The Meaning of Jeremiah 12:5 Explained

Jeremiah 12:5

KJV: If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

YLT: For -- with footmen thou hast run, And they weary thee, And how dost thou fret thyself with horses! Even in the land of peace, In which thou art confident -- And how dost thou in the rising of Jordan!

Darby: If thou hast run with footmen, and they have wearied thee, how wilt thou then contend with horses? And if in a land of peace thou thinkest thyself in security, how wilt thou then do in the swelling of the Jordan?

ASV: 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 the Jordan?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If thou hast run  with the footmen,  and they have wearied  thee, then how canst thou contend  with horses?  and [if] in the land  of peace,  [wherein] thou trustedst,  [they wearied thee], then how wilt thou do  in the swelling  of Jordan? 

What does Jeremiah 12:5 Mean?

Study Notes

swelling of Jordan
i.e. under such a test as in Jeremiah 49:19 ; Jeremiah 50:44 ; Joshua 3:15 ; 1 Chronicles 12:15

Verse Meaning

The Lord replied by asking Jeremiah how he expected to be able to endure the rigors of coming antagonism if the present hostility he was experiencing wore him out (cf. Jeremiah 11:19; Jeremiah 11:21; Jeremiah 23:21). If he fell in a relatively peaceful environment, how could he get though the turbulence to come, which resembled the violent, overflowing Jordan River in the spring. The Jordan Valley was a sub-tropical jungle, inhabited by lions, that was hard to penetrate at any season of the year (cf. Jeremiah 49:19; Jeremiah 50:44; 2 Kings 6:2).

Chapter Summary: Jeremiah 12

1  Jeremiah, complaining of the prosperity of the wicked, by faith sees their ruin
5  God admonishes him of his brothers' treachery against him;
7  and laments his heritage
14  He promises to the penitent return from captivity

What do the individual words in Jeremiah 12:5 mean?

If with the footmen you have run and they have wearied you and how can you contend horses and [if] in the land of peace [In which] you trusted [they wearied you] will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan
כִּ֣י אֶת־ רַגְלִ֥ים ׀ רַ֙צְתָּה֙ וַיַּלְא֔וּךָ וְאֵ֥יךְ תְּתַֽחֲרֶ֖ה ؟ הַסּוּסִ֑ים וּבְאֶ֤רֶץ שָׁלוֹם֙ אַתָּ֣ה בוֹטֵ֔חַ תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בִּגְא֥וֹן ؟ הַיַּרְדֵּֽן

רַגְלִ֥ים ׀  the  footmen 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַגְלִי  
Sense: on foot.
רַ֙צְתָּה֙  you  have  run 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: רוּץ 
Sense: to run.
וַיַּלְא֔וּךָ  and  they  have  wearied  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, second person masculine singular
Root: לָאָה  
Sense: to be weary, be impatient, be grieved, be offended.
וְאֵ֥יךְ  and  how 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interjection
Root: אֵיךְ 
Sense: how? interj.
תְּתַֽחֲרֶ֖ה  can  you  contend 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: חָרָה  
Sense: to burn, be kindled (of anger).
؟ הַסּוּסִ֑ים  horses 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: סוּס 
Sense: swallow, swift.
וּבְאֶ֤רֶץ  and  [if]  in  the  land 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שָׁלוֹם֙  of  peace 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֹום  
Sense: completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.
אַתָּ֣ה  [In  which]  you 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
בוֹטֵ֔חַ  trusted  [they  wearied  you] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה  will  you  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בִּגְא֥וֹן  in  the  floodplain 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: גָּאֹון  
Sense: exaltation, majesty, pride.
؟ הַיַּרְדֵּֽן  of  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).