Jeremiah 1:12 kjv
Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Jeremiah 1:12 nkjv
Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word."
Jeremiah 1:12 niv
The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled."
Jeremiah 1:12 esv
Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it."
Jeremiah 1:12 nlt
And the LORD said, "That's right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans."
Jeremiah 1 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 23:19 | God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? | God's unchangeable word & faithfulness. |
| Ps 33:4 | For the word of the LORD is upright, and all His work is done in faithfulness. | God's word is reliable and true. |
| Ps 89:34 | My covenant I will not violate, nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. | God keeps His spoken promises. |
| Ps 119:89 | Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. | God's word is eternally fixed & sure. |
| Isa 40:8 | The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. | The eternal endurance of God's word. |
| Isa 55:11 | So shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose. | God's word always achieves its purpose. |
| Jer 1:10 | See, I have appointed 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. | God's appointed actions through His word. |
| Jer 29:10 | For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you...’ | God fulfilling prophetic promises in time. |
| Jer 32:42 | For thus says the LORD, ‘Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I promised them.’ | God's equal certainty in bringing judgment and blessing. |
| Jer 44:27 | Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good... | God's vigilance in fulfilling His declared judgments. |
| Eze 12:28 | Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever I speak will be performed...”’ | God's word executed without delay. |
| Amos 3:7 | Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets. | God reveals His intentions to His prophets. |
| Mal 3:6 | “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, have not come to an end." | God's unchanging nature ensures His word is firm. |
| Matt 5:18 | For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. | The complete and precise fulfillment of God's word. |
| Luke 21:33 | Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. | The enduring authority and reliability of Christ's words. |
| Rom 9:28 | For the Lord will execute His word on the earth, finishing and cutting it short. | God swiftly and decisively performs His word. |
| Phil 1:6 | For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. | God is diligent in completing what He begins. |
| 1 Thess 5:24 | Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. | God's faithfulness guarantees completion. |
| 2 Tim 2:13 | if we are faithless, He remains faithful—for He cannot deny Himself. | God's faithfulness transcends human unfaithfulness. |
| Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword... | God's word is dynamic, powerful, and effective. |
| 1 Pet 1:25 | But the word of the Lord remains forever. | The timeless permanence of God's word. |
Jeremiah 1 verses
Jeremiah 1 12 Meaning
Jeremiah 1:12 signifies God's absolute commitment and vigilant determination to bring His declared word, particularly His prophetic judgments and promises, to fruition. After Jeremiah sees the almond branch, a symbol of early readiness, God affirms that this vision correctly represents His active vigilance in performing His divine decrees without delay. It assures Jeremiah, and indeed all who hear, that every word God speaks will certainly come to pass.
Jeremiah 1 12 Context
Jeremiah 1:12 occurs immediately after Jeremiah's initial prophetic call and his first vision. In Jeremiah 1:11, the prophet sees "a branch of an almond tree." This is his first visual confirmation of God's direct involvement in his ministry. Verse 12 serves as God's divine interpretation of that vision, validating Jeremiah's perception and establishing a foundational principle for his arduous ministry: the absolute certainty of God's word being executed.
Historically, this passage places Jeremiah's calling in the late 7th century BC (around 627 BC), during the reign of King Josiah in Judah. This was a time of religious reform but also deep-seated national apostasy. The pronouncements that would follow (chapters of judgment against Judah and surrounding nations, followed by promises of restoration) would seem severe and impossible to the people. Jeremiah's call was to declare judgment that felt imminent and salvation that felt distant. Thus, the confirmation in verse 12—that God is watching over His word to perform it—was crucial. It directly countered any skepticism from a people immersed in idolatry and false security, implicitly highlighting the inertness of their idols versus the living, active God of Israel. Unlike pagan deities or human kings whose words might fail, Yahweh’s declarations are unshakeable truth, ensuring both coming devastation and future deliverance.
