Jeremiah 18:10 kjv
If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
Jeremiah 18:10 nkjv
if 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.
Jeremiah 18:10 niv
and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.
Jeremiah 18:10 esv
and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.
Jeremiah 18:10 nlt
but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would.
Jeremiah 18 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 32:14 | "So the Lord relented from the disaster which He had spoken..." | God's response to Moses' intercession. |
| Joel 2:13 | "...for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loyal love, and He relents concerning the disaster." | God's willingness to turn from judgment. |
| Jon 3:10 | "When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their evil way, then God relented concerning the disaster which He had declared..." | God changing His decree based on repentance. |
| Jer 26:13 | "Now, therefore, amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will change His mind about the misfortune..." | Repentance averts proclaimed judgment. |
| Deut 28:15 | "But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to observe all His commandments and His statutes... that all these curses will come upon you..." | Clear statement of conditional curses for disobedience. |
| Lev 26:14-17 | "But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments... I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever..." | Consequences for rejecting God's statutes. |
| Isa 1:19-20 | "If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." | Choice between blessing and destruction. |
| Rom 2:6-8 | "who will repay each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory... but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth..." | God's just repayment for obedience or disobedience. |
| Psa 95:7-8 | "Today if you would listen to His voice, do not harden your hearts..." | Urgency of responding to God's instruction. |
| Heb 3:7-8 | "Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, 'TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME...'" | Warning against Israel's rebellion in the wilderness. |
| Eze 18:21-23 | "But if the wicked person turns from all his sins... he will certainly live; he will not die. None of his offenses... will be remembered against him." | Promise of life for the repentant. |
| Eze 18:24 | "But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness, commits injustice and does according to all the abominations that the wicked person does, will he live?..." | Consequence for a righteous person who turns to sin. |
| 1 Sam 15:11 | "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My commands." | God's expression of regret over Saul's disobedience. |
| Gen 6:6 | "The Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart." | God's sorrow over humanity's wickedness. |
| 1 Sam 15:29 | "Also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind." | God's immutable character, contrasted with situational "regret." |
| Jer 7:5-7 | "For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly administer justice... then I will allow you to dwell in this place..." | Conditional promise tied to moral behavior. |
| Prov 1:24-28 | "Because I called and you refused... I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes..." | Wisdom personified speaks of consequences for rejection. |
| Mal 3:7 | "From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you." | Call to repentance and promise of renewed relationship. |
| 2 Chron 7:13-14 | "If I shut up the heavens... or if I send pestilence... and My people who are called by My name humble themselves... then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin..." | God's promise to heal the land upon repentance. |
| Luke 13:3 | "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." | Jesus' warning about the necessity of repentance. |
| Rom 11:22 | "So consider the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity; but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness..." | Both kindness and severity in God's dealing with Israel and Gentiles. |
| 2 Pet 3:9 | "The Lord is not slow about His promise... but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." | God's patience leading to an opportunity for repentance. |
Jeremiah 18 verses
Jeremiah 18 10 Meaning
Jeremiah 18:10 reveals God's conditional interaction with nations and individuals. It states that if a people, who were once promised good or blessing, turn to wickedness and persistently refuse to obey God's voice, then God will, in turn, withdraw or alter the good He had intended or declared for them. This verse underscores God's justice, His responsiveness to human choices, and the profound significance of obedience within a covenantal relationship.
Jeremiah 18 10 Context
Jeremiah 18:10 is found within the impactful "potter's house" analogy (vv. 1-11). God instructs Jeremiah to observe a potter at work, reshaping a spoiled vessel. This vivid imagery illustrates God's sovereign right and power over nations, much like the potter's authority over clay. However, the application immediately shifts from absolute, unyielding control to God's responsiveness. Verses 7-8 declare that if God purposes judgment against a nation but they repent, He will relent. Conversely, verse 10, following this, declares that if God purposes good for a nation but they turn to wickedness, He will retract the promised good. This serves as a vital message to Judah, which, despite God's covenant blessings and promises of good, was deeply entrenched in idolatry and social injustice. Historically, Judah was facing imminent Babylonian exile, a direct consequence of their persistent disobedience. The verses together highlight God's dynamic interaction with humanity based on their moral trajectory, emphasizing divine justice and human accountability within His overall sovereign plan.
Jeremiah 18 10 Word analysis
- If (אִם - im): This is a crucial conditional particle. It establishes a hypothetical premise, signaling that God's subsequent action is dependent on the prior condition, highlighting the interactive and covenantal nature of the relationship.
