Jeremiah 32:30

Translation
King James Version
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.
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KJV (with Strong's)
For the children H1121 of Israel H3478 and the children H1121 of Judah H3063 have only done H6213 evil H7451 before H5869 me from their youth H5271: for the children H1121 of Israel H3478 have only provoked me to anger H3707 with the work H4639 of their hands H3027, saith H5002 the LORD H3068.
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Complete Jewish Bible
For from their youth, the people of Isra'el and the people of Y'hudah have done only what is evil from my perspective; the people of Isra'el have done nothing but provoke me with what their hands make,' says ADONAI.
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Berean Standard Bible
For the children of Israel and of Judah have done nothing but evil in My sight from their youth; indeed, they have done nothing but provoke Me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD.
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American Standard Version
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith Jehovah.
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World English Bible Messianic
For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only that which was evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, says the LORD.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
For the children of Israel, and the children of Iudah haue surely done euill before me from their youth: for the children of Israel haue surely prouoked me to anger with the workes of their hands, saith the Lord.
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Young's Literal Translation
For the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been only doing evil in Mine eyes, from their youth; for the sons of Israel are only provoking Me with the work of their hands--an affirmation of Jehovah.
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See also
Jeremiah 7:22Jeremiah 7:26Genesis 8:21Jeremiah 25:7Jeremiah 3:25Deuteronomy 9:7Deuteronomy 9:12
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In the KJVVerse 19,762 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Jeremiah 32:30 delivers a profound divine indictment, articulating God's long-standing and comprehensive grievance against both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This verse underscores the deep-rooted, pervasive, and generational nature of their rebellion, emphasizing that their persistent evil and widespread idolatry, manifested through "the work of their hands," has consistently provoked the LORD's righteous anger, thereby providing the ultimate justification for the severe judgment unfolding upon them.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: This potent declaration of divine judgment is strategically positioned within a seemingly paradoxical and deeply significant section of Jeremiah's prophecy. Chapter 32 opens with Jeremiah imprisoned in the court of the guard during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, a period of profound national despair and imminent collapse. Yet, amidst this dire situation, God commands Jeremiah to perform a symbolic act: to purchase a field in Anathoth from his cousin Hanamel. This act, detailed in Jeremiah 32:6-15, serves as a powerful sign of future restoration, signifying God's promise that despite the impending exile, houses, fields, and vineyards would again be bought and owned in the land. Verse 30, however, pivots sharply from this message of future hope to provide the stark, historical rationale for the current devastation. It explains why the judgment is necessary, grounding the present suffering in centuries of unfaithfulness. The "children of Israel" typically refers to the Northern Kingdom, which had already been exiled by Assyria in 722 BCE, while the "children of Judah" refers to the Southern Kingdom, which was now facing its own imminent destruction and exile at the hands of Babylon. This verse thus bridges the past rebellion with the present judgment, setting the theological stage for God's subsequent declarations of both punishment and eventual, covenantal restoration.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop for Jeremiah 32:30 is the final, desperate days of the Kingdom of Judah, specifically during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's forces, approximately 588-586 BCE. For centuries, both Israel and Judah had existed in a unique covenant relationship with Yahweh, their God, who had miraculously delivered them from slavery in Egypt and established them as His chosen people in the Promised Land. This covenant, foundational to their national identity, demanded exclusive loyalty and obedience to God's laws, as meticulously outlined in the Torah (e.g., Deuteronomy 28). However, the historical narrative of both kingdoms was overwhelmingly marked by recurring cycles of apostasy, rampant idolatry, and pervasive social injustice. Culturally, the surrounding nations practiced polytheism, often involving abhorrent practices such as fertility cults, child sacrifice (e.g., to Molech), and various forms of divination, which Israel and Judah frequently adopted despite explicit divine prohibitions (see Leviticus 18:21). The phrase "from their youth" points to this long, unbroken pattern of rebellion, stretching back to their formative years in the wilderness, through the period of the Judges, and continuing throughout the monarchy. Their actions were not merely cultural deviations but direct, willful violations of the covenant, continually provoking the very God who had redeemed and sustained them.
  • Key Themes: Jeremiah 32:30 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prevalent within the book of Jeremiah and the broader prophetic literature of the Old Testament.
    • Persistent Disobedience and Covenant Infidelity: The phrase "from their youth" underscores a deep-rooted, generational, and pervasive pattern of rebellion against God. It signifies that Israel and Judah's unfaithfulness was not a recent or isolated incident but a chronic condition, echoing the lament found in Isaiah 1:4. This theme highlights the enduring human propensity to stray from divine commands and betray covenant obligations, despite repeated warnings and demonstrations of God's faithfulness and patience.
    • Provocation Through Idolatry and False Worship: "The work of their hands" is a potent metonymy primarily pointing to the creation and worship of idols, alongside the associated sinful practices that characterized their apostasy. This persistent idolatry, a direct affront to God's unique sovereignty and holiness, violated the foundational commandments against false gods and graven images, as explicitly warned in Exodus 20:4-5. Their actions, which included child sacrifice, pagan rituals, and the adoption of foreign deities, consistently provoked God's righteous anger and grief.
    • Divine Righteous Anger and Inevitable Justice: The LORD's anger, as expressed in this verse, is not a capricious or impulsive human emotion but a just, holy, and necessary response to centuries of continuous, willful rejection of Him and their covenant with Him. It signifies His unwavering commitment to justice, righteousness, and the integrity of His covenant. This anger is a manifestation of His holiness, which cannot tolerate sin, and His profound love, which is betrayed by unfaithfulness. It underscores that God is not indifferent to human sin but actively responds to it, upholding His moral order and ensuring that consequences follow rebellion.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • children (Hebrew, bên', H1121): This word (H1121) literally means "son" but is used broadly to denote lineage, nation, and collective identity. In Jeremiah 32:30, its repetition ("children of Israel," "children of Judah") emphasizes the corporate and generational nature of the rebellion. It highlights that the entire nation, across its history and divisions, was implicated in this pervasive pattern of disobedience, underscoring a collective heritage of unfaithfulness from their earliest national existence.
  • evil (Hebrew, raʻ', H7451): The term (H7451) signifies moral badness, wickedness, and actions that are displeasing to God. It encompasses not just specific transgressions but an inherent corruption of character and an active opposition to divine will. Here, it describes the comprehensive nature of their sin, suggesting that their actions were consistently and fundamentally contrary to God's righteous standards, leading to societal decay and spiritual defilement.
  • provoked me to anger (Hebrew, kaʻaç', H3707): This verb (H3707) conveys a strong sense of vexation, indignation, and grief. It describes God's deep emotional and righteous response to Israel and Judah's persistent betrayal and disobedience. It is not a human outburst but a holy and just reaction to covenant infidelity, highlighting the profound offense caused by their idolatry and unrighteousness against the one true God who had chosen and redeemed them.

