Jeremiah 16:15

Instead they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’ For I will return them to their land that I gave to their forefathers.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Yahweh speaks through Jeremiah to Judah, announcing a future shift in how the people will invoke His name. The text records a coming declaration that will replace the traditional Exodus confession with a reference to return from exile.

The words — The oath formula חַי יְהוָה (chai Yahweh) literally means "living Yahweh" and functions as a solemn affirmation of divine authority. The verb הֶעֱלָה (he'elah) denotes a divine bringing up, here applied to the regathering from banishment rather than the initial deliverance from Egypt.

The thread — This reversal of the Exodus motif runs parallel to Jeremiah 3:18, 24:6, and 32:37, where gathering from foreign dispersion becomes the new covenantal benchmark for restoration.

Why it lands — The text states plainly that exile will become the primary context for recognizing God's power, and that return to the ancestral land will follow. It requires the reader to accept that divine judgment and restoration operate sequentially, without softening the immediate warning of pursuit and capture.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 3:18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance.
Jeremiah 24:6 I will keep My eyes on them for good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.
Jeremiah 32:37 I will surely gather My people from all the lands to which I have banished them in My furious anger and great wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them dwell in safety.
Psalms 106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, that we may glory in Your praise.
Isaiah 11:11 On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
Ezekiel 36:24 For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.
Ezekiel 39:28 Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, when I regather them to their own land, not leaving any of them behind after their exile among the nations.
Amos 9:14 I will restore My people Israel from captivity; they will rebuild and inhabit the ruined cities. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
Deuteronomy 30:3 then He will restore you from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you from all the nations to which the LORD your God has scattered you.
Isaiah 14:1 For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.