Jeremiah 12:5

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?

If thou hast run {H7323} with the footmen {H7273}, and they have wearied {H3811} thee, then how canst thou contend {H8474} with horses {H5483}? and if in the land {H776} of peace {H7965}, wherein thou trustedst {H982}, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do {H6213} in the swelling {H1347} of Jordan {H3383}?

If racing men on foot exhausts you, how will you compete against horses? You may feel secure in a land at peace, but how will you do in the Yarden's thick brush?

“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in a peaceful land, how will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?

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?

Jeremiah 12:5 is a powerful and challenging rhetorical question from God to the prophet Jeremiah, serving as both a rebuke and a preparation for future, greater trials. Jeremiah had been lamenting the prosperity of the wicked and the difficulties he faced in his prophetic ministry.

Context

This verse comes immediately after Jeremiah's complaint to God in Jeremiah 12:1-4, where he questions why the wicked prosper and feels overwhelmed by the opposition, even from his own family and community. God's response here is not one of sympathy in the way Jeremiah might have hoped, but rather a profound challenge: if you are already struggling with these relatively minor difficulties, how will you cope when much greater adversities arise?

Key Themes

  • Escalating Challenges: The verse vividly portrays life as a progression from manageable difficulties ("footmen") to overwhelming crises ("horses" and "swelling of Jordan"). It implies that spiritual and personal growth often involve facing increasingly significant tests.
  • Divine Preparation and Endurance: God is not merely observing Jeremiah's struggles; He is actively preparing him for a more demanding future. The verse underscores the need for spiritual stamina and resilience to fulfill one's calling.
  • Trust Amidst Adversity: Despite the daunting imagery, the underlying message is a call to deeper trust in God's power and sovereignty, even when circumstances become terrifying and unpredictable.

Linguistic and Cultural Insights

The imagery in this verse is deeply rooted in ancient Near Eastern life:

  • "Footmen" vs. "Horses": This metaphor illustrates a progression in difficulty. Running with footmen (infantry) would be challenging, but contending with horses (cavalry) represents a far greater, faster, and more formidable opponent, symbolizing a significant increase in the scale and intensity of opposition.
  • "Swelling of Jordan": This refers to the Jordan River during its annual flood season, typically in the spring, when melting snow from Mount Hermon caused it to overflow its banks. This transformed the usually calm river into a dangerous, impassable torrent. Furthermore, the thickets along the Jordan's banks were known lairs for wild animals, particularly lions, which would be driven out by the rising waters. Thus, "the swelling of Jordan" represented a time of extreme peril, chaos, and overwhelming, life-threatening danger, a stark contrast to a "land of peace."

Practical Application

Jeremiah 12:5 serves as a timeless reminder for believers today:

  • Don't Be Surprised by Increasing Trials: What feels like a major challenge today might be a "footman" compared to what God is preparing you for. View present difficulties as training grounds.
  • Build Spiritual Resilience Now: Just as an athlete trains for harder races, we are called to develop spiritual strength and endurance in our current circumstances. This involves deepening our faith, prayer life, and reliance on God's Word. Consider the call to run with endurance the race set before us.
  • God Equips for What He Calls: If God calls you to a challenging path, He will also provide the necessary strength and grace, even for the "swelling of Jordan." Our trust should be in His equipping, not just our own ability.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 1 Peter 4:12

    ¶ Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

  • Proverbs 24:10

    ¶ [If] thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength [is] small.

  • Hebrews 12:3

    For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

  • Hebrews 12:4

    ¶ Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

  • Jeremiah 50:44

    Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who [is] a chosen [man, that] I may appoint over her? for who [is] like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who [is] that shepherd that will stand before me?

  • Jeremiah 49:19

    Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan against the habitation of the strong: but I will suddenly make him run away from her: and who [is] a chosen [man, that] I may appoint over her? for who [is] like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who [is] that shepherd that will stand before me?

  • Psalms 69:1

    ¶ To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, [A Psalm] of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto [my] soul.

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