Verse Breakdown

  • "For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth:" This opening clause establishes the comprehensive and long-standing nature of the nation's rebellion. "Children of Israel" refers to the Northern Kingdom, which had already been exiled, while "children of Judah" refers to the Southern Kingdom, facing imminent judgment. The phrase "from their youth" (H5271, nâʻûwr') emphasizes that this was not a recent deviation but a deeply ingrained, generational pattern of moral corruption and disobedience, evident from the very inception of their national identity and covenant relationship with God. The intensifying adverb "only" (Hebrew: raq) underscores the exclusive and pervasive commitment to wickedness, suggesting an utter lack of righteousness in God's sight. Their entire history, from its earliest stages, was characterized by this pervasive evil.
  • "for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands," This second clause reiterates and specifies the nature of their evil, particularly highlighting "the work of their hands" (H4639, maʻăseh', and H3027, yâd'). This phrase is a powerful metonymy for the idolatry they practiced and the associated sinful rituals (e.g., child sacrifice, false worship, social injustice) that directly violated God's covenant commands and character. Their self-made gods and self-devised rituals were a direct affront to the one true God, stirring His righteous indignation and grief. The repetition of "children of Israel" (here likely a synecdoche for both kingdoms, or emphasizing the historical root of the problem in the larger Israelite identity) and "only" underscores the persistent and singular focus of their rebellion, leaving no room for excuses or mitigating factors.
  • "saith the LORD." This concluding phrase (H5002, nᵉʼum', and H3068, Yᵉhôvâh') authenticates the declaration as a direct divine oracle. It affirms the absolute truth and authority of God's indictment, emphasizing that this is not merely Jeremiah's opinion or a human complaint but the sovereign pronouncement of Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God who is also perfectly just and holy. This divine stamp underscores the certainty and inevitability of the judgment that follows, revealing the divine perspective on their long history of unfaithfulness.

