“The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.”
My Notes
What Does Jeremiah 33:11 Mean?
Jeremiah prophesies restoration after exile — and the description is a symphony of joy: the voice of joy, gladness, the bridegroom, the bride, and the voice of those who bring offerings of praise to the house of the LORD.
"For the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever" — the worshippers bring the oldest confession of Israel's faith: God is good and his mercy lasts forever. The restoration produces the same praise that has sustained God's people through every era.
The voices that had been silenced by judgment return: celebration, marriage, worship. Every sound that was lost in exile comes back. The silence is over. The singing resumes.
"For I will cause to return the captivity of the land" — God is the agent of restoration. He causes the return. The captivity does not end on its own. God breaks it.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'voices' have been silenced in your life that this verse promises will return?
- 2.How does the restoration including weddings and celebrations describe the fullness of what God restores?
- 3.What does 'the LORD is good, his mercy endureth for ever' mean as the song of restoration?
- 4.Where do you need God to 'cause to return' what captivity has taken?
Devotional
The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride. The sounds that judgment silenced will return. Joy. Gladness. Weddings. Celebrations. The life that exile drained out of the nation will flow back in.
The voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. The praise returns. The oldest song in Israel's repertoire — the LORD is good, his mercy endures forever — will be sung again. The silence of judgment gives way to the music of restoration.
For I will cause to return the captivity of the land. God does the causing. The restoration is not human achievement. It is divine intervention. The captivity that seemed permanent is reversed by the one who controls captivity.
The description is total: joy, gladness, marriage, worship, praise. Everything that was lost — every sound, every celebration, every expression of life — is restored. The exile was real. The return is more real.
If you are in a season where the voices have gone silent — where joy, gladness, and celebration seem like distant memories — this verse says the sounds will return. God will cause the captivity to end. The praise will resume. And the oldest song will be sung again: the LORD is good. His mercy endures forever.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness,.... Such is the voice of the Gospel to all sensible sinners; whose eyes are…
Praise the Lord ... - The customary formula of thanksgiving in many of the later Psalms, and from its occurrence in 2Ch…
Here is a further prediction of the happy state of Judah and Jerusalem after their glorious return out of captivity,…
Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his mercyendureth for ever liturgical forms used in the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture