Jeremiah 31:19

17 There is ^ahope in your future, says the Lord,
That your children shall come back to their own border.

18 “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself:
‘You have ^achastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained bull;
^bRestore me, and I will return,
For You are the Lord my God.

19 Surely, ^aafter my turning, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh;
I was ^bashamed, yes, even humiliated,
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’

20 Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,
I earnestly remember him still;
^aTherefore My¹ heart yearns for him;
^bI will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.

21 “Set up signposts,
Make landmarks;
^aSet your heart toward the highway,
The way in which you went.
¹Turn back, O virgin of Israel,
Turn back to these your cities.

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Jeremiah 31:19

After that I was turned - Converted from my sin, folly, and idolatry.

I repented - To conviction of sin, I now added contrition for sin. Conviction, in this sense of the word, must precede contrition or repentance. As soon as a man sees himself lost and undone, he is convicted of sin; when convicted, he begins to mourn. Thus contrition follows conviction.

I smote upon my thigh - My sorrow grew deeper and deeper; I smote upon my thigh through the extremity of my distress. This was a usual sign of deep affliction. See Ezekiel 21:12. It was the same among the ancient Greeks. So Homer: -

\, .

IL. lib. 15:113.

"She spake: and with expanded arms, his thighs

Smiting, thus sorrowful, the god exclaimed."

Cowper.

IL. lib. 16:124.

"Achilles saw it, smote his thigh, and said."

Cowper.

I have often seen persons in deep grief act thus.

**Other Adam Clarke entries containing Jeremiah 31:19:**

Ezekiel 21:12

<< Jeremiah 31:18

Jeremiah 31:20 >>

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