If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

JEREMIAH 18:10KJV
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Jeremiah 18:10 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 18:10 mean?

Jeremiah 18:10 says that if a nation does evil in God’s sight and refuses to listen to His voice, God will change His mind about the good He intended to do for them. This verse shows that God’s promised blessings are not automatic but depend on people’s response to Him.

In this passage, God is speaking to Jeremiah, explaining how He deals with nations much like a potter shapes clay. The focus is on God’s willingness to change His plans based on how people act—if they turn away and do wrong, even promised good can be withdrawn. This highlights both God’s justice and His responsiveness to human choices.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 18:10

  • "do" (עָשָׂה, ʿasah): This word means "to do" or "to make." Here, it refers to the actions of a nation, emphasizing that their deeds have real consequences.
  • "evil" (רַע, raʿ): This word means "bad" or "evil." It signals not just moral failure but actions that are clearly against what God desires.
  • "repent" (נָחַם, nacham): This word is often understood as "to relent" or "to change one’s mind." It does not mean God regrets like a human, but that He is willing to adjust His actions in response to people’s behavior.
  • "benefit" (יָטַב, yatav): This word means "to do good" or "to make well." It highlights that God’s intention was to bring blessing, but this is conditional on obedience.

Why Jeremiah 18:10 matters

  • Jeremiah 18:10 clears up the idea that God’s promises are unconditional—His blessings depend on people’s choices and willingness to listen.
  • This verse connects to the larger message in Jeremiah 18, where God uses the image of a potter to show His authority to shape and reshape nations based on their actions.
  • Jeremiah 18:10 emphasizes God’s justice and mercy, showing that He responds to real-life decisions rather than acting in a fixed or mechanical way.

Where else these words appear

“repent” Hebrew H5162 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 5:29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
  • Job 29:25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.
  • Jeremiah 18:8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

“benefit” Hebrew H3190 · used in 102 verses

  • Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
  • Deuteronomy 30:5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.
  • Psalms 36:3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.