Literary Devices

Jeremiah 32:30 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message with emphatic clarity and theological weight. Repetition is prominently used, with "children of Israel" appearing twice and the intensifying adverb "only" repeated to underscore the singular and pervasive nature of their sin. This repetition serves to emphasize the comprehensive guilt of both kingdoms and the consistent, unwavering pattern of their rebellion across generations. Anthropomorphism is evident in the phrase "provoked me to anger," attributing human emotion (anger) to God. This device helps human readers grasp the depth of God's righteous indignation and the profound offense caused by their actions, conveying that His response is a just, personal, and deeply felt one, not an abstract principle. Furthermore, Metonymy is powerfully employed in "the work of their hands," which stands for the idols they crafted and worshipped, as well as the sinful practices associated with such idolatry. This phrase succinctly encapsulates the tangible manifestations of their spiritual apostasy, highlighting that their rebellion was not merely internal but expressed through concrete, offensive acts. Finally, the statement can be seen as a form of Hyperbole or emphatic language, particularly with the repeated "only done evil" and "only provoked me to anger," stressing the absolute and pervasive nature of their sin in God's sight, leaving no room for doubt about the cause of His judgment.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Jeremiah 32:30 profoundly underscores the theological truth of God's holiness and justice in the face of persistent human sin. It reveals that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous and necessary response to centuries of covenant infidelity and deep-seated rebellion. The verse highlights the gravity of idolatry, not merely as a ritualistic error but as a profound betrayal of the divine-human relationship, provoking the very God who had chosen, redeemed, and sustained them. It also speaks to the concept of corporate and generational sin, where the accumulated unfaithfulness of a people over centuries leads to inevitable consequences, demonstrating that God holds nations accountable for their collective moral trajectory. Despite the severity of the indictment, the broader context of Jeremiah 32, with its surrounding promise of future restoration, subtly hints at God's ultimate faithfulness to His covenant promises, even through judgment, demonstrating that His anger is a means to purification and eventual redemption, not merely annihilation.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Jeremiah 32:30 serves as a timeless mirror for profound self-examination, challenging us to consider the persistent patterns of disobedience in our own lives and within contemporary societies. Just as ancient Israel and Judah provoked God with "the work of their hands," we too can create modern "idols" – whether they be career success, material possessions, personal relationships, comfort, technological advancements, or even our own self-sufficiency and intellectual pride – that subtly or overtly replace God as the ultimate object of our devotion, trust, and worship. This verse calls us to a profound humility, acknowledging that our sin, like theirs, is often deep-rooted and generational, requiring a radical turning to God for true repentance, spiritual renewal, and transformative grace. It reminds us that God is not indifferent to our actions; His holiness and justice demand a response to unrighteousness, for He is a God who cares deeply about truth, righteousness, and the integrity of His relationship with humanity. However, it also implicitly points to His enduring patience and His ultimate desire for reconciliation, even through the painful process of discipline. True peace, security, and flourishing are found only in wholehearted faithfulness to God, not in the fleeting allure of self-made gods or human endeavors.

Questions for Reflection

  • In what specific ways might "the work of our hands" today (our achievements, possessions, or pursuits) become modern idols that subtly or overtly provoke God's displeasure?
  • How does understanding God's righteous anger in this verse shape your view of His character, particularly in relation to His boundless love and enduring mercy?
  • Considering the "from their youth" aspect, what generational patterns of sin, disobedience, or spiritual apathy might exist in your own life, family, or community that need to be acknowledged, repented of, and broken through God's power?

FAQ

Why does God emphasize "from their youth" when describing Israel and Judah's evil?

Answer: The phrase "from their youth" (H5271, nâʻûwr') emphasizes that the nations' rebellion was not a recent deviation but a deeply ingrained, pervasive, and generational pattern of unfaithfulness. It signifies that from the very beginning of their national identity and covenant relationship with God, they displayed a consistent propensity for moral corruption and disobedience. This highlights the deep-seated nature of their sin, suggesting a continuous, unbroken history of straying from God's commands, thereby justifying the severity of the impending judgment as a long-deserved consequence rather than a sudden, arbitrary punishment. It underscores the profound and enduring nature of their betrayal of the covenant, demonstrating God's long-suffering patience before bringing judgment.

What does "the work of their hands" specifically refer to in this context?

Answer: "The work of their hands" (H4639, maʻăseh', and H3027, yâd') is a powerful metonymy that primarily refers to the idols they crafted and worshipped. It encompasses the physical statues and images they made, but also extends to the entire system of false worship, pagan rituals, and associated sinful practices (such as child sacrifice to Molech, cultic prostitution, and divination) that characterized their apostasy. These "works" were direct violations of God's first and second commandments (e.g., Exodus 20:3-5), representing their self-devised religion and their rejection of the one true God who had delivered and sustained them. It highlights that their rebellion was not merely internal but manifested in tangible, offensive actions that directly dishonored God.

How can God be "provoked to anger" if He is also described as loving and patient?

Answer: God's anger (H3707, kaʻaç') is not a human, volatile emotion but a righteous and holy response to sin and unfaithfulness. It is a manifestation of His perfect justice and His unwavering commitment to His own character and covenant. Because God is holy, He cannot tolerate evil; because He is just, He must respond to rebellion. His anger, therefore, arises from His profound love for righteousness and His grief over His people's betrayal of the covenant relationship He initiated. It is a holy indignation against actions that dishonor Him and harm His creation. The Bible consistently portrays God as both loving and just (e.g., Psalm 89:14). His patience (e.g., 2 Peter 3:9) is evident in the centuries He waited before bringing this severe judgment, sending numerous prophets like Jeremiah to warn and call for repentance. His anger, therefore, is a necessary expression of His holiness, serving to uphold moral order and ultimately to purify His people for His redemptive purposes.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Jeremiah 32:30, with its stark portrayal of Israel and Judah's pervasive sin and God's righteous anger, points powerfully to the absolute necessity of Christ. The declaration that they "have only done evil before me from their youth" and "have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands" highlights humanity's universal problem of sin and inherent rebellion against a holy God (as articulated in Romans 3:23). The Law, given to Israel, meticulously exposed their inability to keep God's commands, leading to deserved judgment and revealing the depth of human depravity (see Romans 7:7-13). However, the New Testament gloriously reveals that God, in His infinite love and boundless mercy, provided the ultimate solution to this profound human dilemma through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the perfect Son of God and true Israel, lived a life of complete and unwavering obedience, never doing "evil" or provoking God's anger. He became the ultimate "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29), bearing the full weight of God's righteous wrath against humanity's sin on the cross. His substitutionary sacrifice atoned for the "work of their hands" – the idolatry, rebellion, and evil of all humanity – offering forgiveness, reconciliation, and a path to new life. Through faith in Christ, believers enter into a New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6) where their sins are remembered no more, and they are transformed by the Holy Spirit from a people who provoke God to anger into a "holy nation, a people for God's own possession" (1 Peter 2:9-10). Thus, the condemnation of Jeremiah 32:30 finds its ultimate reversal, redemption, and glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus, who perfectly fulfills God's righteousness and provides the means for humanity to be eternally reconciled to Him.