- it does evil (תַּעֲשֶׂה־לֹּא - ta‘ăśeh-lō'): Literally, "it will do not" or "it will do evil." The word
לֹּא(lō') here intensifies the negative action, indicating a persistent, intentional turning to moral wrong rather than simply a lack of good. This refers to actions that defy God's righteous standards. - in My sight (בְעֵינַי - və‘ēnayi): Literally, "in My eyes." This phrase emphasizes God's direct, intimate, and discerning observation of human behavior. It means not just doing evil, but doing evil knowing God sees and judges. It implies full divine awareness of the offense.
- by not listening (לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹעַ - ləviltî šəmo‘a): More precisely, "so as not to hear" or "so as not to obey." The root
שָׁמַע(shama‘) signifies not just passive hearing but active heeding and obeying. The negative here points to a deliberate and continuous refusal to obey God's commands and instructions. - to My voice (בְּקוֹלִי - bəqôlî): This refers to God's direct commands, warnings, and prophetic pronouncements. To not listen to His voice means rejecting His revealed will and wisdom, particularly as delivered through His prophets.
- then I will change My mind (וְנִחַמְתִּי - vənichamtî): This verb
נָחַם(nacham) often translated as "relent," "repent," or "be sorry." In a divine context, it doesn't imply an error in judgment or emotional fickleness but a change in action or disposition towards His creation, specifically a shift from His declared intent for good due to a change in the circumstances (i.e., human actions). God's character does not change, but His response can. - concerning the good (עַל־הַטּוֹב - ‘al-haṭṭôv): This specifies the object of God's "change of mind" – it is related to "the good" or blessing that God had intended or promised. This clarifies that God isn't changing His nature but revoking a previously intended benefit.
- with which I had promised to bless it (אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי לְהֵטִיב - ’ăšer dibbartî ləhêṭîv): This refers to God's previous declarations of good, promises of prosperity, or intentions to do well by them.
דִּבַּרְתִּי(dibbartî) indicates speaking or declaring, confirming a prior divine pronouncement of positive intent.
Words-Group Analysis:
- "If it does evil in My sight by not listening to My voice": This entire clause sets the condition for God's action. It defines "evil" not just as generic wrongdoing, but as active disobedience specifically against God's direct instruction and awareness. This emphasizes intentional sin and a disregard for God's authority.
- "then I will change My mind concerning the good with which I had promised to bless it": This is the divine consequence. It shows that God's promises of blessing are not unconditional regardless of human behavior. He will retract the declared good when faced with persistent and rebellious evil, demonstrating His justice and integrity in the covenant relationship. This highlights a principle of divine reciprocity tied to human responsibility.
Jeremiah 18 10 Bonus section
The concept of God "changing His mind" (often translated from nacham) in the Bible is a significant theological discussion point. It does not imply capriciousness or fallibility on God's part. Rather, it reveals His personal, relational, and just nature. God is not bound by immutable, mechanistic decrees if the moral state of those to whom the decree applies fundamentally changes. When a people, to whom God declared good, turn evil, God's nature (which is holy and just) necessitates a change in His actions towards them, aligning His treatment with their behavior. This shows that God's steadfastness is not rigid adherence to a plan regardless of circumstances, but rather His unwavering commitment to His character, which demands a response to both repentance and persistent evil. The divine "regret" or "relenting" is an anthropomorphism to help us understand God's responsiveness, always operating within His unchangeable holiness and wisdom.
Jeremiah 18 10 Commentary
Jeremiah 18:10 offers a profound theological insight into the nature of God's interaction with humanity. It acts as the critical counterpoint to verse 8, solidifying the dynamic, rather than purely deterministic, aspect of divine-human relations in the Old Testament. While God is utterly sovereign, His governance is not impersonal or arbitrary; it actively responds to the moral choices of His creation, particularly within the framework of a covenant. When God says He will "change His mind" or "relent," it signifies a just alteration in His disposition or course of action due to humanity's altered condition or behavior, rather than any flaw in His unchanging character. His promises of good, deeply embedded in covenant, are conditional on an ongoing posture of obedience and responsiveness from His people. The verse is a powerful reminder to Judah – and by extension, to all people – that blessings are tied to heeding God's voice, and persistent rebellion against His observed will invites the withdrawal of His intended favor. It underscores divine justice and highlights that human responsibility remains crucial within the framework of divine sovereignty.