Jeremiah 1:5

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

3The Lord also spoke to him when Jehoiakim son of Josiah ruled over Judah, and he continued to speak to him until the fifth month of the eleventh year that Zedekiah son of Josiah ruled over Judah. That was when the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile. 4The Lord said to me, “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.” 6I answered, “Oh, Lord God, I really do not know how to speak well enough for that, for I am too young.” 7The Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you.

Jeremiah 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 give me confidence, O Lord; O Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young.
• Isaiah 49:1Listen to me, you coastlands! Pay attention, you people who live far away! The Lord summoned me from birth; he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world.
• Luke 1:76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
• Galatians 1:15But when the one who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace was pleased
• Exodus 33:12Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name, and also you have found favor in my sight.’
• Romans 8:29because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
• 2 Timothy 2:19However, God’s solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.”
• Luke 1:15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
• Romans 1:1From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.
• Ephesians 1:22And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and he gave him to the church as head over all things.
• Ephesians 4:11It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

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

• Children
• Excuses
• God
• Jeremiah
• Minister, Christian
• Predestination
• Prophets
• Sanctification

In the dictionaries

• Belly
• Disquiet
• Mad
• Predestination
• Thitherward
• Foreknow; Foreknowledge
• Inspiration
• Omniscience
• Ordain; Ordination
• Prophecy; Prophets

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