Jeremiah 31:18
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.
Study Note
Study Note
Ephraim's lament — 'Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God' — articulates a theology of repentance as itself a gift: 'turn me' precedes 'I shall be turned.' The acknowledgment that even the turning requires divine initiation sits at the heart of Reformed understandings of grace, and Lamentations 5:21 ('Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord') echoes the same prayer-structure. Jeremiah's 'I was ashamed, yea, even confounded' (verse 19) shows that genuine repentance involves both a turning and a recognition of how far one has strayed.
Other Translations
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God.
I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, `Thou hast chastised me, And I am chastised, as a heifer not taught, Turn me back, and I turn back, For thou <FI>art<Fi> Jehovah my God.
Certainly Ephraim's words of grief have come to my ears, You have given me training and I have undergone it like a young cow unused to the yoke: let me be turned and come back, for you are the Lord my God.
Cross References
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