Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Not according to - Very different from, and far superior to, the old covenant, which only 'worked wrath' (Romans 4:15) through man's 'not regarding' it. The new covenant enables us to obey, by the Spirit's impulse producing love because of the forgiveness of our sins.
Made with - Greek, 'to:' the Israelites being only recipients, not co-agents (Alford) with God. х Diatheekee (G1242) does not, like 'covenant,' suntheekee (G4936), imply reciprocity: but a legal disposition, dispensation, the gift of God to man; not a compact between God and man.]
I took them by the hand - as a father takes his child to support and guide his steps. 'There are three periods:
(1) That of the promise;
(2) Of pedagogical instruction;
(3) Of fulfillment' (Bengel).
The second, the pedagogical pupilage, began at the exodus.
I regarded them not. The English version (Jeremiah 31:32) translates, "although I was an husband into them." Paul's translation here is supported by the Septuagint, Syriac, and Gesenius, and accords with the kindred Arabic. The Hebrews regarded not God: so God, in righteous retribution, regarded them not. Schelling observes-The law was in fact the mere ideal of a religious constitution: in practice the Jews were throughout, before the captivity, more or less polytheists, except under David, and the first years of Solomon (the type of Messiah's reign). After the return from Babylon to idolatry there succeeded what was not much better, formalism and hypocrisy (Matthew 12:43). The law was --
(1) A typical picture, tracing out the features of the glorious Gospel to be revealed;
(2) It had a delegated virtue from the Gospel, which ceased when, the Gospel came.