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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Jeremiah 12:17 But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation; I will uproot it and destroy it, declares the LORD."</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/12-17.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/8/24_Jer_12_17.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Jeremiah 12:17 - A Message for Israel's Neighbors" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation; I will uproot it and destroy it, declares the LORD." /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="/vmenus/jeremiah/12-17.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc/jeremiah/12-17.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="/">Bible</a> > <a href="/jeremiah/">Jeremiah</a> > <a href="/jeremiah/12.htm">Chapter 12</a> > Verse 17</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div><div id="ad1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/ad17.htm" width="100%" height="48" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="/jeremiah/12-16.htm" title="Jeremiah 12:16">◄</a> Jeremiah 12:17 <a href="/jeremiah/13-1.htm" title="Jeremiah 13:1">►</a></div></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="topverse"> <a href="#audio" class="clickchap2" title="Context and Audio Bible"> Audio </a> <a href="#crossref" class="clickchap2" title="Cross References"> Cross </a> <a href="#study" class="clickchap2" title="Study Bible"> Study </a> <a href="#commentary" class="clickchap2" title="Commentary"> Comm </a> <a href="#lexicon" class="clickchap2" title="Lexicon"> Heb </a> </div><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheadingv"><b>Verse</b><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/12.htm" class="clickchap" style="color:#001320" title="Click any translation name for full chapter">  (Click for Chapter)</a></div><div id="par"><span class="versiontext"><a href="/niv/jeremiah/12.htm">New International Version</a></span><br />But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,&#8221 declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/12.htm">New Living Translation</a></span><br />But any nation who refuses to obey me will be uprooted and destroyed. I, the LORD, have spoken!”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/esv/jeremiah/12.htm">English Standard Version</a></span><br />But if any nation will not listen, then I will utterly pluck it up and destroy it, declares the LORD.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/12.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a></span><br />But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation; I will uproot it and destroy it, declares the LORD.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/12.htm">King James Bible</a></span><br />But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nkjv/jeremiah/12.htm">New King James Version</a></span><br />But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb_/jeremiah/12.htm">New American Standard Bible</a></span><br />But if they do not listen, then I will drive out that nation, drive <i>it</i> out and destroy <i>it,</i>” declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/12.htm">NASB 1995</a></span><br />&#8220But if they will not listen, then I will uproot that nation, uproot and destroy it,&#8221 declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nasb77/jeremiah/12.htm">NASB 1977 </a></span><br />“But if they will not listen, then I will uproot that nation, uproot and destroy it,” declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsb/jeremiah/12.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a></span><br />But if they will not listen, then I will uproot that nation, uproot and make it perish,” declares Yahweh.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/amp/jeremiah/12.htm">Amplified Bible</a></span><br />But if [any nation] will not listen <i>and</i> obey, I will [completely] uproot and destroy that nation, says the LORD.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/csb/jeremiah/12.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />However, if they will not obey, then I will uproot and destroy that nation.” This is the LORD’s declaration.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hcsb/jeremiah/12.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a></span><br />However, if they will not obey, then I will uproot and destroy that nation.&#8221 This is the LORD&#8217s declaration. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/asv/jeremiah/12.htm">American Standard Version</a></span><br />But if they will not hear, then will I pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it, saith Jehovah.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cev/jeremiah/12.htm">Contemporary English Version</a></span><br />However, if they don't listen to me, I will uproot them from their lands and completely destroy them. I, the LORD, have spoken. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/erv/jeremiah/12.htm">English Revised Version</a></span><br />But if they will not hear, then will I pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it, saith the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gwt/jeremiah/12.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a></span><br />But suppose they don't listen. Then I will uproot that nation and destroy it," declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/gnt/jeremiah/12.htm">Good News Translation</a></span><br />But if any nation will not obey, then I will completely uproot it and destroy it. I, the LORD, have spoken." <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/isv/jeremiah/12.htm">International Standard Version</a></span><br />But if they don't listen, then I'll completely uproot that nation and destroy it," declares the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/msb/jeremiah/12.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a></span><br />But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation; I will uproot it and destroy it, declares the LORD.?<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/net/jeremiah/12.htm">NET Bible</a></span><br />But I will completely uproot and destroy any of those nations that will not pay heed,'" says the LORD. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nheb/jeremiah/12.htm">New Heart English Bible</a></span><br />But if they will not hear, then will I pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it,'" says the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/wbt/jeremiah/12.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a></span><br />But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/web/jeremiah/12.htm">World English Bible</a></span><br />But if they will not hear, then I will pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it,” says Yahweh. <div class="vheading2"><b>Literal Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lsv/jeremiah/12.htm">Literal Standard Version</a></span><br />And if they do not listen, "" Then I have plucked up that nation, "" Plucking up and destroying,” "" A declaration of YHWH!<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/ylt/jeremiah/12.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a></span><br /> And if they do not hearken, Then I have plucked up that nation, Plucking up and destroying, An affirmation of Jehovah!'<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/slt/jeremiah/12.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a></span><br />And if they will not hear, tearing up and destroying, I tore up that nation, says Jehovah.<div class="vheading2"><b>Catholic Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/drb/jeremiah/12.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a></span><br />But if they will not hear, I will utterly pluck out and destroy that nation, saith the Lord. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/cpdv/jeremiah/12.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a></span><br />But if they will not listen, I will uproot that nation unto utter destruction and perdition, says the Lord.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nabre/jeremiah/12.htm">New American Bible</a></span><br />But if they do not obey, I will uproot and destroy that nation entirely—oracle of the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/nrsvce/jeremiah/12.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a></span><br />But if any nation will not listen, then I will completely uproot it and destroy it, says the LORD.<div class="vheading2"><b>Translations from Aramaic</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/lamsa/jeremiah/12.htm">Lamsa Bible</a></span><br />But if they will not obey, then I will utterly pluck up and destroy this people, says the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/hpbt/jeremiah/12.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a></span><br />And if they will not listen, I shall uproot this people to uproot and to destroy, says LORD JEHOVAH <div class="vheading2"><b>OT Translations</b></div><span class="versiontext"><a href="/jps/jeremiah/12.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a></span><br />But if they will not hearken, then will I pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it, saith the LORD.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/sep/jeremiah/12.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a></span><br />But if they will not return, then will I cut off that nation with utter ruin and destruction.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/parallel/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></span></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="audio" id="audio"></a><div class="vheadingv"><b>Audio Bible</b></div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5k55c51ZGhs?start=3847" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="vheadingv"><b>Context</b></div><span class="hdg"><a href="/bsb/jeremiah/12.htm">A Message for Israel's Neighbors</a></span><br>…<span class="reftext">16</span>And if they will diligently learn the ways of My people and swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—just as they once taught My people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among My people. <span class="reftext">17</span><span class="highl"><a href="/hebrew/518.htm" title="518: wə·’im (Conj) -- If. A primitive particle; used very widely as demonstrative, lo!">But if</a> <a href="/hebrew/3808.htm" title="3808: lō (Adv-NegPrt) -- Not. Or lowi; or loh; a primitive particle; not; by implication, no; often used with other particles.">they will not</a> <a href="/hebrew/8085.htm" title="8085: yiš·mā·‘ū (V-Qal-Imperf-3mp) -- To hear. A primitive root; to hear intelligently.">obey,</a> <a href="/hebrew/5428.htm" title="5428: wə·nā·ṯaš·tî (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjPerf-1cs) -- To pull or pluck up, root out. A primitive root; to tear away.">then I will uproot</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’eṯ- (DirObjM) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."></a> <a href="/hebrew/1931.htm" title="1931: ha·hū (Art:: Pro-3ms) -- He, she, it. ">that</a> <a href="/hebrew/1471.htm" title="1471: hag·gō·w (Art:: N-ms) -- Rarely goy; apparently from the same root as gevah; a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts.">nation;</a> <a href="/hebrew/5428.htm" title="5428: nā·ṯō·wōš (V-Qal-InfAbs) -- To pull or pluck up, root out. A primitive root; to tear away.">I will uproot it</a> <a href="/hebrew/6.htm" title="6: wə·’ab·bêḏ (Conj-w:: V-Piel-InfAbs) -- To perish. A primitive root; properly, to wander away, i.e. Lose oneself; by implication to perish.">and destroy it,</a> <a href="/hebrew/5002.htm" title="5002: nə·’um- (N-msc) -- Utterance. From na'am; an oracle.">declares</a> <a href="/hebrew/3068.htm" title="3068: Yah·weh (N-proper-ms) -- The proper name of the God of Israel. From hayah; self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.">the LORD.”</a> </span><div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/28-15.htm">Deuteronomy 28:15</a></span><br />If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/deuteronomy/28-63.htm">Deuteronomy 28:63</a></span><br />Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and multiply, so also it will please Him to annihilate you and destroy you. And you will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/isaiah/60-12.htm">Isaiah 60:12</a></span><br />For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly destroyed.