At that timeThis phrase indicates a future period, often associated with the Messianic age or the end times. It suggests a divinely appointed moment when significant changes will occur, aligning with prophetic visions found in other scriptures such as
Isaiah 2:2-4 and
Zechariah 14:9.
they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD
Jerusalem is depicted as the central place of God's rule, symbolizing His presence and authority. This reflects the belief that God will establish His kingdom on earth, with Jerusalem as its spiritual and political center. The imagery of a throne signifies sovereignty and judgment, echoing passages likePsalm 132:13-14 andEzekiel 43:7.
and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem
This phrase envisions a time of global unity and worship, where people from every nation come to acknowledge God's sovereignty. It aligns with prophecies inIsaiah 56:7 andZechariah 8:22, which foresee a gathering of nations to worship the Lord in Jerusalem, highlighting the city's role as a beacon of divine truth and peace.
to honor the name of the LORD
The focus on honoring God's name underscores the reverence and worship due to Him. This reflects the fulfillment of God's covenant promises and the recognition of His holiness and authority, as seen inMalachi 1:11 andPhilippians 2:10-11, where every knee bows to His name.
They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts
This indicates a transformation of human nature, where people turn away from sin and rebellion. It suggests a new covenant relationship, as prophesied inJeremiah 31:33 andEzekiel 36:26, where God gives His people a new heart and spirit, enabling them to live in obedience and righteousness.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JerusalemThe city is central to this prophecy, symbolizing the spiritual and political center where God's presence will be established.
2.
The Throne of the LORDThis represents God's sovereign rule and divine authority being recognized universally.
3.
All the NationsThis indicates a future time when people from every nation will come to Jerusalem, signifying a global acknowledgment of God's sovereignty.
4.
The Name of the LORDThis phrase emphasizes the reverence and honor due to God, highlighting His holiness and authority.
5.
The Stubbornness of Their Evil HeartsThis refers to the sinful nature of humanity, which will be transformed in this future time of restoration.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty and AuthorityRecognize that God's ultimate plan involves His sovereign rule being acknowledged by all nations. This should inspire us to submit to His authority in our daily lives.
The Centrality of WorshipThe prophecy highlights the importance of worshiping God in spirit and truth. We should prioritize worship in our personal and communal lives.
Transformation of the HeartThe promise of no longer following the stubbornness of evil hearts points to the transformative power of God's grace. We should seek continual heart transformation through the Holy Spirit.
Hope for the FutureThis vision of a future gathering of nations offers hope and assurance of God's redemptive plan. We can live with confidence in God's promises.
Unity Among BelieversThe gathering of all nations suggests a future unity among God's people. We should strive for unity and reconciliation within the body of Christ today.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Jeremiah 3:17?
2.How does Jeremiah 3:17 emphasize God's sovereignty over all nations and peoples?
3.What role does Jerusalem play in God's plan according to Jeremiah 3:17?
4.How can we align our hearts with God's will as in Jeremiah 3:17?
5.Connect Jeremiah 3:17 with Revelation 21:2-3 regarding God's dwelling with His people.
6.How does Jeremiah 3:17 encourage unity among believers in today's world?
7.What does Jeremiah 3:17 reveal about God's plan for Jerusalem as a spiritual center?
8.How does Jeremiah 3:17 challenge the belief in God's universal sovereignty?
9.Why is the heart's transformation emphasized in Jeremiah 3:17?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 3?
11.What was the Kingdom of Jerusalem?
12.Psalm 132:11: Why did David's lineage stop ruling if God's promise of a perpetual throne was meant to be unbreakable?
13.If God's promise in 2 Samuel 7:16 is 'forever,' why does the monarchy disappear from Israel's recorded history?
14.How can Ezekiel 37:25-28's everlasting covenant and sanctuary be understood when there seems to be no clear historical or present-day fulfillment matching this depiction?What Does Jeremiah 3:17 Mean
At that timeJeremiah opens with a time marker that points ahead to a definite, unfolding future. Scripture consistently treats these words as literal promises tied to Messiah’s reign:
•Jeremiah 33:15–16 speaks of “those days and at that time” when a righteous Branch will execute justice.
