Bible Strands
Jeremiah 33:21
then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant and with My ministers the Levites who are priests, so that David will not have a son to reign on his throne.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Yahweh speaks to Jeremiah, addressing the people of Judah during the late monarchic period. The oracle frames a conditional warning to emphasize the absolute permanence of divine promises.
The words — The Hebrew תֻפַר (tu.Far) means "it will be broken," directly modifying בְּרִית (be.rit) for "covenant" to establish the conditional threat. The term עַבְדִּי (‘av.dî) translates literally to "My servant," identifying David as the primary covenant recipient.
The thread — The text's conditional structure is answered by the divine guarantee in Psalms 89:34 that God will not violate His covenant or alter His words. It aligns with the unconditional throne promise in 2 Chronicles 7:18 and the everlasting covenant framework of 2 Samuel 23:5.
Why it lands — The passage demands recognition that human impossibility cannot override divine commitment to Davidic and Levitical succession. It requires the reader to accept the stated condition as a rhetorical device confirming the unbreakable nature of the promise.
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
Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
Cross-references
- Psalms 89:34 I will not violate My covenant or alter the utterance of My lips.
- 2 Chronicles 7:18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with your father David when I said, ‘You will never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.’
- 2 Samuel 23:5 Is not my house right with God? For He has established with me an everlasting covenant, ordered and secured in every part. Will He not bring about my full salvation and my every desire?
- 2 Chronicles 21:7 Yet the LORD was unwilling to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant He had made with David, and since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.
- Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Luke 1:32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,
- Luke 1:69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,
- Revelation 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
- Psalms 132:11 The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.
- Psalms 132:17 There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.