God’s Word Translation
Jeremiah 1:18
18Today I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You will be able to stand up to the whole land. You will be able to stand up to Judah’s kings, its officials, its priests, and ⌞all⌟ the common people.
Jeremiah 1:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
- New International Version (NIV)Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land.
Context of Jeremiah 1:18
16I will pass sentence on my people because of all their wickedness. They abandoned me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped what their hands have made. 17Brace yourself, Jeremiah! Stand up, and say to them whatever I tell you to say. Don’t be terrified in their presence, or I will make you ⌞even more⌟ terrified in their presence. Today I have made you like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. You will be able to stand up to the whole land. You will be able to stand up to Judah’s kings, its officials, its priests, and ⌞all⌟ the common people. 19They will fight you, but they will not defeat you. I am with you, and I will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Read all of Jeremiah 1Jeremiah 1:18 word by word
וַאֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה נְתַתִּ֣יךָ הַיּ֗וֹם לְעִ֨יר מִבְצָ֜ר וּלְעַמּ֥וּד בַּרְזֶ֛ל וּלְחֹמ֥וֹת נְחֹ֖שֶׁת עַל־כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמַלְכֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂרֶ֔יהָ לְכֹהֲנֶ֖יהָ וּלְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For, behold, Iאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
- have madeנָתַןnâthan · to give: makeH5414
- thee this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
- a defencedמִבְצָרmibtsâr mibtsârâh · fortificationH4013
- cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- and an ironבַּרְזֶלbarzel · ironH1270
- pillarעַמּוּד‛ammûd ‛ammûd · pillarH5982
- and brasenנְחֹ֫שֶׁתnechôsheth · bronzeH5178
- wallsחוֹמָהchômâh · wallH2346
- against the whole landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- against the kingsמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- against the princesשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
- thereof, against the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- thereof, and against the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
Cross-references for Jeremiah 1:18
- Jeremiah 6:27“Jeremiah, I have put you in charge of testing and refining my people. You will know how to test their ways.
- Jeremiah 15:20I will make you like a solid bronze wall in front of these people. They will fight you, but they will not defeat you. I am with you, and I will save you and rescue you, declares the Lord.
- Isaiah 50:7The Almighty Lord helps me. That is why I will not be ashamed. I have set my face like a flint. I know that I will not be put to shame.
- Ezekiel 3:8Yet, I will make you as stubborn and as hardheaded as they are.
- Micah 3:8But I am filled with the power of the Lord’s Spirit, with justice, and with strength. So I will tell ⌞the descendants of⌟ Jacob about their crimes and ⌞the nation of⌟ Israel about its sins.
- John 1:42Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon, son of John. Your name will be Cephas” (which means “Peter”).
- Jeremiah 21:4‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I’m going to take your weapons away from you. You are using these weapons to fight the king of Babylon as well as the Babylonians who are now blockading you outside the wall. I will bring the Babylonians inside this city.
- Jeremiah 22:1This is what the Lord says: Go to the palace of the king of Judah, and speak this message there:
- Jeremiah 26:12Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, “The Lord sent me to prophesy everything that you have heard me say against this temple and against this city.
- Jeremiah 34:3You will not escape from him. You will certainly be captured and handed over to him. You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will talk to you face to face. Then you will go to Babylon.
- Jeremiah 36:27After the king burned up the scroll that Baruch had written and that Jeremiah had dictated, the Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. He said,
- Jeremiah 37:7“This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to get advice from me: ‘Pharaoh’s army has come out to help you. But it will go back to Egypt, its own land.
- Jeremiah 38:2They heard Jeremiah say, “This is what the Lord says: Those who stay in this city will die in wars, famines, or plagues. But those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.
- Jeremiah 42:22But now, you need to know that you will die in wars, famines, or plagues in the place where you want to go and live.”
Commentaries on Jeremiah 1:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and, brazen walls - Though thou shalt be exposed to persecutions and various indignities, they shall not prevail against thee. To their attacks thou shalt be as an impregnable city; as unshaken as an iron pillar; and as imperishable as a wall of brass. None, therefore, can have less cause to apprehend danger than thou hast. The issue proved the truth of this promise: he outlived all their…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Metaphorically the walls and fortifications of the city represent the prophet‘s power of patiently enduring the attacks of his enemies; while the iron pillar, supporting the whole weight of the roof Judges 16:29; 1 Kings 7:21), signifies that no trials or sufferings would crush his steadfast will.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-19Verses 11-19 God gave Jeremiah a view of the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. The almond-tree, which is more forward in the spring than any other, represented the speedy approach of judgments. God also showed whence the intended ruin should arise. Jeremiah saw a seething-pot boiling, representing Jerusalem and Judah in great commotion. The mouth or face of the furnace or hearth, was toward the north; from whence the fire and fuel were…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18A well-defended city could resist a siege for a long time, often until the attacking army left to handle another crisis in the empire.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. defenced city, &c.--that is, I will give thee strength which no power of thine enemies shall overcome (Jr 6:27; 15:20; Is 50:7; 54:17; Lu 21:15; Ac 6:10). walls--plural, to express the abundant strength to be given him. De Rossi's'S manuscripts read singular, "wall." people of the land--the general masses, as distinguished from the princes and priests.Read the comment
Topics related to Jeremiah 1:18
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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