Jeremiah 18:12

And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

And they said {H559}, There is no hope {H2976}: but we will walk {H3212} after {H310} our own devices {H4284}, and we will every one {H376} do {H6213} the imagination {H8307} of his evil {H7451} heart {H3820}.

"But they will answer, 'It's hopeless! We will stick to our own plans; each of us will stubbornly follow his own evil desires!'

But they will reply, ‘It is hopeless. We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”

But they say, It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.

The prophet Jeremiah, often called the "weeping prophet," delivered God's messages to the kingdom of Judah during a period of spiritual decline and impending judgment. In Jeremiah chapter 18, God illustrates His sovereign power over nations using the vivid imagery of a potter working with clay (Jeremiah 18:6). God explains that just as a potter can reshape or discard clay, He has the power to build up or tear down nations based on their obedience or rebellion. He offers Judah a clear path to avert disaster: repentance and turning from their evil ways (Jeremiah 18:11). Jeremiah 18:12 is the people's chilling and defiant response to this divine plea, rejecting God's mercy and declaring their firm resolve to continue in sin.

Key Themes

  • Defiant Rebellion: The verse starkly reveals Judah's hardened heart and outright refusal to obey God. Despite the clear warning and offer of grace, they choose to persist in their sinful "devices" and "imagination." This illustrates the danger of prolonged spiritual stubbornness and human rebellion against divine will.
  • Fatalism and Despair: "There is no hope" reflects a deep-seated hopelessness, not necessarily about their current situation, but about the possibility of change or God's willingness to forgive. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy born of their unwillingness to humble themselves before God. This despair becomes an excuse for continued sin and unrepentance.
  • The Corrupt Heart: The phrase "imagination of his evil heart" points to the internal source of their rebellion. It's not merely external actions but the deeply rooted sinful desires and intentions within the human heart that drive their disobedience. This echoes the biblical understanding of the deceitfulness and wickedness of the heart.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew phrase translated "There is no hope" is lo' ya'ash (לא יאש), conveying a sense of utter despair or giving up on any possibility of positive change. It reflects a mindset that has resigned itself to a path of destruction. The term "devices" comes from mo'etzot (מועצות), referring to plans or counsels, indicating their deliberate and calculated choice to follow their own wicked strategies. The phrase "imagination of his evil heart" is sheriruth libo hara' (שררות לבו הרע). Sheriruth denotes stubbornness, hardness, or the obstinacy of the will, emphasizing that their actions stem from a deeply entrenched and unyielding evil purpose within their heart.

Practical Application

Jeremiah 18:12 serves as a powerful warning against spiritual apathy and the dangerous consequences of hardening one's heart against God's loving call to repentance. When we believe "there is no hope" or choose to follow our own desires over divine guidance, we risk walking a path of self-destruction. This verse reminds us that God always offers grace and a way back, but it requires humility and a willingness to turn from our own "evil imagination." It challenges believers to continually examine their hearts and respond to God's Word with obedience, recognizing that true hope is found only in Him, not in our own misguided plans or despair. The call to repent and turn to God remains timeless and essential for spiritual well-being.

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.

  • Jeremiah 2:25

    Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

  • Deuteronomy 29:19

    And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:

  • Isaiah 57:10

    Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; [yet] saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

  • Jeremiah 7:24

    But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels [and] in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

  • Jeremiah 16:12

    And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:

  • Luke 1:51

    He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

  • Mark 7:21

    For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

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