Jeremiah 33:20-21
“Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just about the sun and moon; it highlights God's "covenant with the day" and "covenant with the night" as unbreakable natural laws. These are presented as a baseline, showing that God's faithfulness to His promises for His people will be even more certain than the predictable cycle of day and night.
In the lead-up to this verse, God has just promised to restore both Judah and Israel, bringing them back to their land and performing all the good things He declared. Jeremiah is now laying out the divine guarantees that these future promises are absolutely certain. God uses the unchanging, predictable cycle of day and night as an irrefutable example of His faithfulness.
Imagine a world where the sun doesn't rise, or night never falls. Seems impossible, right? That's the point.
God calls the predictable patterns of day and night a 'covenant'. This isn't just a poetic description; it's a divine commitment.
A Covenant Established
God set the stars in their courses and ordained the regular cycle of light and darkness. This natural order is so reliable, so fundamental, that God uses it as a benchmark for His promises. It’s a promise of constancy, a testament to His faithfulness woven into the very fabric of creation. This 'covenant of the day and night' is a foundational assurance that God's established order holds.
We often wonder if God's promises will hold, especially when life feels chaotic. Jeremiah offers a powerful assurance.
Jeremiah uses the impossibility of breaking the natural cycle of day and night to underscore the certainty of God's promises to Israel, particularly concerning their future and the coming Messiah.
An Unbreakable Assurance
When God speaks of His 'covenant with David' or His plans for His people, He links it to the reliable rhythm of day and night. If the fundamental order of the cosmos could be undone, then perhaps God's promises could fail. But since that's impossible, so too are God's promises unbreakable. This applies not just to ancient Israel but to all who trust in God; His faithfulness to His covenants is as sure as the dawn.
Understand the original words
berit · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, binding agreement established by God with His people, often involving promises, conditions, and signs. It is the fundamental mechanism through which God interacts with humanity.
berit · Hebrew Noun
A formal, binding agreement between God and his people, often involving promises, conditions, and signs. In the context of David and the Levites, it signifies an everlasting, unconditional divine commitment.
ebed · Hebrew Noun
A title for one chosen by God to perform a specific task or mission. In the Bible, it often denotes humility, obedience, and closeness to God, especially for those in positions of leadership or prophecy.
levi · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
The prophet Jeremiah delivered these words during the devastation of Jerusalem, when the Davidic monarchy and the Temple were in ruins. He grounds the certainty of God's future promises of restoration and an everlasting kingdom in the unbreakable, natural order of the cosmos—the unwavering cycle of day and night.
c. 2000 BC
Noahic Covenant established
Following the great flood, God made a covenant with Noah and all living creatures, promising that "while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."
c. 900 BC
Reign of King David
David established Jerusalem as the capital and brought the Ark of the Covenant, setting up a united monarchy that God promised would endure through his descendants.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling many of its people and scattering them. This event served as a stark warning to Judah.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah and deported a portion of the population, including young nobles like Daniel, to Babylon.
This passage directly precedes Jeremiah 33:20 and explains that God’s establishment of the regular cycles of day and night is a promise and ordinance that He will not break, setting the stage for His unbreakable covenant with Israel.
Genesis 8:22This verse records God’s post-flood promise that 'while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease,' directly correlating to the 'covenant of the day and night' mentioned in Jeremiah.
Psalm 89:34-37This Psalm speaks of God's faithfulness to His covenant with David, stating that His faithfulness 'shall not be broken, nor what has gone out of my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the sky.'
Romans 8:38-39The apostle Paul echoes this absolute assurance of God’s unbreakable love and power, declaring that nothing in all creation can separate believers from God’s love, a truth mirrored in the immutability of God’s natural ordinances.
pooleJeremiah 33:20: "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;"
By the covenant of day and night here is meant the same with the ordinances mentioned Jeremiah 31:35 . God’s law established in the course. of natural causes, by virtue of which the day and night orderly succeed one another. These verses are but a further confirmation of what was said before, and the sense of them no more than t…
clarkeJeremiah 33:20: "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;"
If ye can break my covenant of the day - See the note on Jeremiah 31:36 .
This verse isn't just about the sun and moon; it highlights God's "covenant with the day" and "covenant with the night" as unbreakable natural laws. These are presented as a baseline, showing that God's faithfulness to His promises for His people will be even more certain than the predictable cycle of day and night.
In the lead-up to this verse, God has just promised to restore both Judah and Israel, bringing them back to their land and performing all the good things He declared. Jeremiah is now laying out the divine guarantees that these future promises are absolutely certain. God uses the unchanging, predictable cycle of day and night as an irrefutable example of His faithfulness.
In the lead-up to this verse, God has just promised to restore both Judah and Israel, bringing them back to their land and performing all the good things He declared. Jeremiah is now laying out the divine guarantees that these future promises are absolutely certain. God uses the unchanging, predictable cycle of day and night as an irrefutable example of His faithfulness.
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Refers to the descendants of Levi, set apart by God for priestly service. They were responsible for the sanctuary, offerings, and teaching the law to the people of Israel.
sharath · Hebrew Verb
Those who perform religious duties and service to God. It carries the sense of performing a sacred office or ministry before the Lord.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Babylonian forces deported more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, after a rebellion. Jerusalem's temple was not yet destroyed.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian armies under Nebuchadnezzar completely destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, exiling the remaining significant population and leaving the Davidic kingdom in ruins.
c. 580 BC
Jeremiah Prophesies in Exile
Jeremiah, though likely not exiled himself, continued to prophesy to the people in Jerusalem and later those taken to Babylon, offering messages of future restoration and hope.
"“Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not hav…" — This verse isn't just about the sun and moon; it highlights God's "covenant with the day" and "covenant with the night" as unbreakable natural laws. These are presented as a baseline, showing that Go…
