence of God's commitment.
wesleyJeremiah 31:37: "Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD."
31:37 I will cast off - That is, I will never cast off all the seed of Israel.
pooleJeremiah 31:37: "Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD."
That is, I will never cast off all the seed of Israel, (which promise the apostle, Romans 11:1,2 , proveth to have been by God made good, notwithstanding the rejection of the great body of that people,) for none but God can either measure the heavens, or pierce to the centre of the…
This verse uses the impossibility of measuring the heavens or exploring the earth's deepest foundations to highlight an even greater impossibility: God completely abandoning His people. It's not just about God's faithfulness, but about the sheer, immeasurable extent of His covenant love, which will endure despite all of Israel's failings.
Following a promise of a new covenant and forgiveness, Jeremiah uses an impossible scenario to declare God's unwavering faithfulness. He asserts that only if the immeasurable heavens and unfathomable earth could be fully grasped would God ever truly abandon His people. This emphasizes that God's commitment, despite Israel's ongoing sins and deserved punishment, is as fixed and eternal as the natural order.
Following a promise of a new covenant and forgiveness, Jeremiah uses an impossible scenario to declare God's unwavering faithfulness. He asserts that only if the immeasurable heavens and unfathomable earth could be fully grasped would God ever truly abandon His people. This emphasizes that God's commitment, despite Israel's ongoing sins and deserved punishment, is as fixed and eternal as the natural order.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Jeremiah 31:37 is available in the Sola app.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Decree
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon and issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Jews, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
c. 516 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
The Second Temple in Jerusalem is completed, symbolizing a partial restoration of the nation and its worship, though under foreign rule.
"Thus says the LORD: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,…" — This verse uses the impossibility of measuring the heavens or exploring the earth's deepest foundations to highlight an even greater impossibility: God completely abandoning His people. It's not just…
