Jeremiah 31:21 (LSB)

Passage

“Set up roadmarks for yourself, Place for yourself guideposts; Set your heart to the highway, The way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, Return to these your cities.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 31:19 For after I turned away, I repented; And after I was instructed, I slapped my thigh; I was ashamed and also dishonored Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’

Jeremiah 31:20 Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My inmost being yearns for him; I will surely have compassion on him,” declares Yahweh.

Jeremiah 31:21 “Set up roadmarks for yourself, Place for yourself guideposts; Set your heart to the highway, The way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, Return to these your cities.

Jeremiah 31:22 How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For Yahweh has created a new thing in the earth— A woman will encompass a man.”

Jeremiah 31:23 Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I return their fortunes, ‘Yahweh bless you, O abode of righteousness, O holy hill!’

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "roadmarks", "yourself", "place", "guideposts", "heart", "highway", and "went". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "roadmarks" and "yourself", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Is Ephraim My dear son Is he..." into verse 22's "How long will you go here and...", so "roadmarks" and "yourself" 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 "roadmarks" and "yourself" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.