Jeremiah 29:12 kjv
Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Jeremiah 29:12 nkjv
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:12 niv
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:12 esv
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
Jeremiah 29:12 nlt
In those days when you pray, I will listen.
Jeremiah 29 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremiah 29:13 | You will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart. | Fulfillment of God's promise |
| Deuteronomy 4:29 | But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him, if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. | Conditions for finding God |
| 1 Chronicles 16:11 | Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. | Encouragement to seek God |
| Psalm 105:4 | Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. | Parallel to 1 Chron. 16:11 |
| Psalm 27:8 | You said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” | David's earnest seeking |
| Psalm 50:15 | call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. | God hears during trouble |
| Isaiah 55:6 | “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.” | Temporal aspect of seeking |
| Matthew 7:7 | “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. | Jesus' teaching on prayer |
| Luke 11:9 | “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. | Echo of Matthew 7:7 |
| John 14:13-14 | Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. | Jesus' promise in His name |
| Acts 17:27 | that they might seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Though he is not far from each one of us. | God's nearness to humanity |
| Romans 10:12 | For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. | Universal accessibility to God |
| 2 Chronicles 7:14 | if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. | Conditional promise to Israel |
| Jeremiah 33:3 | “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” | Further promise of revelation |
| Psalm 91:15 | When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. | God's response to a cry |
| James 4:8 | Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. | Mutual drawing near |
| 1 John 5:14 | And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. | Confidence in prayer |
| Zechariah 7:13 | “As I called, and they would not listen, so they will call, and I will not listen, says the Lord of hosts. | Consequence of not listening |
| Isaiah 1:18 | “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like white as snow. | Invitation to approach |
| Joel 2:32 | And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. | Promise of salvation |
Jeremiah 29 verses
Jeremiah 29 12 Meaning
This verse is a direct promise from God to the people of Judah during their Babylonian exile. It assures them that if they call on Him and seek Him with their whole heart, He will hear their prayers and answer them. The core message is God's faithfulness and availability to His people, even in a time of severe judgment and foreign oppression.
Jeremiah 29 12 Context
Jeremiah 29 is a letter sent by the prophet Jeremiah from Jerusalem to the elders of the exile, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. The people were in exile for about 17 years. Many false prophets were in Babylon telling the exiles that their time in exile would be short and encouraging them to resist the Babylonians. Jeremiah's letter, however, counters these false assurances. He instructs them to settle in Babylon, build houses, plant gardens, and even pray for the welfare of the city because their captivity would be long, lasting 70 years. In this context, Jeremiah 29:12 follows this instruction to settle and wait. It provides the divine assurance that amidst their prolonged stay in a foreign land, God remains accessible and responsive to those who earnestly seek Him. The hope expressed is not immediate release but God's consistent presence and eventual restoration, which is detailed in the following verses.
Jeremiah 29 12 Word Analysis
- And (וְ - ve): Conjunction, linking clauses. Indicates a progression or connection between seeking and finding.
- you (אַתֶּם - attem): Second person, masculine, plural pronoun. Addresses the exiled community in Babylon.
- shall seek (תִּדְרְשֻׁנִי - tidr'shuni): From the root דָּרַשׁ (darash). This verb implies diligent, earnest, and thorough seeking, inquiring, or consulting. It is more active and intentional than simply looking.
- you shall seek (תִּדְרְשׁוּ - tidr'shu): The root 'darash' implies not just searching, but searching with a purpose to find and to learn, to seek counsel or help.
- Me (נִי - ni): First person, singular, attached pronoun referring to God.
- Me (אֹתִי - oti): Direct object pronoun for "Me," reinforcing that God Himself is the object of the seeking.
- and (וְ - ve): Conjunction.
- find (וּמְצָאֶם - umetz'em): From the root מָצָא (matza). This verb means to find, discover, come upon, or obtain.
- and you will find (וּמְצָא - u'metza): The implication is that the seeking will be rewarded with discovery.
- them (ֶם - em): Attached pronoun, referring to "Me" (God). This creates a Hebrew idiom: "you will find Me." The suffix is often used in a distributive or encompassing sense with verbs.
- when (כִּי - ki): Conjunction, introducing a subordinate clause of time or condition, here functioning like "when" or "if." It signifies the condition or circumstance under which finding will occur.
- you seek (תִּדְרְשֻׁנִי - tidr'shuni): This is a repetition of the first part of the verse, emphasizing the method and sincerity required. The repetition underscores the reciprocal nature: as you seek, so shall you find.
- Me (נִי - ni): Again, referring to God.
- with (בְּ - be): Preposition, meaning "in," "with," "by," or "at."
- all (כָּל - kol): Determiner, signifying entirety or completeness.
- your (לְבָבְכֶם - l'vavchem): Possessive pronoun, second person, plural, masculine, attached to "heart."
- heart (לְבָבְכֶם - l'vavchem): From the root לֵבָב (levav) or לֵב (lev), meaning heart. In Hebrew thought, the "heart" is not just the seat of emotion, but also of intellect, will, intention, and inner being. So, "with all your heart" means with your entire being, intellect, will, and desire.
Words Group Analysis:
- "seek me and find me": This parallel construction highlights the guaranteed result of genuine seeking. The act of seeking is directly linked to the outcome of finding.
- "when you seek me with all your heart": This clause specifies the indispensable condition for finding God. "All your heart" implies total commitment, undivided loyalty, and sincere desire, not a partial or superficial attempt. The emphasis is on the sincerity and completeness of the seeker's devotion and intent.
Jeremiah 29 12 Bonus Section
The depth of "all your heart" (בְכָל־לְבַבְכֶם - bekol-l'vavchem) is crucial. It speaks against any divided allegiance or superficial religiousity. In the ancient Near East, people often had multiple deities. The Babylonian context itself would have exposed the exiles to various religious practices. Jeremiah’s message, reinforced by this verse, calls for an exclusive devotion to the LORD. The exiles' challenge was not just physical displacement but also spiritual temptation to assimilate into pagan worship. The promise of finding God is thus tied to a holistic commitment of the entire self, not merely external rituals. This internal posture of seeking is what moves God to reveal Himself and ultimately lead them out of their predicament, as detailed in the subsequent promises of restoration. The ultimate fulfillment of this principle is found in the New Testament, where the Gospel calls believers to seek Christ with their whole heart, and in doing so, they find forgiveness, salvation, and an intimate relationship with God.
Jeremiah 29 12 Commentary
Jeremiah 29:12 presents a foundational principle of the believer's relationship with God: genuine seeking leads to finding. The context of exile in Babylon could breed despair and a sense of God's absence. However, this verse is a powerful antidote, assuring the exiles that God is not distant or unaware of their plight. The promise is contingent on "seeking me with all your heart." This isn't a casual pursuit but a wholehearted, dedicated search for God, involving one's entire inner being – mind, will, and emotions. When this sincere commitment is present, God guarantees His responsiveness and availability. This promise is echoed throughout Scripture, from Deuteronomy to the teachings of Jesus, underscoring that God desires to be found by those who earnestly pursue Him. It's a call to intentional devotion and unwavering faith, even in the most challenging circumstances, with the assurance that God will reveal Himself.