Jeremiah 3 · Verse 16

Jeremiah 3:16

And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.
Jeremiah 3:16, King James Version

Jeremiah 3:16 in other translations

BSB“In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer discuss the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made.
WEBIt will come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the LORD, “they will no longer say, ‘the ark of the LORD’s covenant!’ It will not come to mind. They won’t remember it. They won’t miss it, nor will another be made.
ASVAnd it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.
YLTAnd it hath come to pass, when ye are multiplied, And have been fruitful in the land, In those days--an affirmation of Jehovah, They say not any more, ‘The ark of the covenant of Jehovah,' Nor doth it go up on the heart, Nor do they remember concerning it, Nor do they inspect, nor is it made again.
DARBYAnd it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied in the land and become fruitful, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, Ark of the covenant of Jehovah! neither shall it come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it; neither shall it be done any more.
BBEAnd it will come about, when your numbers are increased in the land, in those days, says the Lord, that they will no longer say, The ark of the agreement of the Lord: it will not come into their minds, they will not have any memory of it, or be conscious of the loss of it, and it will not be made again.
WebsterAnd it shall come to pass, when ye shall be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

What does Jeremiah 3:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. they shall say no more--The Jews shall no longer glory in the possession of the ark; it shall not be missed, so great shall be the blessings of the new dispensation. The throne of the Lord, present Himself, shall eclipse and put out of mind the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat between the cherubim, God's former throne. The ark, containing the two tables of the law, disappeared at the Babylonian captivity, and was not restored to the second temple, implying that the symbolical "glory" was to be superseded by a "greater glory" (Hag 2:9). neither ... visit it--rather, "neither shall it be missed" (so in Jr 23:4). done--rather, "neither shall it (the ark) be made (that is, be restored) any more" [Maurer].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 The ark of the covenant of the Lord - This symbol of the Divine presence, given to the Jews as a token and pledge of God's dwelling among them, shall be no longer necessary, and shall no longer exist; for in the days of the Messiah, to which this promise seems to relate, God's worship shall not be confined either to one place or to one people. The temple of God shall be among men, and every where God be adored through Christ Jesus. Neither shall that be done any more - The ark shall be no more established, nor carried from place to place, nor shall men go to visit it. All its ceremonies and importance shall cease; and, if lost, shall never be rebuilt.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 3:12-20

See God's readiness to pardon sin, and the blessings reserved for gospel times. These words were proclaimed toward the north; to Israel, the ten tribes, captive in Assyria. They are directed how to return. If we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just to forgive them. These promises are fully to come to pass in the bringing back the Jews in after-ages. God will graciously receive those that return to him…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 3:12-20 →

Jeremiah 3:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהָיָ֡הve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
כִּ֣יkithatH3588
תִרְבּוּ֩tir.Buyou will multiplyH7235
וּפְרִיתֶ֨םu.fe.ri.Temand you will be fruitfulH6509
בָּאָ֜רֶץba.'A.retzin the landH776
בַּיָּמִ֤יםbai.ya.Mimin the daysH3117
הָהֵ֙מָּה֙ha.He.mah<the> thoseH1992
נְאֻם\־ne.'um-[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
יֹ֣אמְרוּYo.me.rupeople will sayH559
ע֗וֹדodagainH5750
אֲרוֹן֙'a.rOn[the] ark ofH727
בְּרִית\־be.rit-[the] covenant ofH1285
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
יַעֲלֶ֖הya.'a.Lehit will come upH5927
עַל\־'al-onH5921
לֵ֑בLeva heartH3820
וְלֹ֤אve.Lo'and notH3808
יִזְכְּרוּ\־yiz.ke.ru-people will rememberH2142
בוֹ֙vo<in> <the> it
וְלֹ֣אve.Lo'and notH3808
יִפְקֹ֔דוּyif.Ko.dupeople will miss [it]H6485
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
יֵעָשֶׂ֖הye.'a.Sehit will be madeH6213
עֽוֹד\׃odagainH5750

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 3:16

  • Amos 9:14-15

    And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.

  • Ezekiel 37:26

    Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

  • Isaiah 65:17

    For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

  • Isaiah 66:1-2

    Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

  • Hosea 1:10-11

    Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

  • Zechariah 8:4-5

    Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.

  • Matthew 3:9

    And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

  • Isaiah 60:22

    A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.

  • Ezekiel 36:8-12

    But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. …

  • Jeremiah 30:19

    And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

  • Isaiah 61:4

    And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

  • Jeremiah 31:8

    Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
when.
30:19; 31:8,27; Isa 60:22; 61:4; Eze 36:8-12; 37:26; Ho 1:10,11
Am 9:9,14,15; Zec 8:4,5; 10:7-9
say.
7:4; Zep 3:11; Mt 3:9
The ark.
Isa 65:17; 66:1,2; Mt 1:11; Joh 4:20-24; Heb 9:9-12; 10:8,9,19-21
to mind. Heb. upon the heart. that be done. or, it bemagnified.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 3:15

    And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

  • Jeremiah 3:16

    And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the Lord: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

  • Jeremiah 3:17

    At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

Read all of Jeremiah 3

Jeremiah 3:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y acontecerá, que cuando os multiplicareis y creciereis en la tierra, en aquellos días, dice Jehová, no se dirá más: Arca del pacto de Jehová; ni vendrá al pensamiento, ni se acordarán de ella, ni la visitarán, ni se hará más.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il arrivera que, quand vous aurez multiplié et fructifié dans le pays, en ces jours-là, dit l’ Éternel, on ne dira plus: L’arche de l’alliance de l’ Éternel! Et elle ne montera plus au cœur, et on ne s’en souviendra pas, et on ne la visitera pas, et on ne fera plus cela.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es wird geschehen, wenn ihr euch im Lande mehret und fruchtbar seid in jenen Tagen, spricht Jehova, so wird man nicht mehr sagen: "Die Bundeslade Jehovas"; und sie wird nicht mehr in den Sinn kommen, und man wird ihrer nicht mehr gedenken noch sie suchen und sie wird nicht wieder gemacht werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque multiplicati fueritis, et creveritis in terra in diebus illis, ait Dominus, non dicent ultra: Arca testamenti Domini: neque ascendet super cor, neque recordabuntur illius, nec visitabitur, nec fiet ultra.