John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion on thee , etc.] Return them from their captivity, or bring them out of it, both in a temporal and spiritual sense; free them from their present exile, and deliver them from the bondage of sin, Satan, and the law; and all this as the effect of his grace and mercy towards them, and compassion on them; (see Jeremiah 30:18); The Targum of Jonathan is, “his Word shall receive with good will your repentance;” it being cordial and unfeigned, and fruits meet for it brought forth: and will return and gather thee from all the nations whither the Lord thy God scattered thee ; or, “will again gather thee” f547 ; as he had gathered them out of all places where they had been scattered, on their return from the Babylonish captivity; so will he again gather them from all the nations of the earth, east, west, north, and south, where they are now dispersed; when they shall turn to the Lord, and seek David their King, the true Messiah. Maimonides understands this passage of their present captivity, and deliverance from it by the Messiah.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - In this chapter is a plain intimation of the mercy God has in store for Israel in the latter days. This passage refers to the propheti warnings of the last two chapters, which have been mainly fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and in their dispersion to the present day; and there can be no doubt that the prophetic promis contained in these verses yet remain to come to pass. The Jewish natio shall in some future period, perhaps not very distant, be converted to the faith of Christ; and, many think, again settled in the land of Canaan. The language here used is in a great measure absolute promises not merely a conditional engagement, but declaring an event assuredl to take place. For the Lord himself here engages to "circumcise their hearts;" and when regenerating grace has removed corrupt nature, an Divine love has supplanted the love of sin, they certainly wil reflect, repent, return to God, and obey him; and he will rejoice in doing them good. The change that will be wrought upon them will not be only outward, or consisting in mere opinions; it will reach to their souls. It will produce in them an utter hatred of all sin, and fervent love to God, as their reconciled God in Christ Jesus; they wil love him with all their hearts, and with all their soul. They are very far from this state of mind at present, but so were the murderers of the Lord Jesus, on the day of Pentecost; who yet in one hour wer converted unto God. So shall it be in the day of God's power; a natio shall be born in a day; the Lord will hasten it in his time. As conditional promise this passage belongs to all persons and all people not to Israel only; it assures us that the greatest sinners, if the repent and are converted, shall have their sins pardoned, and be restored to God's favour.
Original Hebrew ושׁב7725 יהוה3068 אלהיך430 את853 שׁבותך7622 ורחמך7355 ושׁב7725 וקבצך6908 מכל3605 העמים5971 אשׁר834 הפיצך6327 יהוה3068 אלהיך430 שׁמה׃8033
