myBibleHistory

Journey of a Passage

Jeremiah 16:14–15 and 23:7–8

A new exodus: a promise that appears twice

"Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 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." The return from exile will be so great that it replaces the exodus as the oath formula. The promise appears in the middle of a chapter of judgment (16:10–13, 16–18), and again, almost word for word, at 23:7–8. In the Greek, 23:7–8 stands after 23:40, at the end of the chapter.

Read Jeremiah 16:14–15 and 23:7–8 in every edition

Manuscript variant: witnesses differ in wording

The family tree

Each row is a language or text tradition. Witnesses in the same row may share ancestry, revise one another, or have an uncertain relationship; the line under each box says which. A solid arrow appears only where direct copying or a documented revised edition is established. Order by date never implies copying. Scroll sideways on a phone.

✓ contains it · ✕ does not · ❝ quotes part of it · ⓘ reports on manuscripts · ▢ pages lost · – no copy survives

  • Same line, through lost copies
  • Translation
Hebrew
  1. The words as first spoken or writtenlate 7th–6th century BC (by section; debated)
  2. Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)AD 1008Descends, through lost copies, from The words as first spoken or written
  3. Jeremiah 23:7–8 (Masoretic Text, the repetition)AD 1008Descends, through lost copies, from The words as first spoken or written
Greek
  1. Greek Jeremiah (library: Giguet's French)Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872Translated from the Old Greek Jeremiah (a shorter edition)
Latin
  1. Latin Vulgate (Clementine)Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592Translated from the Hebrew text Jerome used
English
  1. King James Bible1611Translated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

Every witness, in order

  1. late 7th–6th century BC (by section; debated)

    The words as first spoken or written

    – No copy survives

    No original survives, and Jeremiah circulated in at least two ancient Hebrew editions: a shorter one behind the Old Greek and the longer one preserved as the Masoretic Text. The oldest copies are six fragmentary Qumran manuscripts (2QJer, 4QJer-a to 4QJer-e), from about 200 BC to the 1st century AD.

  2. Jerome c. AD 400, from Hebrew; edition 1592

    Latin Vulgate (Clementine)

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Hebrew text Jerome used

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Clementine Vulgate (1592 edition).

    Propterea ecce dies veniunt, dicit Dominus, et non dicetur ultra: Vivit Dominus qui eduxit filios Israël de terra Ægypti, sed: Vivit Dominus qui eduxit filios Israël de terra aquilonis, et de universis terris ad quas ejeci eos: et reducam eos in terram suam, quam dedi patribus eorum.

    Latin numbering: Jeremiah 16:14–15. Jerome translated Jeremiah from Hebrew (c. AD 400).

  3. AD 1008

    Masoretic Text (Leningrad Codex)

    ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The words as first spoken or written

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

    לָכֵ֛ן הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֶעֱלָ֛ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ כִּ֣י אִם־חַי־יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱלָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֔וֹן וּמִכֹּל֙ הָֽאֲרָצ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִדִּיחָ֖ם שָׁ֑מָּה וַהֲשִֽׁבֹתִים֙ עַל־אַדְמָתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לַאֲבוֹתָֽם׃

    Days are coming, declares the LORD, when it will no longer be said, As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt (v. 14)

    Hebrew numbering: Jeremiah 16:14–15.

  4. AD 1008

    Jeremiah 23:7–8 (Masoretic Text, the repetition)

    ✓ Contains this passageDescends, through lost copies, from The words as first spoken or written

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, a digital transcription of the Leningrad Codex.

    לָכֵ֛ן הִנֵּֽה־יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹא־יֹ֤אמְרוּ עוֹד֙ חַי־יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֶעֱלָ֛ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ כִּ֣י אִם־חַי־יְהוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֶעֱלָה֩ וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר הֵבִ֜יא אֶת־זֶ֨רַע בֵּ֤ית יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֔וֹנָה וּמִכֹּל֙ הָֽאֲרָצ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִדַּחְתִּ֖ים שָׁ֑ם וְיָשְׁב֖וּ עַל־אַדְמָתָֽם׃

    Therefore, behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when they shall no longer say, As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, but, As the LORD lives who brought up and led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country…

    The second occurrence.

  5. 1611

    King James Bible

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from printed Masoretic Hebrew

    How the site knows this: Read in the site's library text: King James Version (1769 text).

    Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 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.

  6. Greek translation c. 2nd century BC; French 1872

    Greek Jeremiah (library: Giguet's French)

    ✓ Contains this passageTranslated from the Old Greek Jeremiah (a shorter edition)

    How the site knows this: Known here only through a translation.

    À cause de cela, voilà que viennent les jours, dit le Seigneur, où ils ne diront plus: Vive le Seigneur, qui a ramené de la terre d’Égypte les fils d’Israël! Mais, Vive le Seigneur, qui a ramené la maison d’Israël de la terre du nord et de toutes les contrées où ils avaient été transportés! et je les rétablirai dans l’héritage que j’ai donné à leurs pères.

    Greek (digital file) numbering: Jeremiah 16:14–15. Giguet's 1872 French of a printed Greek text (D check only), in the Greek book's own order and verse numbering; a C check needs Ziegler's Göttingen Jeremiah or Rahlfs–Hanhart.

What changed, and why

Classification: a doublet (the same promise in two places) and a difference of position in the Greek for the second occurrence (Greek 23:7–8 follow 23:40; reported from the Greek's order; C check).

The doublet is one of many in Jeremiah (6:13–15 = 8:10–12; 10:12–16 = 51:15–19; 15:13–14 = 17:3–4). Some see editors placing a promise of hope into a judgment context; others see the prophet reusing his own words.

Compare Isaiah 43:16–19 ("Remember ye not the former things") for the theme of a new exodus.

What the evidence shows

  • What the text saysJeremiah 16:14–15 is repeated at 23:7–8.
  • Strongly supportedThe Greek places 23:7–8 at the end of chapter 23. Reported; C check against Ziegler.
  • Plausible, not confirmed16:14–15 was inserted into its present context by an editor.

Sources

    Related lessons

    • Jeremiah 16: Thou Shalt Not Take Thee a Wife →"Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place": children born here will die unmourned and unburied (16:1–4). "Enter not into the house of mourning… for I have taken away my peace from this people… even lovingkindness and mercies"; no one will gash himself, shave his head, or give "the cup of consolation" (vv. 5–7). "Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting": the voice of the bridegroom and the bride will cease (vv. 8–9). When the people ask why, say: your fathers forsook me, and you have done worse; you will serve other gods in a foreign land (vv. 10–13). A promise interrupts: a return from the north so great it will replace the exodus in oaths (vv. 14–15). Then fishers and hunters will search them out, and their sin will be repaid double (vv. 16–18). Jeremiah ends with a confession of trust: "O LORD, my strength, and my fortress… the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies" (vv. 19–21).