TRV
Translation
King James Version
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
Complete Jewish Bible
"ADONAI, God! You made heaven and earth by your great power and outstretched arm; nothing is too hard for you.
Berean Standard Bible
“Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
American Standard Version
Ah Lord Jehovah! behold, thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thine outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for thee,
World English Bible Messianic
Ah Lord GOD! Behold, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for you,
Geneva Bible (1599)
Ah Lord God, beholde, thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great power, and by thy stretched out arme, and there is nothing hard vnto thee.
Young's Literal Translation
`Ah, Lord Jehovah, lo, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power, and by Thy stretched-out arm; there is nothing too wonderful for Thee:
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Commentary on Jeremiah 32 verses 16–25
16 ¶ Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying,
17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
18 Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name,
19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:
20 Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day;
21 And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;
22 And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;
23 And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:
24 Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.
25 And thou hast said unto me, O Lord GOD, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.
We have here Jeremiah's prayer to God upon occasion of the discoveries God had made to him of his purposes concerning this nation, to pull it down, and in process of time to build it up again, which puzzled the prophet himself, who, though he delivered his messages faithfully, yet, in reflecting upon them, was greatly at a loss within himself how to reconcile them; in that perplexity he poured out his soul before God in prayer, and so gave himself ease. That which disturbed him was not the bad bargain he seemed to have made for himself in purchasing a field that he was likely to have no good of, but the case of his people, for whom he was still a kind and faithful intercessor, and he was willing to hope that, if God had so much mercy in store for them hereafter as he had promised, he would not proceed with so much severity against them now as he had threatened. Before Jeremiah went to prayer he delivered the deeds that concerned his new purchase to Baruch, which may intimate to us that when we are going to worship God we should get our minds as clear as may be from the cares and incumbrances of this world. Jeremiah was in prison, in distress, in the dark about the meaning of God's providences, and then he prays. Note, Prayer is a salve for every sore. Whatever is a burden to us, we may by prayer cast it upon the Lord and then be easy.
In this prayer, or meditation,
I. Jeremiah adores God and his infinite perfections, and gives him the glory due to his name as the Creator, upholder, and benefactor, of the whole creation, thereby owning his irresistible power, that he can do what he will, and his incontestable sovereignty, that he may do what he will, Jer 32:17-19. Note, When at any time we are perplexed about the particular methods and dispensations of Providence it is good for us to have recourse to our first principles, and to satisfy ourselves with the general doctrines of God's wisdom, power, and goodness. Let us consider, as Jeremiah does here, 1. That God is the fountain of all being, power, life, motion, and perfection: He made the heaven and the earth with his outstretched arm; and therefore who can control him? Who dares contend with him? 2. That with him nothing is impossible, no difficulty insuperable: Nothing is too hard for thee. When human skill and power are quite nonplussed, with God are strength and wisdom sufficient to master all the opposition. 3. That he is a God of boundless bottomless mercy; mercy is his darling attribute; it is his goodness that is his glory: "Thou not only art kind, but thou showest lovingkindness, not to a few, to here and there one, but to thousands, thousands of persons, thousands of generations." 4. That he is a God of impartial and inflexible justice. His reprieves are not pardons, but if in mercy he spares the parents, that they may be led to repentance, yet such a hatred has he to sin, and such a displeasure against sinners, that he recompenses their iniquity into the bosom of their children, and yet does them no wrong; so hateful is the unrighteousness of man, and so jealous of its own honour is the righteousness of God. 5. That he is a God of universal dominion and command: He is the great God, for he is the mighty God, and might among men makes them great. He is the Lord of hosts, of all hosts, that is his name, and he answers to his name, for all the hosts of heaven and earth, of men and angels, are at his beck. 6. That he contrives every thing for the best, and effects every thing as he contrived it: He is great in counsel, so vast are the reaches and so deep are the designs of his wisdom; and he is mighty in doing, according to the counsel of his will. Now such a God as this is not to be quarrelled with. His service is to be constantly adhered to and all his disposals cheerfully acquiesced in.
II. He acknowledges the universal cognizance God takes of all the actions of the children of men and the unerring judgment he passes upon them (Jer 32:19): Thy eyes are open upon all the sons of men, wherever they are, beholding the evil and the good, and upon all their ways, both the course they take and every step they take, not as an unconcerned spectator, but as an observing judge, to give every one according to his ways and according to his deserts, which are the fruit of his doings; for men shall find God as they are found of him.
III. He recounts the great things God had done for his people Israel formerly. 1. He brought them out of Egypt, that house of bondage, with signs and wonders, which remain, if not in the marks of them, yet in the memorials of them, even unto this day; for it would never be forgotten, not only in Israel, who were reminded of it every year by the ordinance of the passover, but among other men: all the neighbouring nations spoke of it, as that which redounded exceedingly to the glory of the God of Israel, and made him a name as at this day. This is repeated (Jer 32:21), that God brought them forth, not only with comforts and joys to them, but with glory to himself, with signs and wonders (witness the ten plagues), with a strong hand, too strong for the Egyptians themselves, and with a stretched-out arm, that reached Pharaoh, proud as he was, and with great terror to them and all about them. This seems to refer to Deu 4:34. 2. He brought them into Canaan, that good land, that land flowing with milk and honey. He swore to their fathers to give it them, and, because he would perform his oath, he did give it to the children (Jer 32:22) and they came in and possessed it. Jeremiah mentions this both as an aggravation of their sin and disobedience and also as a plea with God to work deliverance for them. Note, It is good for us often to reflect upon the great things that God did for his church formerly, especially in the first erecting of it, that work of wonder.
