Jeremiah 3:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The nations will be drawn to Him, and they will find no cause to turn away. They should not be identified under the principles of conflict, but rather through righteousness; instead of lamenting for the unrighteous, the outsiders will uphold a holy life. It shall be proclaimed that His power is sufficient to unite them, and their gathering will not be mere happenstance, but for a life devoted to godliness. They shall not pursue the desires of their hearts that lead them astray. Their existence will embody virtue, leading them to live in beauty; they must anticipate the future with hope and without trepidation, for the source of affliction will be eradicated. Whoever approaches in God’s name will resist the temptations of a sinful heart.

The words of the prophet were realized in the Lord: ‘And all the nations shall fear... the name of the Lord, and shall not walk in the ways of the desires of their wicked hearts.’ Our Lord Himself affirms in the Book of Psalms: ‘I am under attack in My arms: for My possessions are My arms’ (Psalm 15:6). This possession, prepared for Him, particularly includes those Gentiles whom the Jews, who believed in Christ and proclaimed the gospel to all the earth, incorporated into their community, as if receiving them through Christ into their own inheritance. Thus, it is declared of Christ, ‘I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession’ (Psalm 2:8).

The Lord will no longer dwell on the Ark of the Covenant or upon the cherubim, the One whom it was previously proclaimed, ‘He that sat upon the cherubim, appeared’ (Psalm 79:2); rather, all those who believe with a sincere heart will become the throne of God. More accurately, this message pertains to the Church—when all nations assemble in the name of the Lord in Jerusalem, which represents the vision of the world. They should not act according to the depravity of their hearts or follow their own deceptions; instead, they ought to declare with the prophet, ‘My soul is nigh unto thee, but mine is pleasant unto thy right hand’ (Psalm 62:9).

In that time, it was proclaimed that 'Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and the Gentiles shall be gathered unto it, in the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem'; 'and they shall not approach it pursuing the desires of their hearts.' These prophecies were not realized following their return from Babylon, as the nations had not abandoned their wicked ways at that time. However, after the coming of our God and Saviour, the holy Apostles spread the message of salvation throughout the entire world. Those who once engaged in sinful practices have turned away, now worshiping the Almighty, and they are drawn to Jerusalem as the divine throne. The prophet then declared that after their return from Babylon, the tribes of Israel would no longer be split into two kingdoms but would be united as one, reclaiming their homeland. Filled with joy for these promises, he proclaimed: