Jeremiah 12:5

Jeremiah 12:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
• New International Version (NIV)“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?
• English Standard Version (ESV)"If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?
• New King James Version (NKJV)“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

Context of Jeremiah 12:5

3As for you, Lord, you know me; you see me. You test whether my heart is with you. Drag the wicked away like sheep to slaughter and set them apart for the day of killing. 4How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? Because of the evil of its residents, animals and birds have been swept away, for the people have said, “He cannot see what our end will be.” If you have raced with runners and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in a peaceful land, what will you do in the thickets of the Jordan? 6Even your brothers — your own father’s family — even they were treacherous to you; even they have cried out loudly after you. Do not have confidence in them, though they speak well of you. 7I have abandoned my house; I have deserted my inheritance. I have handed the love of my life over to her enemies.

Jeremiah 12:5 word by word

כִּ֣י אֶת־רַגְלִ֥ים׀ רַ֙צְתָּה֙ וַיַּלְא֔וּךָ וְאֵ֥יךְ תְּתַֽחֲרֶ֖ה אֶת־הַסּוּסִ֑ים וּבְאֶ֤רֶץ שָׁלוֹם֙ אַתָּ֣ה בוֹטֵ֔חַ וְאֵ֥יךְ תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בִּגְא֥וֹן הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If thou hast runרוּץrûts · to run: runH7323
• with the footmenרַגְלִיraglîy · on footH7273
• and they have weariedלָאָהlâ'âh · be wearyH3811
• thee, then how canst thou contendתַּחָרָהtachârâh · to contendH8474
• with horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of peaceשָׁלוֹםshâlôm shâlôm · peace: well-beingH7965
• thou trustedstבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
• then how wilt thou doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• in the swellingגָּאוֹןgâ'ôn · prideH1347
• of Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383

Cross-references for Jeremiah 12:5

• Proverbs 3:11Do not despise the Lord’s instruction, my son, and do not loathe his discipline;
• Proverbs 24:10If you do nothing in a difficult time, your strength is limited.
• Hebrews 12:3For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.
• 1 Peter 4:12Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.
• Jeremiah 26:8When he finished the address the Lord had commanded him to deliver to all the people, immediately the priests, the prophets, and all the people took hold of him, yelling, “You must surely die!
• Jeremiah 36:26Then the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to seize the scribe Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah, but the Lord hid them.
• Jeremiah 38:4The officials then said to the king, “This man ought to die, because he is weakening the morale of the warriors who remain in this city and of all the people by speaking to them in this way. This man is not pursuing the welfare of this people, but their harm.”
• Jeremiah 49:19“Look, it will be like a lion coming from the thickets of the Jordan to the watered grazing land. I will chase Edom away from her land in a flash. I will appoint whoever is chosen for her. For who is like me? Who will issue me a summons? Who is the shepherd who can stand against me?”
• Jeremiah 50:44“Look, it will be like a lion coming from the thickets of the Jordan to the watered grazing land. I will chase Babylon away from her land in a flash. I will appoint whoever is chosen for her. For who is like me? Who will issue me a summons? Who is the shepherd who can stand against me?”
• Joshua 3:15Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge
• 1 Chronicles 12:15These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys to the east and to the west.
• Psalms 42:7Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me.
• Psalms 69:1Save me, God, for the water has risen to my neck.

Commentaries on Jeremiah 12:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5If thou hast run with the footmen - If the smallest evils to which thou art exposed cause thee to make so many bitter complaints, how wilt thou feel when, in the course of thy prophetic ministry, thou shalt be exposed to much greater, from enemies much more powerful? Footmen may here be the symbol of common evil events; horsemen, of evils much more terrible. If thou have sunk under small difficulties, what wilt thou do when great ones come? And if in the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5Yahweh rebukes Jeremiah‘s impatience, showing him by two proverbial sayings, that there were still greater trials of faith in store for him. Prosperous wickedness is after all a mere ordinary trial, a mere “running with the footmen;” he will have to exert far greater powers of endurance. And if in the land … - Rather, “and in a land of peace thou art secure; but how wilt thou do amid the pride of Jordan?” if thou canst feel safe only where things are…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Jeremiah's conflict with his family and friends was like racing against men. This was nothing compared to racing against horses, which would happen when the foreign army arrived. The coming war would be as difficult as navigating the dense bushes near the Jordan River.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. Jehovah's reply to Jeremiah's complaint. horses--that is, horsemen: the argument a fortiori. A proverbial phrase. The injuries done thee by the men of Anathoth ("the footmen") are small compared with those which the men of Jerusalem ("the horsemen") are about to inflict on thee. If the former weary thee out, how wilt thou contend with the king, the court, and the priests at Jerusalem? wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee--English Version thus…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 12:5

• Confidence
• Jeremiah
• Jordan

In the dictionaries

• Jordan
• Jordan River, Jordan
• Pluck
• Swelling
• Talk
• Contend; Contention
• Covenant, the New
• Crime; Crimes

Commentaries on Jeremiah 12

• 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