Jeremiah 18:8

Jeremiah 18:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
• New International Version (NIV)and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned.
• English Standard Version (ESV)and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.

Context of Jeremiah 18:8

6“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” says the Lord. “Look carefully, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. 7At one moment I might [suddenly] speak concerning a nation or kingdom, that I will uproot and break down and destroy; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent and reverse My decision concerning the devastation that I intended to do. 9Or at another time I might [suddenly] speak about a nation or kingdom that I will build up or establish; 10and if they do evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will reverse My decision concerning the good with which I had promised to bless them.

Jeremiah 18:8 word by word

וְשָׁב֙ הַגּ֣וֹי הַה֔וּא מֵרָ֣עָת֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי עָלָ֑יו וְנִֽחַמְתִּי֙ עַל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָשַׁ֖בְתִּי לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לֽוֹ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If that nationגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• against whom I have pronouncedדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• turnשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
• from their evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
• I will repentנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: relentH5162
• of the evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
• that I thoughtחָשַׁבchâshab · to devise: deviseH2803
• to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213

Cross-references for Jeremiah 18:8

• Jeremiah 7:3Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Change your ways and your behavior, and I will let you live in this place.
• Jeremiah 36:3It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster which I plan to bring on them, so that each one will turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their wickedness and their sin.”
• Judges 10:15The Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please rescue us this day.”
• 1 Kings 8:33“When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and then they turn to You again and praise Your Name and pray and ask for Your favor and compassion in this house (temple),
• 2 Chronicles 12:6Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.”
• Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Get your evil deeds out of My sight. Stop doing evil,
• Ezekiel 18:21“But if the wicked man turns [away] from all his sins which he has committed and keeps all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall certainly live; he shall not die.
• Ezekiel 33:11Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back (change your way of thinking), turn back [in repentance] from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
• Jonah 2:5The waters surrounded me, to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, Seaweed was wrapped around my head.
• Luke 13:3I tell you, no; but unless you repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways and live changed lives], you will all likewise perish.
• Jeremiah 15:6You have abandoned (rejected) Me,” says the Lord. “You keep going backward. Therefore I shall stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am tired of delaying [your punishment]!
• Jeremiah 26:3It may be that they will listen and everyone will turn from his wickedness, so that I may relent and reverse [My decision concerning] the disaster which I am planning to do to them because of their malevolent deeds.’
• Jeremiah 42:10‘If you will indeed remain in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent and be satisfied concerning the disaster that I have inflicted on you [as discipline, and I will replace judgment with compassion].
• Exodus 32:12Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil [intent] their God brought them out to kill them in the mountains and destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from Your burning anger and change Your mind about harming Your people.
• Deuteronomy 32:36For the Lord will vindicate His people, And will have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their strength (hand) is gone, And none remains, whether bond or free.
• Judges 2:18When the Lord raised up judges for them, He was with the judge and He rescued them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and afflicted them.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 18:8

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8I will repent of the evil … I will repent of the good - All God‘s dealings with mankind are here declared to be conditional. God changeth not, all depends upon man‘s conduct.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-10If a nation or kingdom rejected the one true God, God could decide to uproot, tear down, and destroy it (see Jeremiah 1:10). If the nation changed its evil ways, the Lord's anger would ease, and he would not destroy it.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. their evil--in antithesis to, "the evil that I thought to do." repent--God herein adapts Himself to human conceptions. The change is not in God, but in the circumstances which regulate God's dealings: just as we say the land recedes from us when we sail forth, whereas it is we who recede from the land (Eze 18:21; 33:11). God's unchangeable principle is to do the best that can be done under all circumstances; if then He did not take into account the…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 18:8

• Contingencies
• Government
• Nation
• Repentance

In the dictionaries

• Smite
• Wag
• Providence

Commentaries on Jeremiah 18

• 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