Jeremiah 42:10
in Jeremiah 42‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I will relent of the disaster I have brought upon you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.
KJV
If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.
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This verse in Jeremiah 42
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
If ye . . . abide--namely, under the Babylonian authority, to which God hath appointed that all should be subject (Da 2:37, 38). To resist was to resist God. build . . . plant--metaphor for, I will firmly establish you (Jer 24:6).
This site's exposition
After ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah
on Jeremiah 42:7-12
The answer comes in the verbs of 1:10. “I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you.” The LORD says, “I will relent of the disaster I have brought upon you,” and tells them not to fear the king of Babylon.
This site's exposition
I will build you up and not tear you down
The verbs build and plant come from Jeremiah's commission at 1:10. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read staying as living under Babylon, the rule God had appointed for all. Readers differ on the LORD's relenting: Henry reads a change of way with no change of mind, and Barnes reads justice satisfied.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
16 ), begins to repent of the judgments he had brought upon them for their sins. Not that he changed his mind, but he was very ready to change his way and to return in mercy to them. God's time to repent himself concerning his servants is when he sees that, as here, their strength is gone, and there is none shut up or left, Deut. xxxii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
If ye will still abide in this land,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
For I repent me of the evil - The meaning is, As I have punished you only because you continued to be rebellious, I will arrest this punishment as soon as you become obedient to my word. You need not fear the king of Babylon if you have me for your helper; and I will so show mercy to you that he shall see it, and cease from afflicting you, as he shall see that I am on your side.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
I repent me - As punishment had been inflicted, the divine justice was satisfied.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אִם־ | ʾim- | <if> | H518 → | 1069 times |
| שׁ֤וֹב | shov | certainly [if] <to return> | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| תֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙ | teshevu | you will remain | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בָּאָ֣רֶץ | baaretz | in the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הַזֹּ֔את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| וּבָנִ֤יתִי | uvaniti | and I will build up | H1129 → | 376 times |
| אֶתְכֶם֙ | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶהֱרֹ֔ס | ʾeheros | I will tear [you] down | H2040 → | 43 times |
| וְנָטַעְתִּ֥י | venata'ti | and I will plant | H5193 → | 58 times |
| אֶתְכֶ֖ם | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אֶתּ֑וֹשׁ | ʾetoosh | I will pluck [you] up | H5428 → | 21 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| נִחַ֙מְתִּי֙ | nichamti | I am grieved | H5162 → | 108 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | concerning | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָ֣רָעָ֔ה | haraah | the harm | H7451 → | 662 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשִׂ֖יתִי | ʾasiti | I have done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לָכֶֽם׃ | lakhem | to <the> you |
אִם־<if>
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
שׁ֤וֹבcertainly [if] <to return>
shovH7725 →1056 times
תֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙you will remain
teshevuH3427 →1079 times
בָּאָ֣רֶץin the land
baaretzH776 →2504 times
הַזֹּ֔את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
וּבָנִ֤יתִיand I will build up
uvanitiH1129 →376 times
אֶתְכֶם֙<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
אֶהֱרֹ֔סI will tear [you] down
ʾeherosH2040 →43 times
וְנָטַעְתִּ֥יand I will plant
venata'tiH5193 →58 times
אֶתְכֶ֖ם<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
אֶתּ֑וֹשׁI will pluck [you] up
ʾetooshH5428 →21 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
נִחַ֙מְתִּי֙I am grieved
nichamtiH5162 →108 times
אֶל־concerning
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָ֣רָעָ֔הthe harm
haraahH7451 →662 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשִׂ֖יתִיI have done
ʾasitiH6213 →2628 times
לָכֶֽם׃to <the> you
lakhem
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joel 2:13So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.
it leads to
- Psalms 86:15
But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness.
- Psalms 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
- Isaiah 57:15
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit,…
- Exodus 34:6–7
Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
- Matthew 5:3–4
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Psalms 86:15
Through
Jeremiah 31:28Just 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.
it leads to
- 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.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 1:10
Through
Jeremiah 24:6I will keep My eyes on them for good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:10
For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
- Jeremiah 33:7
I will restore Judah and Israel from captivity and will rebuild them as in former times.
- Jeremiah 29:10
About Jeremiah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.