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Commentary on Jeremiah 32 verses 26–44

We have here God's answer to Jeremiah's prayer, designed to quiet his mind and make him easy; and it is a full discovery of the purposes of God's wrath against the present generation and the purposes of his grace concerning the future generations. Jeremiah knew not how to sing both of mercy and judgment, but God here teaches to sing unto him of both. When we know not how to reconcile one word of God with another we may yet be sure that both are true, both are pure, both shall be made good, and not one iota or tittle of either shall fall to the ground. When Jeremiah was ordered to buy the field in Anathoth he was willing to hope that God was about to revoke the sentence of his wrath and to order the Chaldeans to raise the siege. "No," says God, "the execution of the sentence shall go on; Jerusalem shall be laid in ruins." Note, Assurances of future mercy must not be interpreted as securities from present troubles. But, lest Jeremiah should think that his being ordered to buy this field intimated that all the mercy God had in store for his people, after their return, was only that they should have the possession of their own land again, he further informs him that that was but a type and figure of those spiritual blessings which should then be abundantly bestowed upon them, unspeakably more valuable than fields and vineyards; so that in this word of the Lord, which came to Jeremiah, we have first as dreadful threatenings and then as precious promises as perhaps any we have in the Old Testament; life and death, good and evil, are here set before us; let us consider and choose wisely.

I. The ruin of Judah and Jerusalem is here pronounced. The decree has gone forth, and shall not be recalled. 1. God here asserts his own sovereignty and power (Jer 32:27): Behold, I am Jehovah, a self-existent self-sufficient being; I am that I am; I am the God of all flesh, that is, of all mankind, here called flesh because weak and unable to contend with God (Psa 56:4), and because wicked and corrupt and unapt to comply with God. God is the Creator of all, and makes what use he pleases of all. He that is the God of Israel is the God of all flesh and of the spirits of all flesh, and, if Israel were cast off, could raise up a people to his name out of some other nation. If he be the God of all flesh, he may well ask, Is any thing too hard for me? What cannot he do from whom all the powers of men are derived, on whom they depend, and by whom all their actions are directed and governed? Whatever he designs to do, whether in wrath or in mercy, nothing can hinder him nor defeat his designs. 2. He abides by that he had often said of the destruction of Jerusalem by the king of Babylon (Jer 32:28): I will give this city into his hand, now that he is grasping at it, and he shall take it and make a prey of it, Jer 32:29. The Chaldeans shall come and set fire to it, shall burn it and all the houses in it, God's house not excepted, nor the king's neither. 3. He assigns the reason for these severe proceedings against the city that had been so much in his favour. It is sin, it is that and nothing else, that ruins it. (1.) They were impudent and daring in sin. They offered incense to Baal, not in corners, as men ashamed or afraid of being discovered, but upon the tops of their houses (Jer 32:29), in defiance of God's justice. (2.) They designed an affront to God herein. They did it to provoke me to anger, Jer 32:29. They have only provoked me to anger with the works of their hands, Jer 32:30. They could not promise themselves any pleasure, profit, or honour out of it, but did it on purpose to offend God. And again (Jer 32:32), All the evil which they have done was to provoke me to anger. They knew he was a jealous God in the matters of his worship, and there they resolved to try his jealousy and dare him to his face. "Jerusalem has been to me a provocation of my anger and fury," Jer 32:31. Their conduct in every thing was provoking. (3.) They began betimes, and had continued all along provoking to God: "They have done evil before me from their youth, ever since they were first formed into a people (Jer 32:30), witness their murmurings and rebellions in the wilderness." And as for Jerusalem, though it was the holy city, it has been a provocation to the holy God from the day that they built it, even to this day, Jer 32:31. O what reason have we to lament the little honour God has from this world, and the great dishonour that is done him, when even in Judah, where he is known and his name is great, and in Salem where his tabernacle is, there was always that found that was a provocation to him! (4.) All orders and degrees of men contributed to the common guilt, and therefore were justly involved in the common ruin. Not only the children of Israel, that had revolted from the temple, but the children of Judah too, that still adhered to it - not only the common people, the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, but those that should have reproved and restrained sin in others were themselves ringleaders in it, their kings and princes, their priests and prophets. (5.) God had again and again called them to repentance, but they turned a deaf ear to his calls, and rudely turned their back on him that called them, though he was their master, to whom they were bound in duty, and their benefactor, to whom they were bound in gratitude and interest, Jer 32:33. "I taught them better manners, with as much care as ever any tender parent taught a child, rising up early, in teaching them, studying to adapt the teaching to their capacities, taking them betimes, when they might have been most pliable, but all in vain; they turned not the face to me, would not so much as look upon me, nay, they turned the back upon me," an expression of the highest contempt. As he called them, like froward children, so they went from him, Hos 11:2. They have not hearkened to receive instruction; they regarded not a word that was said to them, though it was designed for their own good. (6.) There was in their idolatries an impious contempt of God; for (Jer 32:34) they set their abominations (their idols, which they knew to be in the highest degree abominable to God) in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. They had their idols not only in their high places and groves, but even in God's temple. (7.) They were guilty of the most unnatural cruelty to their own children; for they sacrificed them to Moloch, Jer 32:35. Thus because they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, but changed his glory into shame, they were justly given up to vile affections and stripped of natural ones, and their glory was turned into shame. And, (8.) What was the consequence of all this? [1.] They caused Judah to sin, Jer 32:35. The whole country was infected with the contagious idolatries and iniquities of Jerusalem. [2.] They brought ruin upon themselves. It was as if they had done it on purpose that God should remove them from before his face (Jer 32:31); they would throw themselves out of his favour.