IV. He bewails the rebellions they had been guilty of against God, and the judgments God had brought upon them for these rebellions. It is a sad account he here gives of the ungrateful conduct of that people towards God. He had done every thing that he had promised to do (they had acknowledged it, Kg1 8:56), but they had done nothing of all that he commanded them to do (Jer 32:23); they made no conscience of any of his laws; they walked not in them, paid no respect to any of his calls by his prophets, for they obeyed not his voice. And therefore he owns that God was righteous in causing all this evil to come upon them. The city is besieged, is attacked by the sword without, is weakened and wasted by the famine and pestilence within, so that it is ready to fall into the hands of the Chaldeans that fight against it (Jer 32:24); it is given into their hands, Jer 32:25. Now, 1. He compares the present state of Jerusalem with the divine predictions, and finds that what God has spoken has come to pass. God had given them fair warning of it before; and, if they had regarded this, the ruin would have been prevented; but, if they will not do what God has commanded, they can expect no other than that he should do what he had threatened. 2. He commits the present state of Jerusalem to the divine consideration and compassion (Jer 32:24): Behold the mounts, or ramparts, or the engines which they make use of to batter the city and beat down the wall of it. And again, "Behold thou seest it, and takest cognizance of it. Is this the city that thou has chosen to put thy name there? And shall it be thus abandoned?" He neither complains of God for what he had done nor prescribes to God what he should do, but desires he would behold their case, and is pleased to think that he does behold it. Whatever trouble we are in, upon a personal or public account, we may comfort ourselves with this, that God sees it and sees how to remedy it.
V. He seems desirous to be let further into the meaning of the order God had now given him to purchase his kinsman's field (Jer 32:25): "Though the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and no man is likely to enjoy what he has, yet thou hast said unto me, Buy thou the field." As soon as he understood that it was the mind of God he did it, and made no objections, was not disobedient to the heavenly vision; but, when he had done it, he desired better to understand why God had ordered him to do it, because the thing looked strange and unaccountable. Note, Though we are bound to follow God with an implicit obedience, yet we should endeavour that it may be more and more an intelligent obedience. We must never dispute God's statutes and judgments, but we may and must enquire, What mean these statutes and judgments? Deu 6:20.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 16–25. Public domain.
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TertullianAD 220
AGAINST PRAXEAS 10
Of course nothing is “too hard for the Lord.” But if we choose to apply this principle so extravagantly and harshly in our capricious imaginations, we may then make out God to have done anything we please, on the ground that it was not impossible for him to do it. We must not suppose, however, because he is able to do all things, that he has done what he has not done. But we must inquire whether he has really done it. God could, if he had liked, have furnished humankind with wings to fly with, just as he gave wings to kites. We must not, however, run to the conclusion that he did this because he was able to do it. He might also have extinguished Praxeas and all other heretics at once; it does not follow, however, that he did, simply because he was able. For it was necessary that there should be both kites and heretics; it was necessary also that the Father should be crucified. In one sense there will be something difficult even for God—namely, that which he has not done—not because he could not but because he would not do it. For with God, to be willing is to be able and to be unwilling is to be unable; all that he has willed, however, he has both been able to accomplish and has displayed his ability.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jeremiah
(Verse 16 and following) And I prayed to the Lord after I had delivered the book of possession to Baruch the son of Neriah, saying: Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God (or who you are, O Lord God). Behold, you have made the heaven and the earth with your great power, and with your outstretched (or exalted) arm nothing will be difficult (or impossible) for you (or according to the Septuagint, nothing is hidden from you). You show mercy to thousands and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O mighty, great, powerful (which is said in Hebrew) Gibbor (): The Lord of hosts (or of powers) is your name. Great in counsel and incomprehensible in thought. Whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of Adam (or humans), to render to each according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his inventions (Vulgate: his). After the celebration of the lawful purchase of the field, and after the sentence of the Lord, in which he promised houses, fields, and vineyards to be possessed henceforth, the Prophet prays to the Lord and expresses the anguish of his heart with groans, saying: Alas, alas, alas, Lord God: for which the Septuagint translated, ὁ ὢν, that is, who is, Lord God, according to what is said to Moses: Go, speak to the people of Israel: The One who is, has sent me to you (Exod. III, 14). Not that there are no others; but it is one thing for the Creator to exist by His own beneficence, another for Him to exist by the eternity of His nature. He praises the Lord and proclaims the Creator through His creatures. First, with his voice, he extols His power, mercy, and justice towards all of mankind; then he turns to Israel and describes in a famous discourse the great things He has done for them. And after so many blessings, he says that they, being forgetful of His goodness, provoked His mercy to bitterness, so that the city was besieged, and before the enemy broke in, it was consumed by famine, sword, and plague. But he first put forward all these things so that he could