“In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 50:4 Mean?
Jeremiah prophesies the reunification of Israel and Judah in repentance: in those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God.
In those days — the prophetic timeframe, connected to the fall of Babylon (chapter 50's context). When Babylon falls, Israel's restoration begins.
The children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together — the divided nation is reunited. Israel (the northern kingdom, scattered by Assyria in 722 BC) and Judah (the southern kingdom, exiled to Babylon in 586 BC) come together. The division that began under Rehoboam and lasted centuries is healed. Together — the word is emphatic. The long separation ends.
Going and weeping — the return is characterized by tears. The weeping is not grief alone. It is the complex emotion of repentance: sorrow for what caused the exile, gratitude for the return, the overwhelming feeling of coming home after devastating loss. The going and weeping happen simultaneously — they walk and cry at the same time. The journey home is a tearful one.
They shall go, and seek the LORD their God — the seeking is deliberate and directional. They go — they move, they travel, they make the journey. And the destination is not merely the land. It is the LORD their God. The return to the land is secondary to the return to God. The physical homecoming expresses the spiritual seeking. They are not just going home. They are going to God.
The verse describes the ideal return from exile: reunified nation, tearful repentance, and wholehearted seeking of God. The reunion of Israel and Judah is not political reunification. It is spiritual — both halves of God's people, broken by centuries of division, finally seeking the same God together.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does the reunification of Israel and Judah 'together' represent — and what divisions does God intend to heal?
- 2.Why is the return characterized by 'going and weeping' — and what do the tears express?
- 3.How does seeking the LORD (rather than merely the land) define the true nature of spiritual return?
- 4.Where are you 'going and weeping' on a road back to God — and what does this verse promise about the destination?
Devotional
The children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together. Together. After centuries of division — after the split under Rehoboam, after the northern kingdom was scattered by Assyria, after the southern kingdom was exiled to Babylon — they come back together. The family that was torn apart is reunited. The division that seemed permanent is healed.
Going and weeping. They walk and they cry. The tears are not one thing. They are everything: grief over the exile, sorrow over the sin that caused it, relief that it is ending, gratitude that God is bringing them home. The going and the weeping are inseparable — you cannot walk this road without tears.
They shall go, and seek the LORD their God. The destination is not just the land. It is God. The physical journey is the outward expression of the spiritual seeking. They are not just returning to Jerusalem. They are returning to the LORD. The seeking is the point. The land is the setting. God is the destination.
This is what genuine return looks like: tears and seeking, walking and weeping, moving toward God with the kind of emotion that only comes from people who know how far they wandered and how much it cost. The return is not triumphant. It is humble — tearful, repentant, desperate for the God they left.
If you are returning to God — if you are walking back from whatever exile you wandered into — expect tears. The road home is not dry-eyed. It is going and weeping. And the one you are seeking is not far. He is the destination. And the tears on the road are not weakness. They are the evidence that you know what you lost — and what you are walking toward.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord,.... When Babylon shall be taken and destroyed, then what follows shall…
The fall of Babylon is to be immediately followed by the return of the exiles homewards, in tearful procession, because…
I. Here is a word spoken against Babylon by him whose works all agree with his word and none of whose words fall to the…
The overthrow of Babylon shall be the signal for the deliverance and penitent return of the re-united people of God. Cp.…
Cross References
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