Jeremiah 1 · Verse 5

Jeremiah 1:5

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5, King James Version

Jeremiah 1:5 in other translations

BSB“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
WEB“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
ASVBefore I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.
YLT‘Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.'
DARBYBefore I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I hallowed thee, I appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.
BBEBefore you were formed in the body of your mother I had knowledge of you, and before your birth I made you holy; I have given you the work of being a prophet to the nations.
WebsterBefore I formed thee in embryo I knew thee; and before thou wast born I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet to the nations.

What does Jeremiah 1:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Jeremiah 1:4-10

4-10. Jeremiah's call to the prophetical office. unto me--other manuscripts read "to him"; but English Version probably represents the true Hebrew text; this inscription was doubtless made by Jeremiah himself.

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 1:4-10 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 Before I formed thee - I had destined thee to the prophetic office before thou wert born: I had formed my plan, and appointed thee to be my envoy to his people. St. Paul speaks of his own call to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles in similar terms, Gal 1:15, Gal 1:16.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 1:1-10

Jeremiah's call to the prophetic office. (Jr 1:1-10) A vision of an almond-tree and of a seething-pot, Divine protection is promised. (Jr 1:11-19) Verses 1-10 Jeremiah's early call to the work and office of a prophet is stated. He was to be a prophet, not to the Jews only, but to the neighbouring nations. He is still a prophet to the whole world, and it would be well if they would attend to these warnings. The Lord…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 1:1-10 →

Jeremiah 1:5 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.

בְּטֶ֨רֶםbe.Te.rem<in> beforeH2962
אֶצָּרְךָ֤'e.tzor.khaI formed youH3335
בַבֶּ֙טֶן֙va.Be.tenin the bellyH990
יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָye.da'.Ti.khaI knew youH3045
וּבְטֶ֛רֶםu.ve.Te.remand <in> beforeH2962
תֵּצֵ֥אte.Tze'you came forthH3318
מֵרֶ֖חֶםme.Re.chemfrom [the] wombH7358
הִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֑יךָhik.dash.Ti.chaI set apart youH6942
נָבִ֥יאna.Vi'a prophetH5030
לַגּוֹיִ֖םla.go.Yimto the nationsH1471
נְתַתִּֽיךָ\׃ne.ta.Ti.khaI appointed youH5414

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 1:5

  • Psalms 139:16

    Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

  • Isaiah 49:1

    Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

  • Galatians 1:15-16

    But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

  • Psalms 71:5-6

    For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

  • Romans 8:29

    For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

  • Isaiah 49:5

    And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.

  • Isaiah 44:2

    Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

  • 2 Timothy 2:19-21

    Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

  • Luke 1:41

    And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

  • Luke 1:76

    And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

  • Exodus 33:17

    And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

  • Luke 1:15

    For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Before I.
Ps 71:5,6; Isa 49:1,5; Lu 1:76; Ga 1:15,16
I knew.
Ex 33:12,17; Ro 8:29; 2Ti 2:19-21
and before.
Lu 1:15,41; Ro 1:1
and I ordained. Heb. and I gave.
Eph 1:22; 4:11,12

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

Context

  • Jeremiah 1:4

    Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

  • Jeremiah 1:5

    Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

  • Jeremiah 1:6

    Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

Read all of Jeremiah 1

Jeremiah 1:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Antes que te formase en el vientre te conocí, y antes que salieses de la matriz te santifiqué, te dí por profeta á las gentes.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Avant que je te forme dans le ventre de ta mère, je t’ai connu, et avant que tu sortes de son sein, je t’ai sanctifié, je t’ai établi prophète pour les nations.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ehe ich dich im Mutterleibe bildete, habe ich dich erkannt, und ehe du aus dem Mutterschoße hervorkamst, habe ich dich geheiligt: zum Propheten an die Nationen habe ich dich bestellt
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Priusquam te formarem in utero, novi te, et antequam exires de vulva, sanctificavi te, et prophetam in gentibus dedi te.