Jeremiah 1 12 Word analysis
Then the LORD said to me: Indicates direct, divine communication (literally, "And said Yahweh to me"). The personal nature reinforces the prophetic encounter. "LORD" (יְהוָה, Yahweh) emphasizes God as the covenant-making, acting God.
You have seen well: רָאִיתָ הֵיטֵב (ra'ita heitev). A powerful affirmation of Jeremiah's discernment and accuracy. It signifies God's approval of Jeremiah's perception and assures the prophet that his vision aligns perfectly with divine truth.
for I am watching over My word: כִּי-שֹׁקֵד אֲנִי עַל-דְּבָרִי (ki shoked ani al-devari).
- שֹׁקֵד (shoqed): This key term is a participle meaning "watching, waking, diligent, active, hastening." It connects directly to the Hebrew word for "almond tree" (שָׁקֵד, shaqed) from the previous verse. The almond is the first tree to blossom in spring, indicating an alert, vigilant readiness to produce fruit. This profound wordplay (paronomasia) implies that just as the almond tree is "wakeful" to begin the spring, God is "wakeful" and diligent to bring His word to pass.
- דְּבָרִי (devari): "My word," "My promise," "My command," or "My decree." This isn't merely a spoken utterance but an authoritative divine declaration, carrying inherent power and intention.
to perform it: לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ (la'asoto). To do it, to make it, to bring it to pass, to execute it. This final phrase emphasizes the certainty and efficacy of God's word. It highlights that God's watching is not passive observation but an active commitment to fulfilling what He has spoken.
Words-group analysis
- "You have seen well, for I am watching...": Establishes a direct, divine affirmation of Jeremiah's prophetic gift. God's validation of Jeremiah's vision (the ra'ita heitev) immediately leads to God's explanation of His own active vigilance (the shoked ani). This ensures Jeremiah understands that his prophetic sight is aligned with God's active purpose.
- "watching over My word to perform it": This phrase highlights the divine certainty and efficacy of God's word. God’s nature as one who "watches" is intrinsically linked to His resolve to "perform" His word. It signifies that His words are not mere suggestions or idle threats but powerful decrees that will undeniably culminate in action. It serves as an implicit polemic against the impotence of false gods and empty promises common in Jeremiah’s contemporary culture; Yahweh's words alone carry absolute authority and are unfailingly brought to completion.
Jeremiah 1 12 Bonus section
The immediate blossoming of the almond tree in early spring (January/February) made it a powerful symbol of haste and readiness in the ancient Near East. This choice of imagery for Jeremiah's vision powerfully communicates divine immediacy and certainty. God's promise in Jeremiah 1:12 establishes a crucial theological principle: Yahweh is the Living God, whose pronouncements are not inert but carry divine energy and purpose to bring about their intended effect. This contrasts sharply with the dead idols of the nations, which "cannot do evil, neither also can they do good" (Jer 10:5) because they "have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not" (Ps 115:5). God, on the other hand, speaks, sees, and performs. This verse thus imbues Jeremiah with the necessary authority and courage to deliver difficult messages, knowing that the ultimate fulfillment rests with a sovereign and actively faithful God.
Jeremiah 1 12 Commentary
Jeremiah 1:12 stands as a cornerstone verse in understanding the prophetic ministry and the very nature of God's communication with humanity. Through the clever wordplay between the Hebrew words for "almond tree" (shaqed) and "watching" or "hastening" (shoqed), God assures Jeremiah that just as the almond is the first tree to awaken in spring, so too is God actively awake and prompt to fulfill His spoken word. This isn't a passive observance but an active, vigilant commitment to ensuring His decrees, whether of judgment or blessing, are brought to their complete and intended conclusion. This truth was crucial for Jeremiah, whose challenging commission to confront a rebellious nation would require unwavering faith in God's promises. It is a fundamental declaration that God's word possesses inherent power and will never return void, providing absolute confidence in the truth and reliability of all scripture.