Jeremiah 12 · Verse 5

Jeremiah 12:5

If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

Jeremiah 12:5, King James Version

Jeremiah 12:5 in other translations

BSB	“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in a peaceful land, how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?
WEB	“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? Though in a land of peace you are secure, yet how will you do in the pride of the Jordan?
ASV	If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and though in a land of peace thou art secure, yet how wilt thou do in the pride of the Jordan?
YLT	For--with footmen thou hast run, And they weary thee, And how dost thou fret thyself with horses! Even in the land of peace, In which thou art confident--And how dost thou in the rising of Jordan!
DARBY	If thou hast run with footmen, and they have wearied thee, how wilt thou then contend with horses? And if in a land of peace thou thinkest thyself in security, how wilt thou then do in the swelling of the Jordan?
BBE	If running with the fighting-men has made you tired, how will you be able to keep up with horses? and if in a land of peace you go in flight, what will become of you in the thick growth of Jordan?
Webster	If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, in which thou hast trusted, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

What does Jeremiah 12:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

5. Jehovah's reply to Jeremiah's complaint. horses--that is, horsemen: the argument a fortiori. A proverbial phrase. The injuries done thee by the men of Anathoth ("the footmen") are small compared with those which the men of Jerusalem ("the horsemen") are about to inflict on thee. If the former weary thee out, how wilt thou contend with the king, the court, and the priests at Jerusalem? wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee--English Version thus fills up the sentence with the italicized words, to answer to the parallel clause in the first sentence of the verse. The parallelism is, however, sufficiently retained with a less ellipsis: "If (it is only) in a land of peace thou art confident" [Maurer]. swelling of Jordan--In harvest-time and earlier (April and May) it overflows its banks (Jos 3:15), and fills the valley called the Ghor. Or, "the pride of Jordan," namely, its wooded banks abounding in lions and other wild beasts (Jr 49:19; 50:44; Zec 11:3; compare 2Ki 6:2). Maundrell says that between the Sea of Tiberias and Lake Merom the banks are so wooded that the traveller cannot see the river at all without first passing through the woods. If in the champaign country (alone) thou art secure, how wilt thou do when thou fallest into the wooded haunts of wild beasts?

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 5 If thou hast run with the footmen - If the smallest evils to which thou art exposed cause thee to make so many bitter complaints, how wilt thou feel when, in the course of thy prophetic ministry, thou shalt be exposed to much greater, from enemies much more powerful? Footmen may here be the symbol of common evil events; horsemen, of evils much more terrible. If thou have sunk under small difficulties, what wilt thou do when great ones come? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst - I believe the meaning is this, "If in a country now enjoying peace thou scarcely thinkest thyself in safety, what wilt thou do in the swellings of Jordan? in the time when the enemy, like an overflowing torrent, shall deluge every part of the land?" The overflowing of Jordan, which generally happened in harvest, drove the lions and other beasts of prey from their coverts among the bushes that lined its banks; who, spreading themselves through the country, made terrible havoc, slaying men, and carrying off the cattle. Perhaps by footmen may be meant the Philistines, Edomites, etc., whose armies were composed principally of infantry; and by the horses, the Chaldeans, who had abundance of cavalry and chariots in their army. But still the words are proverbial, and the above is their meaning.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jeremiah 12:1-6

Jeremiah complains of the prosperity of the wicked. (Jr 12:1-6) The heavy judgments to come upon the nation. (Jr 12:7-13) Divine mercy to them, and even to the nations around. (Jr 12:14-17) Verses 1-6 When we are most in the dark concerning God's dispensations, we must keep up right thoughts of God, believing that he never did the least wrong to any of his creatures. When we find it hard to understand any of his…

Read the full comment on Jeremiah 12:1-6 →

Jeremiah 12:5 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.

כִּ֣יkiifH3588

אֶת\־'et-withH854

רַגְלִ֥ים\׀rag.Limfoot soldiersH7273

רַ֙צְתָּה֙ratz.tahyou have runH7323

וַיַּלְא֔וּךָvai.yal.'U.khaand they have made weary youH3811

וְאֵ֥יךְve.'Eikhand how?H349

תְּתַֽחֲרֶ֖הte.ta.cha.Rehwill you competeH8474

אֶת\־'et-withH854

הַסּוּסִ֑יםha.su.Simthe horsesH5483

וּבְאֶ֤רֶץu.ve.'E.retzand in a land ofH776

שָׁלוֹם֙sha.lOmsafetyH7965

אַתָּ֣ה'a.TahyouH859

בוֹטֵ֔חַvo.Te.ach[are] falling to [the] groundH982

וְאֵ֥יךְve.'Eikhand how?H349

תַּעֲשֶׂ֖הta.'a.Sehwill you doH6213

בִּגְא֥וֹןbig.'onin [the] thicket ofH1347

הַיַּרְדֵּֽן\׃hai.yar.Denthe JordanH3383

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

Cross references for Jeremiah 12:5

1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
Proverbs 24:10
If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
Hebrews 12:3-4
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Psalms 69:1-2
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
Jeremiah 49:19
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
Psalms 42:7
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
Proverbs 3:11
My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
Jeremiah 50:44
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me?
Joshua 3:15
And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
Jeremiah 26:8
Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
Jeremiah 36:26
But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the Lord hid them.
1 Chronicles 12:15
These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

thou hast.
Pr 3:11; 24:10; Heb 12:3,4; 1Pe 4:12
canst.
26:8; 36:26; 38:4-6
swelling.
49:19; 50:44; Jos 3:15; 1Ch 12:15; Ps 42:7; 69:1,2

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

Context

Jeremiah 12:4
How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.
Jeremiah 12:5
If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
Jeremiah 12:6
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.

Read all of Jeremiah 12

Jeremiah 12:5 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Si corriste con los de á pie, y te cansaron, ¿cómo contenderás con los caballos? Y si en la tierra de paz estabas quieto, ¿cómo harás en la hinchazón del Jordán?
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Si tu as couru avec les piétons, et qu’ils t’aient lassé, comment rivaliseras-tu avec les chevaux? Et si, dans une terre de paix, tu te crois en sécurité, que feras-tu quand le Jourdain sera enflé?
German Elberfelder 1871	Wenn du mit Fußgängern liefest, und sie dich ermüdeten, wie wolltest du denn mit Rossen wetteifern? Und wenn du auf ein Land des Friedens dein Vertrauen setzest, wie willst du es denn machen in der Pracht des Jordan
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Si cum peditibus currens laborasti, quomodo contendere poteris cum equis? cum autem in terra pacis securus fueris, quid facies in superbia Jordanis?