Jeremiah 1:10 kjv

See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Jeremiah 1:10 nkjv

See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant."

Jeremiah 1:10 niv

See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

Jeremiah 1:10 esv

See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

Jeremiah 1:10 nlt

Today I appoint you to stand up
against nations and kingdoms.
Some you must uproot and tear down,
destroy and overthrow.
Others you must build up
and plant."

Jeremiah 1 verses

Jeremiah 1 10 Meaning

Jeremiah 1:10 profoundly outlines the prophet Jeremiah’s comprehensive divine commission. It signifies that God bestows upon him extraordinary authority, not confined solely to Judah but extended to all nations and kingdoms. This authority is expressed through a two-sided ministry: destructive, focused on uprooting evil, tearing down corrupt structures, utterly destroying wickedness, and overthrowing rebellious systems; and constructive, aiming to rebuild truth, establish righteousness, and plant a renewed covenant relationship. This verse asserts that God’s word, when spoken through His chosen prophet, is powerfully active and determinative, possessing the ability to bring about both divine judgment and transformative restoration on a grand scale.

Jeremiah 1 10 Context

Jeremiah 1:10 climaxes Jeremiah’s call narrative (Jer 1:4-10), immediately succeeding God’s symbolic touch to his mouth and the imparting of divine words (Jer 1:9). This chapter introduces Jeremiah's extensive prophetic ministry, active from King Josiah's reign through Jerusalem's destruction and the Babylonian exile. Historically, Judah faced severe idolatry, social injustice, and reliance on foreign alliances instead of God. Jeremiah's message directly confronted these sins, foretelling the coming judgment (the "plucking up" and "breaking down") and the eventual restoration (the "building" and "planting"). The phrase "nations and kingdoms" indicates the global scope of God’s sovereignty, applying to Judah (as a kingdom) and surrounding gentile nations alike, demonstrating that God’s plans encompass all humanity. A key polemic of Jeremiah's ministry, reinforced by this verse, was against the false security held by many Israelites due to the presence of the Temple in Jerusalem, urging a shift from superficial religious observance to genuine repentance and obedience to God’s covenant.

Jeremiah 1 10 Word analysis

• See (רְאֵה, r'eh): An imperative verb used to command attention, highlighting the profound gravity and certainty of the divine declaration about to be made. It urges Jeremiah to grasp the momentous reality of his commission.
• I have set you (הִפְקַדְתִּיךָ, hifkad'ticha): From the Hebrew root פָּקַד (paqad), meaning to appoint, commission, or entrust. This perfect tense verb, in the Hiphil (causative) stem, signifies God's active and decisive initiation in Jeremiah’s appointment. His authority stems entirely from this divine choice and endowment.
• this day (הַיּוֹם, hayyom): Not literally referring to a 24-hour period, but emphasizing the immediate, present, and undeniable establishment of Jeremiah's prophetic authority. It marks the precise moment of his investiture, making his commission definitively active.
• over nations (עַל־הַגּוֹיִם, al-hagoyim) and over kingdoms (וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכוֹת, v'al-hammamlachot): This comprehensive phrase indicates Jeremiah's prophetic reach extends beyond the people of Israel to all human civilizations and governmental structures. It stresses God's absolute universal dominion and that Jeremiah's pronouncements, as God's words, carry binding authority over global powers.
• to pluck up (לִנְתוֹשׁ, lintosh): From נָתַשׁ (natash), meaning to uproot, tear out, or demolish. Often applied to vegetation, implying complete removal without trace, or metaphorically to peoples. It denotes a radical eradication of existing structures, spiritual or physical.
• to break down (וְלִפְרוֹץ, v'lifrots): From פָּרַץ (parats), meaning to breach, burst forth, or tear down. Commonly used for destroying walls or fortifications, suggesting a violent rupture that leaves no defense or barrier standing.
• to destroy (וּלְהַאֲבִיד, u-leha'avid): From אָבַד (abad), meaning to perish or be lost. In the Hiphil, it means to cause to perish, to annihilate, or utterly bring to ruin. It conveys the most extreme form of desolation, implying complete obliteration.
• and to overthrow (וְלַהֲרוֹס, v'laharōs): From הָרָס (haras), meaning to pull down, throw down, or demolish. This term usually applies to the leveling of buildings, cities, or established order, leaving them in ruins.
• Words-group analysis: "to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow": This powerful quartet of verbs describes a complete, unsparing work of judgment. They denote a progressive and absolute dismantling of everything corrupt – idols, false worship, unjust systems, and national sin. This demolition is not a physical act by Jeremiah but a spiritual and real consequence of his proclamations of God’s judgments. The emphasis is on divine eradication of wickedness to prepare for new beginnings.
• to build (וְלִבְנוֹת, v'livnot): From בָּנָה (banah), meaning to build, construct, or establish. This verb represents the act of positive construction and restoration. It implies the establishment of righteousness and new order after the work of destruction.
• and to plant (וְלִנְטוֹעַ, v'lintoa): From נָטַע (nata), meaning to plant, cultivate, or firmly establish. While literal planting fosters growth and fruitfulness, metaphorically it signifies establishing a people, community, or covenant in security and prosperity, ensuring their long-term thriving.
• Words-group analysis: "to build and to plant": These two verbs represent the culmination and ultimate purpose of God’s plan after judgment. They promise restoration, re-establishment, and new life. "Building" refers to the reconstruction of social and spiritual structures, while "planting" implies rooting and nurturing, signifying permanence, flourishing, and the fulfillment of God’s promises for a faithful remnant and renewed covenant, ultimately pointing towards the establishment of God's Kingdom.

Jeremiah 1 10 Bonus section

The authority granted in Jeremiah 1:10 is primarily declarative, meaning God's word spoken through Jeremiah becomes the agent of action, not Jeremiah's personal physical power. It is God's power acting through His Word to accomplish His will (Isa 55:11). This pattern extends into the New Testament where the Gospel, as God's powerful word (Rom 1:16; Heb 4:12), acts to tear down spiritual strongholds and false philosophies (2 Cor 10:4-5), while simultaneously building up believers and the Church in faith and righteousness (Eph 2:20-22). The faithful Christian ministry continues this dual task: confronting sin and injustice while proclaiming the transforming and life-giving message of Christ. The Church itself is seen as God's "building" and "field" (1 Cor 3:9), signifying both the growth fostered by God and the ongoing work of constructing His Kingdom through His people, always reliant on His empowerment and word.

Jeremiah 1 10 Commentary

Jeremiah 1:10 summarizes Jeremiah's far-reaching divine mandate, underscoring God's ultimate sovereignty over all of human history and governments. His prophetic task encompasses two fundamental aspects: destructive judgment and redemptive restoration. The initial quartet of verbs signifies a severe divine confrontation with the deep-seated sin, idolatry, and rebellion within Judah and other nations. This tearing down and destruction serve as necessary precursors for purification and discipline. Subsequently, the constructive verbs — "build and plant" — point to God’s ultimate design for hope, renewal, and the re-establishment of His people and truth in the future. Crucially, Jeremiah's authority is not his own, but derives entirely from God’s word, which he faithfully speaks. This verse clarifies that prophecy is a divine instrument capable of enacting tangible change in both judgment and mercy, shaping destinies from individual lives to entire kingdoms. His ministry would therefore offer condemnation to the rebellious and hope to the repentant.