Jeremiah 31:16

This is what the LORD says: “Keep your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for the reward for your work will come, declares the LORD. Then your children will return from the land of the enemy.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Yahweh addresses Rachel (metonym for the northern kingdom) immediately after her weeping is described in v. 15. The moment is the height of mourning over exiled children, and the divine voice interrupts with a command.

The words — מִנְעִי (min.'I), from H4513, is an imperative: "restrain," a physical act of holding back. It is not a gentle suggestion but a direct command to pull the voice and eyes away from their natural motion.

The thread — The same restoration promise appears in Jeremiah 30:3, and the "reward for your work" language echoes Ruth 2:12 and Hebrews 6:10. The motif of God repaying faithful labor runs from the agricultural blessing in Ruth to the eschatological assurance in Hebrews.

Why it lands — It asks the reader to release grief as an act of obedience, not merely as an emotional choice. The return of the children is presented as a settled fact, not a possibility, so continued weeping is a refusal to accept what has already been declared.

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

כֹּ֣ה׀kohthus אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe says יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahweh מִנְעִ֤יmin.'Irestrain קוֹלֵךְ֙ko.le/Khvoice/ your מִבֶּ֔כִיmi./Be.khifrom/ weeping וְעֵינַ֖יִךְve./'ei.Na.yi/khand/ eyes/ your מִדִּמְעָ֑הmi./dim.'Ahfrom/ tear[s]כִּי֩kifor יֵ֨שׁyeshthere שָׂכָ֤רsa.Khar[will be] a reward לִפְעֻלָּתֵךְ֙li/f.'u.la.te/Khfor/ work/ your נְאֻם־ne.'um-[the] utterance of יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahweh וְשָׁ֖בוּve./Sha.vuand/ they will return מֵאֶ֥רֶץme./'E.retzfrom/ [the] land of אוֹיֵֽב׃'o.Yev[the] enemy

King James Version

Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.

Cross-references

Ruth 2:12 May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.”
Jeremiah 30:3 For behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore from captivity My people Israel and Judah, declares the LORD. I will restore them to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they will possess it.’”
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Jeremiah 33:7 I will restore Judah and Israel from captivity and will rebuild them as in former times.
2 Chronicles 15:7 But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
Jeremiah 30:18 This is what the LORD says: “I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings. And the city will be rebuilt on her own ruins, and the palace will stand in its rightful place.
Isaiah 30:19 O people in Zion who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will surely be gracious when you cry for help; when He hears, He will answer you.
Mark 5:38 When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the people weeping and wailing loudly.