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_kings/17-23.htm">2 Kings 17:23</a></span><br />Finally, the LORD removed Israel from His presence, as He had declared through all His servants the prophets. So Israel was exiled from their homeland into Assyria, where they are to this day.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/2_chronicles/36-16.htm">2 Chronicles 36:16-17</a></span><br />But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy. / So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/6-19.htm">Jeremiah 6:19</a></span><br />Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/18-7.htm">Jeremiah 18:7-10</a></span><br />At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed. / But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring. / And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom, ...<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/25-8.htm">Jeremiah 25:8-9</a></span><br />Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, / behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/25-12.htm">Jeremiah 25:12</a></span><br />But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/jeremiah/46-28.htm">Jeremiah 46:28</a></span><br />And you, My servant Jacob, do not be afraid, declares the LORD, for I am with you. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have banished you, I will not completely destroy you. Yet I will discipline you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished.”<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/5-8.htm">Ezekiel 5:8-9</a></span><br />Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I Myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will execute judgments among you in the sight of the nations. / Because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/ezekiel/14-13.htm">Ezekiel 14:13</a></span><br />“Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting unfaithfully, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of food, to send famine upon it, and to cut off from it both man and beast,<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/daniel/9-11.htm">Daniel 9:11-12</a></span><br />All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice; so the oath and the curse written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You. / You have carried out the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us a great disaster. For under all of heaven, nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/hosea/9-17.htm">Hosea 9:17</a></span><br />My God will reject them because they have not obeyed Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.<span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="crossverse"><a href="/amos/9-8.htm">Amos 9:8</a></span><br />Surely the eyes of the Lord GOD are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” declares the LORD.</div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div><p class="tsk2">But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, said the LORD.</p><p class="hdg">if.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/psalms/2-8.htm">Psalm 2:8-12</a></b></br> Ask of me, and I shall give <i>thee</i> the heathen <i>for</i> thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth <i>for</i> thy possession… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/isaiah/60-12.htm">Isaiah 60:12</a></b></br> For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, <i>those</i> nations shall be utterly wasted.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/zechariah/14-16.htm">Zechariah 14:16-19</a></b></br> And it shall come to pass, <i>that</i> every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles… </p><p class="hdg">pluck.</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/12-14.htm">Jeremiah 12:14-17</a></b></br> Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them… </p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/18-7.htm">Jeremiah 18:7</a></b></br> <i>At what</i> instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy <i>it</i>;</p><p class="tskverse"><b><a href="/jeremiah/31-28.htm">Jeremiah 31:28</a></b></br> And it shall come to pass, <i>that</i> like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.</p><div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/jeremiah/9-25.htm">Affirmation</a> <a href="/jeremiah/10-25.htm">Completely</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-25.htm">Declares</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-10.htm">Destroy</a> <a href="/jeremiah/2-30.htm">Destroying</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-10.htm">Destruction</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-8.htm">Ear</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-14.htm">Hear</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-14.htm">Hearken</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-9.htm">Nation</a> <a href="/jeremiah/11-8.htm">Obey</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-14.htm">Pluck</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-15.htm">Plucked</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-15.htm">Plucking</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-15.htm">Uproot</a> <a href="/jeremiah/12-15.htm">Uprooted</a> <a href="/jeremiah/9-19.htm">Utterly</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/jeremiah/13-14.htm">Affirmation</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-7.htm">Completely</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-11.htm">Declares</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-9.htm">Destroy</a> <a href="/jeremiah/23-1.htm">Destroying</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-14.htm">Destruction</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-10.htm">Ear</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-10.htm">Hear</a> <a href="/jeremiah/13-11.htm">Hearken</a> <a href="/jeremiah/18-7.htm">Nation</a> <a href="/jeremiah/17-24.htm">Obey</a> <a href="/jeremiah/18-7.htm">Pluck</a> <a href="/jeremiah/18-14.htm">Plucked</a> <a href="/jeremiah/45-4.htm">Plucking</a> <a href="/jeremiah/18-7.htm">Uproot</a> <a href="/jeremiah/18-7.htm">Uprooted</a> <a href="/jeremiah/14-19.htm">Utterly</a><div class="vheading2">Jeremiah 12</div><span class="reftext">1. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/12-1.htm">Jeremiah, complaining of the prosperity of the wicked, by faith sees their ruin.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">5. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/12-5.htm">God admonishes him of his brothers' treachery against him;</a></span><br><span class="reftext">7. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/12-7.htm">and laments his heritage.</a></span><br><span class="reftext">14. </span><span class="outlinetext"><a href="/jeremiah/12-14.htm">He promises to the penitent return from captivity.</a></span><br></div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div><br /><br />  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div><br /><br />  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div><br /><br /> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:200px;height:200px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3753401421161123" data-ad-slot="3592799687"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script> <br /><br /> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/12.htm">Study Bible</a></td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/study/jeremiah/" title="Book Summary and Study">Book ◦</a> <a href="/study/chapters/jeremiah/12.htm" title="Chapter summary and Study">Chapter </a></tr></table></div><b>But if they will not obey</b><br>This phrase highlights the conditional nature of God's covenant with His people and the surrounding nations. Obedience to God's commands is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing the importance of following divine instructions. In the context of Jeremiah, the prophet is addressing the nations surrounding Israel, warning them of the consequences of disobedience. This reflects the broader biblical principle found in <a href="/deuteronomy/28.htm">Deuteronomy 28</a>, where blessings and curses are contingent upon obedience to God's law.<p><b>then I will uproot that nation</b><br>The imagery of uprooting is significant, symbolizing complete removal and destruction. In ancient agricultural societies, uprooting a plant meant it was entirely removed from its source of life, unable to grow back. This metaphor is used to convey the totality of God's judgment. Historically, this can be seen in the fate of nations like Assyria and Babylon, which were powerful yet eventually fell due to their disobedience and opposition to God's will.<p><b>I will uproot it and destroy it</b><br>The repetition of "uproot" emphasizes the certainty and severity of the judgment. Destruction here implies not just physical ruin but also the end of a nation's influence and power. This reflects the biblical theme of divine justice, where God holds nations accountable for their actions. The destruction of cities like Nineveh and Babylon serves as historical examples of this principle.<p><b>declares the LORD.</b><br>This phrase underscores the authority and certainty of the message. When the LORD declares something, it is a divine decree that will surely come to pass. The use of "declares the LORD" is a common prophetic formula, affirming that the message is not from the prophet's own imagination but from God Himself. This assurance is seen throughout the prophetic books, where God's declarations are fulfilled in history, reinforcing His sovereignty and faithfulness.<div class="vheading2">Persons / Places / Events</div>1. <b><a href="/topical/j/jeremiah.htm">Jeremiah</a></b><br>A prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. He is known for his prophecies of judgment and calls for repentance.<br><br>2. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_lord.htm">The LORD (Yahweh)</a></b><br>The covenant God of Israel, who speaks through Jeremiah, warning of judgment against disobedience.<br><br>3. <b><a href="/topical/t/the_nation.htm">The Nation</a></b><br>Refers to any nation, including Judah, that refuses to obey God's commands. The context implies nations surrounding Israel that were given the opportunity to turn to God.<br><br>4. <b><a href="/topical/u/uprooting_and_destroying.htm">Uprooting and Destroying</a></b><br>A metaphor for divine judgment, indicating complete removal and destruction as a consequence of persistent disobedience.<br><br>5. <b><a href="/topical/j/judah_and_surrounding_nations.htm">Judah and Surrounding Nations</a></b><br>The immediate context involves Judah and the nations around it, which were often warned by prophets like Jeremiah to turn from their ways and follow God.<div class="vheading2">Teaching Points</div><b><a href="/topical/t/the_seriousness_of_disobedience.htm">The Seriousness of Disobedience</a></b><br>God's warnings are not idle threats; they reflect His holiness and justice. Disobedience leads to severe consequences, as seen in the metaphor of uprooting.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/g/god's_sovereignty_over_nations.htm">God's Sovereignty Over Nations</a></b><br>God holds all nations accountable, not just Israel. His sovereignty extends over all creation, and He can raise or destroy nations according to His will.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_call_to_repentance.htm">The Call to Repentance</a></b><br>Even in judgment, there is an implicit call to repentance. God's desire is for nations to turn back to Him, avoiding the destruction that disobedience brings.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_role_of_prophets.htm">The Role of Prophets</a></b><br>Prophets like Jeremiah serve as God's mouthpieces, delivering messages of warning and hope. Their role is crucial in guiding people back to God.<br><br><b><a href="/topical/t/the_hope_of_restoration.htm">The Hope of Restoration</a></b><br>While judgment is severe, God's ultimate plan includes restoration for those who turn back to Him, as seen in the broader account of Scripture.<div class="vheading2">Lists and Questions</div><a href="/top10/lessons_from_jeremiah_12.htm">Top 10 Lessons from Jeremiah 12</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/are_there_records_of_invasions_in_jeremiah_12_14.htm">In Jeremiah 12:14, God mentions punishing invading neighbors. Are there historical records confirming such invasions or conflicts?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/is_there_proof_of_jeremiah_12_15's_restoration.htm">Jeremiah 12:15 promises restoration after judgment; is there concrete historical proof of this restoration taking place?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/how_does_jer._3_12-14_show_limitless_mercy.htm">How does Jeremiah 3:12-14 depict limitless mercy when texts like 2 Kings 17:6-23 suggest God's patience eventually ran out?</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/q/why_highlight_rechabites'_unique_obedience.htm">Jeremiah 35:14 - Why does this narrative emphasize the Rechabites' obedience as exceptional, when the broader biblical context frequently speaks of faithful believers?</a><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/jeremiah/12.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(17) <span class= "bld">I will utterly pluck up.</span>--In this, as in the preceding verse, there is an obvious reference to the prophet's calling as described in <a href="/jeremiah/1-10.htm" title="See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.">Jeremiah 1:10</a>, the self-same word being used as that which is there rendered "root out." The adverb "utterly" answers to the usual Hebrew reduplication of emphasis.<p><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><span class="versiontext"><a href="/commentaries/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a></span><span class="p"><br /><br /><br /></span><a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div><span class="word">But if</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאִ֖ם</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’im)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Conjunction<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_518.htm">Strong's 518: </a> </span><span class="str2">Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not</span><br /><br /><span class="word">they will not</span><br /><span class="heb">לֹ֣א</span> <span class="translit">(lō)</span><br /><span class="parse">Adverb - Negative particle<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3808.htm">Strong's 3808: </a> </span><span class="str2">Not, no</span><br /><br /><span class="word">obey,</span><br /><span class="heb">יִשְׁמָ֑עוּ</span> <span class="translit">(yiš·mā·‘ū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_8085.htm">Strong's 8085: </a> </span><span class="str2">To hear intelligently</span><br /><br /><span class="word">then I will uproot</span><br /><span class="heb">וְנָ֨תַשְׁתִּ֜י</span> <span class="translit">(wə·nā·ṯaš·tî)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5428.htm">Strong's 5428: </a> </span><span class="str2">To pull or pluck up, root out</span><br /><br /><span class="word">that</span><br /><span class="heb">הַה֛וּא</span> <span class="translit">(ha·hū)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Pronoun - third person masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1931.htm">Strong's 1931: </a> </span><span class="str2">He, self, the same, this, that, as, are</span><br /><br /><span class="word">nation;</span><br /><span class="heb">הַגּ֥וֹי</span> <span class="translit">(hag·gō·w)</span><br /><span class="parse">Article | Noun - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_1471.htm">Strong's 1471: </a> </span><span class="str2">A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts</span><br /><br /><span class="word">I will uproot it</span><br /><span class="heb">נָת֥וֹשׁ</span> <span class="translit">(nā·ṯō·wōš)</span><br /><span class="parse">Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5428.htm">Strong's 5428: </a> </span><span class="str2">To pull or pluck up, root out</span><br /><br /><span class="word">and destroy it,”</span><br /><span class="heb">וְאַבֵּ֖ד</span> <span class="translit">(wə·’ab·bêḏ)</span><br /><span class="parse">Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Infinitive absolute<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_6.htm">Strong's 6: </a> </span><span class="str2">To wander away, lose oneself, to perish</span><br /><br /><span class="word">declares</span><br /><span class="heb">נְאֻם־</span> <span class="translit">(nə·’um-)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - masculine singular construct<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_5002.htm">Strong's 5002: </a> </span><span class="str2">An oracle</span><br /><br /><span class="word">the LORD.</span><br /><span class="heb">יְהוָֽה׃</span> <span class="translit">(Yah·weh)</span><br /><span class="parse">Noun - proper - masculine singular<br /></span><span class="str"><a href="/hebrew/strongs_3068.htm">Strong's 3068: </a> </span><span class="str2">LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel</span><br /><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 NIV</a><br /><a href="/nlt/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 NLT</a><br /><a href="/esv/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 ESV</a><br /><a href="/nasb/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 NASB</a><br /><a href="/kjv/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 KJV</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="//bibleapps.com/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 BibleApps.com</a><br /><a href="//bibliaparalela.com/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 Biblia Paralela</a><br /><a href="//holybible.com.cn/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 Chinese Bible</a><br /><a href="//saintebible.com/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 French Bible</a><br /><a href="/catholic/jeremiah/12-17.htm">Jeremiah 12:17 Catholic Bible</a><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><a href="/jeremiah/12-17.htm">OT Prophets: Jeremiah 12:17 But if they will not hear then (Jer.) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/jeremiah/12-16.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Jeremiah 12:16"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 12:16" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/jeremiah/13-1.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Jeremiah 13:1"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Jeremiah 13:1" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>