Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV)

Passage

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 31:1 At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:2 Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.

Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:4 Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

Jeremiah 31:5 Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria: the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lord", "hath", "appeared", "saying", "loved", "thee", and "everlasting". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Thus saith the LORD The people which..." into verse 4's "Again I will build thee and thou...", so "lord" and "hath" belong inside that flow. In Jeremiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lord" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.