“And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 31:14 Mean?
"And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD." In the restoration promises of Jeremiah 31, God pledges to SATIATE — to fill to overflowing — the priests' souls with abundance and to SATISFY the people with His goodness. The provision isn't modest or adequate. It's satiation — the point beyond which no more can be absorbed. The fullness is maximum.
The phrase "satiate the soul of the priests with fatness" (virveti nephesh hakkohanim dashen — I will drench/saturate the soul of the priests with richness) uses the language of soaking: the priestly soul is DRENCHED in abundance. The 'fatness' (deshen — richness, abundance, the best portion) means the priests who served faithfully will receive the choicest provision. The soul isn't just fed. It's saturated.
The "my people shall be satisfied with my goodness" (ve'ammi et tuvi yisba'u — and My people with My goodness will be full) makes God's GOODNESS the satisfying substance: the people aren't satisfied with wealth or success or health. They're satisfied with GOD'S GOODNESS. The satisfying agent is divine character. What fills the people is what God IS — good.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What would it look like for your soul to be satiated — not just fed but drenched — with God's goodness?
- 2.What does the priests' souls being 'saturated with fatness' teach about God's provision for ministry workers?
- 3.How does being satisfied with GOD'S GOODNESS differ from being satisfied with circumstances?
- 4.What are you trying to be satisfied with that only God's goodness can actually fill?
Devotional
Satiated. Satisfied. Drenched in abundance and filled with goodness. God's restoration promise isn't modest provision — it's OVERFLOW. The priests are soaked in richness. The people are filled with God's goodness. The fullness exceeds what the soul can absorb.
The 'satiate the soul of the priests with fatness' is God's promise to the ministry workers: the priests who served — who sacrificed, who taught, who maintained the worship — will have their SOULS saturated. Not just their bank accounts. Their SOULS. The provision goes deeper than material needs. The richness fills the interior, not just the exterior. The priest's soul is drenched.
The 'my people shall be satisfied with my goodness' identifies what actually satisfies: not the abundance itself but GOD'S GOODNESS. The satisfying substance isn't wealth. It's God's character. The people are filled with who God IS — His goodness, His nature, His quality. Everything else satisfies temporarily. God's goodness satisfies completely. The fullness comes from the source, not from the supply.
The combination — priests satiated, people satisfied — covers the entire community: the religious leaders AND the general population both receive fullness. The restoration isn't just for the clergy or just for the laity. Everyone is filled. The priests get fatness (the best portions). The people get goodness (God's own nature). Both receive more than enough.
What would it look like for your soul to be satiated — not just fed but DRENCHED — with God's goodness?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness,.... Meaning either the ministers of the Gospel, who should not…
This paragraph is much to the same purport with the last, publishing to the world, as well as to the church, the…
satiate lit. water.
the soul of the priests with fatness The sacrifices shall be so numerous that the priests and their…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture