Why does the Lord take one from a city and two from a family and bring them to Zion?

This sentence suggests several important aspects regarding the return of the faithless children. First, the verb I will take points to the Lord’s initiative in the return. The Lord himself is going to bring it about.¹ Secondly, the covenant people are scattered in foreign nations. This is certainly true of northern Israel when Jeremiah speaks these words, and it is going to be true of Judah in the future after the Babylonian invasion. Thirdly, not all the people will return. The Lord will take one from a city and two from a family. This seems to introduce the idea of a remnant that the Lord will save from within the exiled nation.² This is a strong theme in Jeremiah, with close links to the new covenant (Jeremiah 23:1–8; Jeremiah 31:1–8). Certainly, the reference of one and two is not meant to convey the idea of a small number, but rather a limited number. This remnant is described as a great company in Jeremiah 31:8.³ Fourthly, the Lord will bring his people to Zion. Zion was a way of referring to Jerusalem as a symbol of the unity of Israel under the rule of David and Solomon and in her Temple worship.⁴ The Lord is going to restore his people under his rule and in true worship of him.