Jeremiah 33:25
Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;
Original Language Analysis
כֹּ֚ה
H3541
כֹּ֚ה
Strong's:
H3541
Word #:
1 of 13
properly, like this, i.e., by implication, (of manner) thus (or so); also (of place) here (or hither); or (of time) now
יְהוָ֔ה
the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֔ה
the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
3 of 13
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
אִם
H518
אִם
Strong's:
H518
Word #:
4 of 13
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
לֹ֥א
H3808
לֹ֥א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
5 of 13
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
בְרִיתִ֖י
If my covenant
H1285
בְרִיתִ֖י
If my covenant
Strong's:
H1285
Word #:
6 of 13
a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)
וָלָ֑יְלָה
and night
H3915
וָלָ֑יְלָה
and night
Strong's:
H3915
Word #:
8 of 13
properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e., night; figuratively, adversity
שָׁמַ֥יִם
of heaven
H8064
שָׁמַ֥יִם
of heaven
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
10 of 13
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
Cross References
Psalms 104:19He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.Jeremiah 33:20Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;Genesis 8:22While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern cultures saw natural cycles as controlled by capricious deities requiring constant appeasement. Israel's God differs radically—He establishes reliable natural law as witness to reliable covenant law. Psalm 119:89-91 makes identical connection: 'Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled... Your faithfulness continues through all generations... according to Your ordinances they stand.' Creation's stability proves covenant stability.
Questions for Reflection
- How does observing nature's regularity (sunrise, seasons, gravity) strengthen confidence in God's promise-keeping?
- What does it mean that God calls natural laws 'My covenant'—how does this elevate creation's theological significance?
- If God's covenant with day and night guarantees Israel's covenant, what does this say about His covenant with the church?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Thus saith the LORD; If My covenant be not with day and night (אִם־לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה)—God invokes creation ordinances to guarantee redemption. Beriti (My covenant) applies covenant language to the natural order—day-night cycle is covenantal, not merely physical. Genesis 8:22 established this post-Flood: 'While earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest... day and night shall not cease.' God made 'covenant' with natural phenomena (cf. Job 38:33, 'ordinances of heaven').
And if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth (חֻקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לֹא־שָׂמְתִּי)—chuqqot (statutes, חֻקּוֹת) means fixed decrees, the same term for Torah's ritual laws. God 'appointed' (samti, set in place) cosmic order with deliberate sovereignty. The logic: 'If creation's reliability derives from My covenant faithfulness, how much more My covenant with Abraham's seed?' Natural law testifies to covenant law; physics guarantees metaphysics.