New King James Version
Jeremiah 18:8
8if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.
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 Living Translation (NLT)but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned.
Context of Jeremiah 18:8
6“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! 7The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, 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. 9And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, 10if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.
Read all of Jeremiah 18Jeremiah 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: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
- Jeremiah 36:3It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
- Judges 10:15And the children of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.”
- 1 Kings 8:33“When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple,
- 2 Chronicles 12:6So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, “The Lord is righteous.”
- Isaiah 1:16“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,
- Ezekiel 18:21“But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
- Ezekiel 33:11Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
- Jonah 2:5The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head.
- Luke 13:3I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
- Jeremiah 15:6You have forsaken Me,” says the Lord, “You have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting!
- Jeremiah 26:3Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.’
- Jeremiah 42:10‘If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you.
- Exodus 32:12Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.
- Deuteronomy 32:36“For the Lord will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free.
- Judges 2:18And when the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of 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 them and harassed 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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries