Today, I’ve become fascinated by the Hebrew phrase shuv shevut (שׁוּב שְׁבוּת), which appears about thirty times in the Old Testament, about twelve of those in Jeremiah. The word shuv means “to turn,” as in “to turn back” or “to return.” The meaning of shevut is less certain, although it has traditionally been translated “captivity.” The context of the phrase is nearly always associated with captivity, although there are exceptions, such as Job’s fortunes being restored to him (Job 42:10). Many modern translations of the Bible render the phrase as “restore the fortunes,” but the King James Version follows the ancient convention, rendering it as “turn the captivity.”
The phrase first appears in Deuteronomy, when Moses prophesies that the children of Israel will forsake God and be driven out of their promised land. Even then, he assures them, God will have compassion on them, and when they return to Him with all their heart and with all their soul, He will restore them:
Then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.
Deuteronomy 30:3
In Jeremiah’s lifetime, the northern kingdom of Israel had already been conquered and scattered by the Assyrians, and the southern kingdom of Judah, where he lived, was in the process of being conquered by the Babylonians. But he repeatedly assured his people that God would bring them home.
For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.
Jeremiah 30:3
And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.
Jeremiah 33:7
Book of Mormon prophets also taught this principle. As Lehi and his family migrated from Jerusalem to an unknown destination, he taught his children the same principle which Jeremiah was teaching to the people in Jerusalem:
After they should be destroyed, even that great city Jerusalem, and many be carried away captive into Babylon, according to the own due time of the Lord, they should return again, yea, even be brought back out of captivity; and after they should be brought back out of captivity they should possess again the land of their inheritance.
1 Nephi 10:3
We all experience captivity in life. Health challenges, financial struggles, difficult relationships, and other trials can limit our options and make us feel trapped. How comforting it is during times like these to hear God’s promise of shuv shevut, to recognize that in His time, as we turn to Him, He will turn away our captivity and bring us safely home.
Today I will trust that God will turn my captivities. I will believe in His ability to liberate me from everything that binds me.
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