•Isaiah 11:10 promises a glorious resting place where nations rally to the root of Jesse.
•Acts 3:21 reminds us that heaven must receive Jesus “until the time of restoration of all things.”
Taken together, “at that time” anchorsJeremiah 3:17 in the same prophetic horizon—real history still awaiting complete fulfillment.
they will call Jerusalem “The Throne of the LORD”The city’s name changes because her role changes. Instead of merely housing a temple, Jerusalem becomes the recognized seat of divine rule:
•Psalm 132:13–14 affirms, “For the LORD has chosen Zion…‘This is My resting place forever.’”
•Ezekiel 43:7 records God saying of the millennial temple, “This is the place of My throne.”
•Revelation 20:4 pictures thrones established for judgment during Messiah’s earthly kingdom.
Calling the city “The Throne of the LORD” signals God’s visible, unchallenged authority flowing out from Zion to the earth.
and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORDThe promise expands beyond Israel, envisioning worldwide pilgrimage and worship:
•Isaiah 2:2–3 andMicah 4:1–2 foresee all nations streaming to the mountain of the LORD for instruction.
•Zechariah 8:20–23 says peoples from every language will grasp a Jew’s robe to seek God in Jerusalem.
•Zechariah 14:16–19 describes annual journeys to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
•Revelation 21:24 pictures the nations walking by the New Jerusalem’s light—foreshadowed here in Jeremiah.
This is no vague spiritual idea; it is a literal, global acknowledgment of the Lord’s supremacy in a renewed earth.
They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil heartsThe verse ends with a transformed humanity:
•Jeremiah 31:31–34 promises a New Covenant where God writes His law on hearts.
•Ezekiel 36:26–27 details a heart of flesh replacing the heart of stone, alongside the Spirit’s indwelling.
•Romans 11:26–27 links Israel’s national salvation to removal of ungodliness.
The moral turnaround is total—submission replaces stubbornness, obedience replaces rebellion—because God Himself changes the inner person.
summaryJeremiah 3:17 pictures the coming kingdom when Messiah reigns from a restored Jerusalem. At that time:
• God’s timetable moves from promise to reality.
• Jerusalem becomes the recognized, literal throne of the LORD.
• Every nation willingly gathers there to honor His name.
• Renewed hearts replace stubborn hearts, fulfilling the New Covenant.
The verse invites confidence that God will keep every promise—to Israel, to the nations, and to all who embrace His redemptive plan in Christ.
(17)
They shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord.--Up to Jeremiah's time that title, "the throne of God," though the language of the Old Testament had referred it to the "heavens" (
Psalm 11:4;
Psalm 103:19), had probably been applied, in popular language, to the ark where the Lord "dwelt between the cherubim" (
1Samuel 4:4;
2Kings 19:15). The prophet extends it to the whole city, in that future of which he was doubtless thinking. To him, as to Micah (
Micah 4:1-2) and Isaiah (
Isaiah 2:1-3), there came a vision of the holy city as the centre of the divine Kingdom. It was not given to him to see what even the Apostles were slow to understand, that there is no holy city upon earth, and that his hopes would only be fulfilled in the heavenly Jerusalem which is the Church or family of God. . . .
Verse 17.- Jerusalem's spiritual glory. With Jeremiah's description, comp. that of Ezekiel," The name of the city from that day shall be, "The Lord is there" (
Ezekiel 48:35). This gives us the positive aspect of the Messianic period (comp. on ver. 16). Jerusalem shall be the spiritual center of the universe, because it is pervaded by the presence of the Most High (comp.
Isaiah 4:5). May we explain with Dr. Payne Smith, "Jerusalem,
i.
e. the Christian Church?" Only if the provisional character of the existing Church be kept well in view.
All the nations;
i.
e. all except the chosen people. The word for "nations" (
goyim)
is that often rendered "heathen."
