But You know me, O LORD; You see me and test my heart toward You. Drag away the wicked like sheep to the slaughter and set them apart for the day of carnage. But You know me, O LORDThis phrase begins with a profound acknowledgment of God's omniscience. The Hebrew word for "know" is "yada," which implies an intimate, personal knowledge. Jeremiah is expressing his confidence that God understands his innermost thoughts and feelings. This is a comforting reminder that God is not distant but is deeply aware of our personal struggles and circumstances. The use of "O LORD" (Yahweh) emphasizes the covenant relationship between God and His people, highlighting His faithfulness and eternal presence. You see me
The Hebrew root for "see" is "ra'ah," which means to perceive or consider. This suggests that God not only knows Jeremiah but also observes his actions and life circumstances. It reassures believers that God is actively involved in their lives, watching over them with care and concern. This divine observation is not passive but is filled with purpose and intention, guiding and protecting His people. and test my heart toward You
The word "test" comes from the Hebrew "bachan," which means to examine or prove. This indicates a process of refining and purifying, much like testing metals. Jeremiah is aware that God examines his heart, which in Hebrew thought is the center of will and emotion. This testing is not to condemn but to strengthen and purify one's faith and devotion to God. It is a reminder that trials can serve to deepen our relationship with the Lord. Drag them off like sheep to be slaughtered
Here, Jeremiah uses vivid imagery to describe the fate of the wicked. The metaphor of sheep being led to slaughter is a powerful depiction of judgment. In ancient times, sheep were often used in sacrificial rituals, symbolizing innocence and submission. However, in this context, it underscores the inevitability of divine justice against those who oppose God. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and rebellion. set them apart for the day of carnage
The phrase "set them apart" is derived from the Hebrew "qadash," meaning to consecrate or dedicate. This indicates that the wicked are reserved for a specific purpose, which in this case is judgment. The "day of carnage" refers to a time of destruction and divine retribution. This highlights the certainty of God's justice and the ultimate accountability that all will face. It serves as a call to repentance and a warning of the seriousness of turning away from God's ways. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahThe prophet who is speaking in this verse, expressing his deep trust in God and his frustration with the wicked. 2. The LORD (Yahweh)The God of Israel, who knows and tests the hearts of His people. 3. The WickedThose who oppose God and His prophet, whom Jeremiah asks God to judge. 4. Sheep to be slaughteredA metaphor for the impending judgment and destruction of the wicked. 5. Day of CarnageA prophetic reference to the time of God's judgment against the wicked. Teaching Points God's OmniscienceGod knows us intimately, including our thoughts and intentions. We can take comfort in His understanding and guidance. Testing of the HeartGod tests our hearts to refine our faith and character. We should welcome His testing as a means of growth. Righteous Anger and JusticeIt's natural to feel anger towards injustice, but we must trust God to execute judgment in His perfect timing. Metaphors of JudgmentThe imagery of sheep to be slaughtered serves as a sobering reminder of the reality of God's judgment. It calls us to live righteously and warn others of the coming judgment. Prayer and TrustLike Jeremiah, we should bring our concerns and frustrations to God in prayer, trusting Him to act justly. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding that God knows and tests our hearts impact the way you live your daily life? 2. In what ways can you relate to Jeremiah's feelings of frustration with the wickedness around you? 3. How can the imagery of "sheep to be slaughtered" and "day of carnage" influence your perspective on God's judgment? 4. What other biblical examples can you find where God tests the hearts of His people, and what can you learn from them? 5. How can you apply the principle of leaving vengeance to God in your personal relationships and conflicts? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 139This Psalm speaks of God's intimate knowledge of us, similar to Jeremiah's acknowledgment that God knows and tests his heart. Hebrews 4:12-13These verses discuss the Word of God as living and active, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart, paralleling God's testing of Jeremiah's heart. Matthew 25:31-46The separation of the sheep and the goats at the final judgment echoes the imagery of separating the wicked for judgment. Romans 12:19This verse reminds believers to leave vengeance to God, aligning with Jeremiah's plea for God to act against the wicked. People JeremiahPlaces Anathoth, Jerusalem, Jordan RiverTopics Apart, Attitude, Butchered, Carnage, Death, Drag, Draw, Examine, Hast, Heart, Heart's, Mind, O, Prepare, Proved, Pull, Pulled, Ready, Searching, Seest, Separate, Sheep, Slaughter, Test, Testing, Thoughts, Towards, Tried, Triest, TryDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 12:3 4684 sheep Jeremiah 12:1-4 5265 complaints Library Calms and Crises
'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 Jordan?'--JER. xii. 5, R.V. The prophet has been complaining of his persecutors. The divine answer is here, reproving his impatience, and giving him to understand that harder trials are in store for him. Both clauses mean substantially the same thing, and are of a parabolic nature. The one adduces the metaphor …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureAre You Prepared to Die?
"There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign; Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain." There everlasting spring abides, And never-withering flowers; Death, like a narrow sea, divides This heavenly land from ours." Taking "the swelling of Jordan" to represent the precise time of death, the question really is, what shall we do when we come to die? "How wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" I. We notice, in the first place, that this is an EXCEEDINGLY PRACTICAL …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 11: 1865 Synagogues: their Origin, Structure and Outward Arrangements
It was a beautiful saying of Rabbi Jochanan (Jer. Ber. v. 1), that he who prays in his house surrounds and fortifies it, so to speak, with a wall of iron. Nevertheless, it seems immediately contradicted by what follows. For it is explained that this only holds good where a man is alone, but that where there is a community prayer should be offered in the synagogue. We can readily understand how, after the destruction of the Temple, and the cessation of its symbolical worship, the excessive value attached …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour, …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh Of the Trinity and a Christian, and of the Law and a Christian.
EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. These two short treatises were found among Mr. Bunyan's papers after his decease. They probably were intended for publication, like his 'Prison Meditations' and his 'Map of Salvation,' on a single page each, in the form of a broadside, or handbill. This was the popular mode in which tracts were distributed; and when posted against a wall, or framed and hung up in a room, they excited notice, and were extensively read. They might also have afforded some trifling profit to aid …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed.
"Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII The Justice of God
The next attribute is God's justice. All God's attributes are identical, and are the same with his essence. Though he has several attributes whereby he is made known to us, yet he has but one essence. A cedar tree may have several branches, yet it is but one cedar. So there are several attributes of God whereby we conceive of him, but only one entire essence. Well, then, concerning God's justice. Deut 32:4. Just and right is he.' Job 37:23. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 12:3 NIVJeremiah 12:3 NLTJeremiah 12:3 ESVJeremiah 12:3 NASBJeremiah 12:3 KJV
Jeremiah 12:3 Commentaries
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