II. The restoration of Judah and Jerusalem is here promised, Jer 32:36, etc. God will in judgment remember mercy, and there will a time come, a set time, to favour Zion. Observe, 1. The despair to which this people were now at length brought. When the judgment was threatened at a distance they had no fear; when it attacked them they had no hope. They said concerning the city (Jer 32:36), It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, not by any cowardice or ill conduct of ours, but by the sword, famine, and pestilence. Concerning the country they said, with vexation (Jer 32:43), It is desolate, without man or beast; there is no relief, there is no remedy. It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Note, Deep security commonly ends in deep despair; whereas those that keep up a holy fear at all times have a good hope to support them in the worst of times. 2. The hope that God gives them of mercy which he had in store for them hereafter. Though their carcases must fall in captivity, yet their children after them shall again see this good land and the goodness of God in it. (1.) They shall be brought up from their captivity and shall come and settle again in this land, Jer 32:37. They had been under God's anger and fury, and great wrath; but now they shall partake of his grace, and love, and great favour. He had dispersed them, and driven them into all countries. Those that fled dispersed themselves; those that fell into the enemies; hands were dispersed by them, in policy, to prevent combinations among them. God's hand was in both. But now God will find them out, and gather them out of all the countries whither they were driven, as he promised in the law (Deu 30:3, Deu 30:4) and the saints had prayed, Psa 106:47; Neh 1:9. He had banished them, but he will bring them again to this place, which they could not but have an affection for. For many years past, while they were in their own land, they were continually exposed, and terrified with the alarms of war; but now I will cause them to dwell safely. Being reformed, and having returned to God, neither their own consciences within nor their enemies without shall be a terror to them. He promises (Jer 32:41): I will plant them in this land assuredly; not only I will certainly do it, but they shall here enjoy a holy a security and repose, and they shall take root here, shall be planted in stability, and not again be unfixed and shaken. (2.) God will renew his covenant with them, a covenant of grace, the blessings of which are spiritual, and such as will work good things in them, to qualify them for the great things God intended to do for them. It is called an everlasting covenant (Jer 32:40), not only because God will be for ever faithful to it, but because the consequences of it will be everlasting. For, doubtless, here the promises look further than to Israel according to the flesh, and are sure to all believers, to every Israelite indeed. Good Christians may apply them to themselves and plead them with God, may claim the benefit of them and take the comfort of them. [1.] God will own them for his, and make over himself to them to be theirs (Jer 32:38): They shall be my people. He will make them his by working in them all the characters and dispositions of his people, and then he will protect, and guide, and govern them as his people. "And, to make them truly, completely, and eternally happy, I will be their God." They shall serve and worship God as theirs and cleave to him only, and he will approve himself theirs. All he is, all he has, shall be engaged and employed for their good. [2.] God will give them a heart to fear him, Jer 32:39. That which he requires of those whom he takes into covenant with him as his people is that they fear him, that they reverence his majesty, dread his wrath, stand in awe of his authority, pay homage to him, and give him the glory due unto his name. Now what God requires of them he here promises to work in them, pursuant to his choice of them as his people. Note, As it is God's prerogative to fashion men's hearts, so it is his promise to his people to fashion theirs aright; and a heart to fear God is indeed a good heart, and well fashioned. It is repeated (Jer 32:40): I will put my fear in their hearts, that is, work in them gracious principles and dispositions, that shall influence and govern their whole conversation. Teachers may put good things into our heads, but it is God only that can put them into our hearts, that can work in us both to will and to do. [3.] He will give them one heart and one way. In order to their walking in one way, he will give them one heart: as the heart is, so will the way be, and both shall be one; that is First, They shall be each of them one with themselves. One heart is the same with a new heart, Eze 11:19. The heart is then one when it is fully determined for God and entirely devoted to God. When the eye is single and God's glory alone aimed at, when our hearts are fixed, trusting in God, and we are uniform and universal in our obedience to him, then the heart is one and way one; and, unless the heart be thus steady, the goings will not be stedfast. From this promise we may take direction and encouragement to pray, with David (Psa 86:11), Unite my heart to fear thy name; for God says, I will give them one heart, that they may fear me. Secondly, They shall be all of them one with each other. All good Christians shall be incorporated into one body; Jews and Gentiles shall become one sheep-fold; and they shall all, as far as they are sanctified, have a disposition to love one another, the gospel they profess having in it the strongest inducements to mutual love, and the Spirit that dwells in them being the Spirit of love. Though they may have different apprehensions about minor things, they shall be all one in the great things of God, being renewed after the same image. Though they may have many paths, they have but one way, that of serious godliness. [4.] He will effectually provide for their perseverance in grace and the perpetuating of the covenant between himself and them. They would have been happy when there were first planted in Canaan, like Adam in paradise, if they had not departed from God. And therefore, now that they are restored to their happiness, they shall be confirmed in it by the preventing of their departures from God, and this will complete their bliss. First, God will never leave nor forsake them: I will not turn away from them to do them good. Earthly princes are fickle, and their greatest favourites have fallen under their frowns; but God's mercy endures for ever. Whom he loves he loves to the end. God may seem to turn from this people (Isa 54:8), but even then he does not turn from doing and designing them good. Secondly, They shall never leave nor forsake him; that is the thing we are in danger of. We have no reason to distrust God's fidelity and constancy, but our own; and therefore it is here promised that God will give them a heart to fear him for ever, all days, to be in his fear every day and all the day long (Pro 23:17), and to continue so to the end of their days. He will put such a principle