The Meaning of Jeremiah 1:18 Explained

Jeremiah 1:18

KJV: For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

YLT: And I, lo, I have given thee this day for a fenced city, and for an iron pillar, and for brazen walls over all the land, to the kings of Judah, to its heads, to its priests, and to the people of the land;

Darby: And I, behold, I appoint thee this day as a strong city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land; against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.

ASV: For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For, behold, I  have made  thee this day  a defenced  city,  and an iron  pillar,  and brasen  walls  against the whole land,  against the kings  of Judah,  against the princes  thereof, against the priests  thereof, and against the people  of the land. 

What does Jeremiah 1:18 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The Lord promised that none of the people of Judah-the kings, the princes, the priests, or the ordinary citizens-would be able to destroy Jeremiah. He would make Jeremiah as impregnable as a fortress, as irresistible as a fortified city, as strong as an iron pillar, and as resistant to attack as a bronze wall. [1] Jeremiah would not be popular in his day. His greatness was "not his fame, but his faithfulness." [2]

Context Summary

Jeremiah 1:1-19 - Courage Promised To A Fearful Messenger
God has a distinct purpose for each life, and our one aim should be to discover and work out His plan. See Psalms 139:16; Galatians 1:15. The sanctification here referred to applies to office rather than to character, and means set apart. See John 17:19. Jeremiah was very young, and shrank from the responsibility of the great mission entrusted to him. Thus it has been with the noblest, Exodus 4:10. But that is godly fear indeed which casts us back on God. He never gives a commission without assuming the responsibility of its execution in, and with, or through, us. Powers of utterance are specially His gift, Isaiah 6:7; Acts 6:10; 1 Corinthians 1:5. The almond tree in Hebrew is the wakeful tree. It awakes from the winter sleep earlier than others, flowering in January and fruiting in March. It indicated the swiftness of God's movement. The boiling pot is the symbol of war. The promises of Jeremiah 1:18-19 are very precious to all who are called to stand in the breach and charge men with their sins. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 1

1  The time
4  And the calling of Jeremiah
11  His prophetical visions of an almond rod and a seething pot
15  His heavy message against Judah
17  God encourages him with his promise of assistance

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 1:18 mean?

For I behold have made you this day a city fortified and pillar an iron and walls bronze against all the land Against the kings of Judah Against its princes Against its priests and against the people of the land
וַאֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה נְתַתִּ֣יךָ הַיּ֗וֹם לְעִ֨יר מִבְצָ֜ר וּלְעַמּ֥וּד בַּרְזֶ֛ל וּלְחֹמ֥וֹת נְחֹ֖שֶׁת עַל־ כָּל־ הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמַלְכֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂרֶ֔יהָ לְכֹהֲנֶ֖יהָ וּלְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ

וַאֲנִ֞י  For  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
הִנֵּ֧ה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
נְתַתִּ֣יךָ  have  made  you 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
הַיּ֗וֹם  this  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לְעִ֨יר  a  city 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
מִבְצָ֜ר  fortified 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִבְצָר 
Sense: fortification, fortress, fortified city, stronghold.
וּלְעַמּ֥וּד  and  pillar 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַמּוּד  
Sense: pillar, column.
בַּרְזֶ֛ל  an  iron 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּרְזֶל  
Sense: iron.
וּלְחֹמ֥וֹת  and  walls 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
נְחֹ֖שֶׁת  bronze 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נְחֹשֶׁת 
Sense: copper, bronze.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לְמַלְכֵ֤י  Against  the  kings 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָה֙  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
לְשָׂרֶ֔יהָ  Against  its  princes 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
לְכֹהֲנֶ֖יהָ  Against  its  priests 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וּלְעַ֥ם  and  against  the  people 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָֽרֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.