Jeremiah 1 · Verse 11

Jeremiah 1:11

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
Jeremiah 1:11, King James Version

Jeremiah 1:11 in other translations

BSBAnd the word of the LORD came to me, asking, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” “I see a branch of an almond tree,” I replied.
WEBMoreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”
ASVMoreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree.
YLTAnd there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, ‘What art thou seeing, Jeremiah?' And I say, ‘A rod of an almond tree I am seeing.'
DARBYAnd the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree.
BBEAgain the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said, I see a branch of an almond-tree.
WebsterMoreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Jeremiah, What seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree.

What does Jeremiah 1:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. rod--shoot, or branch. almond tree--literally, "the wakeful tree," because it awakes from the sleep of winter earlier than the other trees, flowering in January, and bearing fruit in March; symbol of God's early execution of His purpose; Jr 1:12, "hasten My word" (compare Am 8:3).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 A rod of an almond tree - שקד shaked, from שקד shakad, "to be ready," "to hasten," "to watch for an opportunity to do a thing," to awake; because the almond tree is the first to flower and bring forth fruit. Pliny says, Floret prima omnium amygdala mense Januario; Martio vero pomum maturat. It blossoms in January, when other trees are locked up in their winter's repose; and it bears fruit in March, just at the commencement of spring, when other trees only begin to bud. It was here the symbol of that promptitude with which God was about to fulfill his promises and threatening. As a rod, says Dahler, is an instrument of punishment, the rod of the almond may be intended here as the symbol of that punishment which the prophet was about to announce.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 1:11-19
God gave Jeremiah a view of the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. The almond-tree, which is more forward in the spring than any other, represented the speedy approach of judgments. God also showed whence the intended ruin should arise. Jeremiah saw a seething-pot boiling, representing Jerusalem and Judah in great commotion. The mouth or face of the furnace or hearth, was toward the north; from whence the fire and fuel were to come. The northern powers shall unite. The cause of these judgments was the sin of Judah. The whole counsel of God must be declared. The fear of God is the best remedy against the fear of man. Better to have all men our enemies than God our enemy; those who are sure they have God with them, need not, ought not to fear, whoever is against them. Let us pray that we may be willing to give up personal interests, and that nothing may move us from our duty.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Jeremiah 1:11 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִ֤יvay.Hiand it cameH1961
דְבַר\־de.var-[the] word ofH1697
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֵלַ֣י'e.Laito meH413
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
מָה\־mah-what?H4100
אַתָּ֥ה'a.Tah[are] youH859
רֹאֶ֖הro.'EhseeingH7200
יִרְמְיָ֑הוּyir.me.Ya.huO JeremiahH3414
וָאֹמַ֕רva.'o.Marand I saidH559
מַקֵּ֥לma.Kela branch ofH4731
שָׁקֵ֖דsha.Kedan almond treeH8247
אֲנִ֥י'a.NiIH589
רֹאֶֽה\׃ro.'Eh[am] seeingH7200

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jeremiah 1:11

  • Amos 7:8

    And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more:

  • Amos 8:2

    And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.

  • Zechariah 5:2

    And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.

  • Jeremiah 24:3

    Then said the Lord unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

  • Zechariah 4:2

    And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:

  • Numbers 17:8

    And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

  • Ezekiel 7:10

    Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
what seest thou.
Am 7:8; 8:2; Zec 4:2; 5:2
I see a rod.
Nu 17:8; Eze 7:10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jeremiah 1:10

    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 1:11

    Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

  • Jeremiah 1:12

    Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

Read all of Jeremiah 1

Jeremiah 1:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y la palabra de Jehová fué á mí, diciendo: ¿Qué ves tú, Jeremías? Y dije: Yo veo una vara de almendro.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et la parole de l’ Éternel vint à moi, disant: Que vois-tu, Jérémie? Et je dis: Je vois un bâton d’amandier.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also: Was siehst du, Jeremia? Und ich sprach: Ich sehe einen Mandelstab
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et factum est verbum Domini ad me, dicens: Quid tu vides, Jeremia? Et dixi: Virgam vigilantem ego video.