into their hearts that they shall not depart from him. Even those who have given up their names to God, if they be left to themselves, will depart from him; but the fear of God ruling in the heart, will prevent their departure. That, and nothing else, will do it. If we continue close and faithful to God, it is owing purely to his almighty grace and not to any strength or resolution of our own. [5.] He will entail a blessing upon their seed, will give them grace to fear him, for the good of them and of their children after them. As their departures from God had been to the prejudice of their children, so their adherence to God should be to the advantage of their children. We cannot better consult the good of posterity than by setting up, and keeping up, the fear and worship of God in our families. [6.] He will take a pleasure in their prosperity and will do every thing to advance it (Jer 32:41): I will rejoice over them to do them good. God will certainly do them good because he rejoices over them. They are dear to him; he makes his boast of them, and therefore will not only do them good, but will delight in doing them good. When he punishes them it is with reluctance. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? But, when he restores them, it is with satisfaction; he rejoices in doing them good. We ought therefore to serve him with pleasure and to rejoice in all opportunities of serving him. He is himself a cheerful giver, and therefore loves a cheerful servant. I will plant them (says God) with my whole heart and with my whole soul. He will be intent upon it, and take delight in it; he will make it the business of his providence to settle them again in Canaan, and the various dispensations of providence shall concur to it. All things shall appear at last so to have been working for the good of the church that it will be said, The governor of the world is entirely taken up with the care of his church. [7.] These promises shall as surely be performed as the foregoing threatenings were; and the accomplishment of those, notwithstanding the security of the people, might confirm their expectation of the performance of these, notwithstanding their present despair (Jer 32:42): As I have brought all this great evil upon them, pursuant to the threatenings, and for the glory of divine justice, so I will bring upon them all this good, pursuant to the promise, and for the glory of divine mercy. He that is faithful to his threatenings will much more be so to his promises; and he will comfort his people according to the time that he has afflicted them. The churches shall have rest after the days of adversity. [8.] As an earnest of all this, houses and lands shall again fetch a good price in Judah and Jerusalem, and, though now they are a drug, there shall again be a sufficient number of purchasers (Jer 32:43, Jer 32:44): Fields shall be bought in this land, and people will covet to have lands here rather than any where else. Lands, wherever they lie, will go off, not only in the places about Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah and of Israel, too, whether they lie on mountains, or in valleys, or in the south, in all parts of the country, men shall buy fields, and subscribe evidences. Trade shall revive, for they shall have money enough to buy land with. Husbandry shall revive, for those that have money shall covet to lay it out upon lands. Laws shall again have their due course, for they shall subscribe evidences and seal them. This is mentioned to reconcile Jeremiah to his new purchase. Though he had bought a piece of ground and could not go to see it, yet he must believe that this was the pledge of many a purchase, and those but faint resemblances of the purchased possessions in the heavenly Canaan, reserved for all those who have God's fear in their hearts and do not depart from him.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 26–44. Public domain.
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TertullianAD 220
AGAINST PRAXEAS 10
Of course nothing is “too hard for the Lord.” But if we choose to apply this principle so extravagantly and harshly in our capricious imaginations, we may then make out God to have done anything we please, on the ground that it was not impossible for him to do it. We must not suppose, however, because he is able to do all things, that he has done what he has not done. But we must inquire whether he has really done it. God could, if he had liked, have furnished humankind with wings to fly with, just as he gave wings to kites. We must not, however, run to the conclusion that he did this because he was able to do it. He might also have extinguished Praxeas and all other heretics at once; it does not follow, however, that he did, simply because he was able. For it was necessary that there should be both kites and heretics; it was necessary also that the Father should be crucified. In one sense there will be something difficult even for God—namely, that which he has not done—not because he could not but because he would not do it. For with God, to be willing is to be able and to be unwilling is to be unable; all that he has willed, however, he has both been able to accomplish and has displayed his ability.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 30) For the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel continually (or alone) did evil in my sight from their youth. The Hebrew word 'Ach' (), Aquila interpreted as 'plēn', which signifies a conjunction, however. The first edition of Symmachus, as well as the Seventy, and Theodotion, interpreted it as 'diolon'. We now follow the latter, so that we may say 'continually'. Let us therefore say first according to the Hebrew, the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah continuously doing evil. And ten, he says, and two tribes continuously did evil without ceasing, and perseverance in the worst works was with them. But if there is continuous and always in the whole people, where is eternal justice? Furthermore, according to the LXX, who said: Only those who do evil, a question arises: Did not other nations at that time when Israel and Judah were sinning, also do evil? Which is thus resolved: Whoever has knowledge of God and departs from him, sins alone in the eyes of God; but those who remain unbelievers, as if he does not see and neglects, they commit delinquencies. And so David, a holy man, because he had fallen into sin with the wife of Uriah, Bathsheba, later repented (2 Kings 12), speaks: Against you alone have I sinned, and I have done evil in your sight (Psalm 50:4), that is, in your presence. Finally, it is joined: Those alone who do evil in my eyes, in my presence, from their youth. And what follows: The Israelites who still continue to provoke me in the work of their hands, says the Lord, is not found in the Septuagint, but is added from the Hebrew. Because from their youth until the present day they have continually sinned, therefore the just judgment of God is upon them, and the Scripture rightly covers it.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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