To the name; or,
because of the name,
i.
e. because Jehovah has revealed his name at Jerusalem. The phrase occurs again with a commentary in
Joshua 9:9, "Thy servants are come because of the name of Jehovah thy God, for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt." But we must not suppose that "name" is equivalent to "revelation;" rather, there is here an ellipsis - "because of the name" is equivalent to "because of the revelation of the
name," or better still, "... of the
Name." The "Name of Jehovah"
is in fact a distinct hypostasis in the Divine Being; no mere personification of the Divine attributes (as the commentators are fond of saying), but (in the theological sense) a Person. The term, "Name of such and such a God,:' is common to Hebrew with Phoenician religion. In the famous inscription of Eshmunazar, King of Zidon, Ashtoreth is called "Name of Baal;" and to whichever proper name the religious term Name may be attached, it means a personal existence in the Divine nature, specially related to the world of humanity; or, to use the language of Hengstenberg, the bridge between the latter and the transcendent heights of God as he is in himself. In short, the Name of Jehovah is virtually identical with the Logos of St. John, or the second Person in the blessed Trinity. Hence the personal language now and again used of this Name in the Old Testament, e.g.
Isaiah 30:27, "The Name of Jehovah
cometh from far...
his lips are full of indignation;"
Isaiah 26:8," The desire of our soul was to thy Name;"
Isaiah 59:19, "So shall they fear the Name of Jehovah from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun." Comp. also
Proverbs 18:10; men do not run for safety to an abstract idea. Nor will all nations in the latter days resort either to a localized or to a spiritually diffused Jerusalem in the future, to gratify a refined intellectual curiosity.
Neither shall they walk, etc.;
i.
e. the Israelites of the latter days; not the "nations" before mentioned (as Hengstenberg). The phrase occurs eight times in Jeremiah, and is always used of the Israelites. The word rendered "imagination" is peculiar (
sheri-ruth). As Hengstenberg has pointed out, it occurs
independently only in a single passage (
Deuteronomy 29:18); for in
Psalm 81:13, it is plainly derived, not from the living language, from which it had disappeared, but from the written. (The close phraseological affinity between the Books of Deuteronomy and Jeremiah has been already indicated.) The rendering of the Authorized Version, which is supported by the Septuagint, Peshito, Targum, is certainly wrong; the Vulgate has
pravitatum; the etymological meaning is "stubbornness." The error of the versions may perhaps have arisen out of a faulty inference from
Psalm 81:13, where it stands in parallelism to "their counsels."
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
At thatהַהִ֗יא(ha·hî)Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931:He, self, the same, this, that, as, aretimeבָּעֵ֣ת(bā·‘êṯ)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256:Time, now, whenJerusalemלִירוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙(lî·rū·šā·lim)Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389:Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israelwill be calledיִקְרְא֤וּ(yiq·rə·’ū)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7121:To call, proclaim, readThe Throneכִּסֵּ֣א(kis·sê)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3678:Seat of honor, throneof the LORD,יְהוָ֔ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israeland allכָֽל־(ḵāl)Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everythe nationsהַגּוֹיִ֛ם(hag·gō·w·yim)Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471:A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locustswill be gatheredוְנִקְוּ֨וּ(wə·niqw·wū)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6960:To bind together, collect, to expectin Jerusalemלִירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם(lî·rū·šā·lim)Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389:Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israelto [honor]אֵלֶ֧יהָ(’ê·le·hā)Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 413:Near, with, among, tothe nameלְשֵׁ֥ם(lə·šêm)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034:A nameof the LORD.יְהוָ֖ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of IsraelThey will no longerוְלֹא־(wə·lō-)Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808:Not, nofollowיֵלְכ֣וּ(yê·lə·ḵū)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980:To go, come, walkthe stubbornnessשְׁרִר֖וּת(šə·ri·rūṯ)Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8307:Firmness, stubbornnessof their evilהָרָֽע׃(hā·rā‘)Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451:Bad, evilhearts.לִבָּ֥ם(lib·bām)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3820:The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre
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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 3:17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem (Jer.) 
