Jeremiah 45:5

Jeremiah 45:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
• New International Version (NIV)Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’ ”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.” ’ ”

Context of Jeremiah 45:5

3‘You have said, “Woe is me, because the Lord has added misery to my pain! I am worn out with groaning and have found no rest.”’ 4“This is what you are to say to him: ‘This is what the Lord says: “What I have built I am about to demolish, and what I have planted I am about to uproot — the whole land! But as for you, do you pursue great things for yourself? Stop pursuing! For I am about to bring disaster on all humanity” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “but I will grant you your life like the spoils of war wherever you go.”’”

Jeremiah 45:5 word by word

וְאַתָּ֛ה תְּבַקֶּשׁ־לְךָ֥ גְדֹל֖וֹת אַל־תְּבַקֵּ֑שׁ כִּ֡י הִנְנִי֩ מֵבִ֨יא רָעָ֤ה עַל־כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְנָתַתִּ֨י לְךָ֤ אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ֙ לְשָׁלָ֔ל עַ֥ל כָּל־הַמְּקֹמ֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר תֵּֽלֶךְ־שָֽׁם׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And seekestבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• thou great thingsגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• not: for, behold, I will bringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
• upon all fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
• saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• but thy lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• will I giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• unto thee for a preyשָׁלָלshâlâl · spoilH7998
• in all placesמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• whither thou goestיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212

Cross-references for Jeremiah 45:5

• 2 Kings 5:26“And my heart didn’t go when the man got down from his chariot to meet you,” Elisha said. “Is this a time to accept silver and clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, flocks and herds, and male and female slaves?
• Romans 12:16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
• 1 Corinthians 7:26Because of the present distress, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is.
• 1 Timothy 6:6But godliness with contentment is great gain.
• Hebrews 13:5Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.
• Matthew 6:25“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?
• Jeremiah 25:26all the kings of the north, both near and far from one another; that is, all the kingdoms of the world throughout the earth. Finally, the king of Sheshak will drink after them.
• Genesis 6:12God saw how corrupt the earth was, for every creature had corrupted its way on the earth.
• Isaiah 66:16For the Lord will execute judgment on all humanity with his fiery sword, and many will be slain by the Lord.
• Zephaniah 3:8Therefore, wait for me — this is the Lord’s declaration — until the day I rise up for plunder. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, in order to pour out my indignation on them, all my burning anger; for the whole earth will be consumed by the fire of my jealousy.
• Jeremiah 21:9Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils of war.
• Jeremiah 38:2“This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live. He will retain his life like the spoils of war and will live.’
• Jeremiah 39:18Indeed, I will certainly deliver you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in me, you will retain your life like the spoils of war. This is the Lord’s declaration.’”

Commentaries on Jeremiah 45:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5And seekest thou great things for thyself? - Nothing better can be expected of this people: thy hopes in reference to them are vain. Expect no national amendment, till national judgments have taken place. And as for any benefit to thyself, think it sufficient that God has determined to preserve thy life amidst all these dangers. But thy life will I give unto thee for a prey - This is a proverbial expression. We have met with it before, Jeremiah 21:9…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5Baruch could rely on divine protection, regardless of the troubles he faced. The chapters before this one show that the Lord kept this promise. Baruch was with Jeremiah when they went to Egypt.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. seekest thou great things for thyself--Thou art over-fastidious and self-seeking. When My own peculiar people, a "whole" nation (Jr 45:4), and the temple, are being given to ruin, dost thou expect to be exempt from all hardship? Baruch had raised his expectations too high in this world, and this made his distresses harder to be borne. The frowns of the world would not disquiet us if we did not so eagerly covet its smiles. What folly to seek great…Read the comment

Topics related to Jeremiah 45:5

• Humility

In the dictionaries

• Baruch
• Bible, the
• Jeremiah (2)

Commentaries on Jeremiah 45

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings