Bible Strands
Jeremiah 18:9
And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — God addresses Jeremiah to deliver a conditional message to the people of Judah during a period when national survival depends on their response to prophetic warnings. The prophet stands as the conduit for a divine declaration that hinges on immediate repentance or continued rebellion.
The words — The Hebrew וְרֶגַע (ve.regaʿ) literally means "a moment" or "at another time," marking a distinct future instance for the promise. The verb אֲדַבֵּר (ʾăḏabbēr) translates to "I will speak," denoting a formal, authoritative divine announcement rather than a casual statement.
The thread — The conditional pattern of building up or uprooting a nation appears in Jeremiah 1:10, where God commissions the prophet over nations and kingdoms to pluck up and to plant. This same framework of divine reversal based on national conduct runs through Jeremiah 31:28 and Amos 9:11.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to accept that national fate is not predetermined but responsive to obedience or defiance. It demands immediate moral reckoning, treating divine warnings as active conditions that mandate a change in behavior before the announced outcome occurs.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 31:28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, to demolish, destroy, and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.
- Amos 9:11 “In that day I will restore the fallen tent of David. I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old,
- Jeremiah 1:10 See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant.”
- Jeremiah 11:17 The LORD of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”
- Ecclesiastes 3:2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
- Jeremiah 30:18 This is what the LORD says: “I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents and have compassion on his dwellings. And the city will be rebuilt on her own ruins, and the palace will stand in its rightful place.
- Jeremiah 31:4 Again I will build you, and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out in joyful dancing.
- Jeremiah 31:38 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when this city will be rebuilt for Me, from the tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate.
- Jeremiah 32:41 Yes, I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.