Amplified Bible
Jeremiah 1:5
5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
- New International Version (NIV)“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
- New King James Version (NKJV)“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Context of Jeremiah 1:5
3It came [to Jeremiah] also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, [continuing] until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, [and continuing] until the exile of [the people of] Jerusalem in the fifth month (July-August, 586 b.c.). 4Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], And before you were born I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, For I am [only] a young man.” 7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am [only] a young man,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Read all of Jeremiah 1Jeremiah 1:5 word by word
בְּטֶ֨רֶם אֶצָּרְךָ֤ בַבֶּ֙טֶן֙ יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם תֵּצֵ֥א מֵרֶ֖חֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֑יךָ נָבִ֥יא לַגּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Beforeטֶ֫רֶםţerem · beforeH2962
- I formedיָצַרyâtsar · to form: formedH3335
- thee in the bellyבֶּ֫טֶןbeţen · belly: wombH990
- I knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- thee; and before thou camest forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: produceH3318
- out of the wombרֶ֫חֶםrechem · wombH7358
- I sanctifiedקָדַשׁqâdash · to consecrate: dedicateH6942
- I ordainedנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- thee a prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
- unto the nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
Cross-references for Jeremiah 1:5
- Psalms 71:5For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust and the source of my confidence from my youth.
- Isaiah 49:1Listen to Me, O islands and coastlands, And pay attention, you peoples from far away. The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He has named Me.
- Luke 1:76And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord (the Messiah) to prepare His ways;
- Galatians 1:15But when God, who had chosen me and set me apart before I was born, and called me through His grace, was pleased
- Exodus 33:12Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’
- Romans 8:29For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers.
- 2 Timothy 2:19Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God [which He has laid] stands [sure and unshaken despite attacks], bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord stand apart from wickedness and withdraw from wrongdoing.”
- Luke 1:15for he will be great and distinguished in the sight of the Lord; and will never drink wine or liquor, and he will be filled with and empowered to act by the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.
- Romans 1:1Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] the gospel of God [the good news of salvation],
- Ephesians 1:22And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church,
- Ephesians 4:11And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct],
Commentaries on Jeremiah 1:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5Before I formed thee - I had destined thee to the prophetic office before thou wert born: I had formed my plan, and appointed thee to be my envoy to his people. St. Paul speaks of his own call to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles in similar terms, Galatians 1:15, Galatians 1:16.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Rather, “Before I formed thee in the belly.” I approved of thee (as one fit for the prophetic office),” and before thou camest forth from the womb” I made thee holy (dedicated thee to holy uses); I have appointed thee (now by this public call to be) “a prophet unto the nations.” Unto the nations - The privileges contained in this verse are so great as in their full sense to be true only of Christ Himself, while to Jeremiah they belong as being in so many…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-5In his first message from the Lord, Jeremiah learned three key truths about God: God knows everything, including each person. He can choose people for specific tasks even before they exist. He gives his authority to those he calls. God chose Jeremiah for a special task and made him a prophet. Jeremiah's work reached many nations. Although he left the kingdom of Judah only three times, people worldwide have heard or read his writings (see Jeremiah 13:4–7…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-104-10. Jeremiah's call to the prophetical office. unto me--other manuscripts read "to him"; but English Version probably represents the true Hebrew text; this inscription was doubtless made by Jeremiah himself.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 1:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jeremiah 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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