subsequently present what seemed to be a reproach to the divine judgment. And you say to me, Lord God, buy a field for silver, and have witnesses, when the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans? This portion of the text contains the entirety of this passage. Now let us return to each point individually. You made heaven and earth in your great power. And John says of the Son: All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made (John 1:3). For this is the strength of the Lord, as the Apostle confirms: Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor. I, 24). And in your outstretched or lofty arm, both of which are indications of striking. But what is this arm, of which Isaiah speaks: And the arm of the Lord, to whom it is revealed (Isa. LIII, 1)? No word will be difficult for you. For what is impossible for men is possible for God; to whom nothing is hidden (Mic. XIX), according to the saying of the Psalmist: For the darkness shall not obscure you, and the night shall be as bright as day (Psalm CXXXVIII, 12). You show mercy to thousands; and you repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. The great mercy of the Creator, to extend his mercy to a thousand generations, and to show justice immediately in the next generation, which, however, is also mixed with mercy. For he does not immediately punish the wrongdoer, but waits for repentance, so that if the children imitate the vices of their parents, punishment is delayed for a long time. Most powerful, great, mighty, Lord of hosts, or virtue, is your name. These names indicate the power of the Creator. However, properly speaking, the name of God is Father, which is revealed in the Gospel when the Lord says: Father, I have revealed your name to mankind (John 17:6). Great in counsel. And anyone who presumes to insert themselves secretly into the Lord's affairs and judge his judgments. And incomprehensible in thought. The mind that cannot comprehend him, how can speech comprehend him? Whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of Adam. Therefore, in vain does man think he can hide himself from God's knowledge. And this leads to the fact that in order to render to each according to their ways, and according to the fruit of their inventions, this indicates that sometimes, due to excessive patience, his judgments may seem unjust. This place the Apostle further explains to the Romans: Do you not know that the kindness of God is leading you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God (Rom. II, 4, 5). Therefore, the later the punishment of sinners, the more just it is: in the likeness of Pharaoh, who, after being warned by ten plagues, was not punished, and persisting in his hardness, was finally overwhelmed by the waves of the Red Sea (Exodus 14).
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jeremiah 32:17 is a profound declaration of Yahweh's omnipotence and creative sovereignty, uttered by the prophet Jeremiah from his prison cell during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. This verse serves as the powerful opening of Jeremiah's heartfelt prayer, affirming God's limitless power to create and to accomplish anything, even in the direst and seemingly impossible circumstances. It anchors the prophet's hope and frames his subsequent questions and petitions concerning God's paradoxical command to purchase land amidst impending national destruction, ultimately testifying to the unwavering sovereignty of the Creator over all creation and human affairs, and His capacity to fulfill His promises regardless of present realities.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Jeremiah 32:17 is rich in literary artistry. The opening "Ah Lord GOD!" is a powerful instance of Apostrophe, where Jeremiah directly addresses God with an impassioned plea and declaration, lending a personal and emotional intensity to the prayer. The phrase "stretched out arm" is a vivid Anthropomorphism, attributing a human physical characteristic (an arm) to God to convey His active, forceful, and effective intervention in the world. This makes God's power more relatable and tangible. This specific anthropomorphism also functions as a potent Metonymy or Synecdoche, where the "arm" stands for God's entire might, active presence, and irresistible will. The verse employs Hyperbole in its absolute declaration, "nothing too hard for thee," emphasizing the boundless and unconstrained nature of God's power. The structure itself moves from an exclamation of awe and personal address to a foundational truth (creation), and then to an ultimate theological conclusion (omnipotence), building a compelling and unassailable argument for God's unassailable capability and sovereignty.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jeremiah 32:17 serves as a foundational declaration of God's omnipotence, echoing throughout the biblical narrative as a bedrock truth for those facing impossible circumstances. It reminds us that the God who spoke the cosmos into existence with "great power and stretched out arm" is the same God who remains actively involved in human history, capable of fulfilling His promises against all odds. This verse is not merely an abstract theological statement but a profound act of faith, demonstrating that even when human reason fails to comprehend God's ways, His character as the all-powerful Creator provides an unshakeable anchor for hope and trust. It invites believers to ground their petitions and their hope in the absolute sovereignty of Yahweh, who can bring life from death, order from chaos, and restoration from ruin, ultimately affirming His faithfulness to His covenant people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jeremiah 32:17 offers a profound source of spiritual nourishment and practical guidance for believers navigating life's complexities and uncertainties. In moments of personal crisis, national turmoil, or seemingly insurmountable obstacles, this verse calls us to lift our gaze from the immediate circumstances to the eternal, omnipotent God. It challenges us to confront our limited perspectives with the boundless reality of His power, reminding us that the Creator of the heavens and the earth is not constrained by human logic, earthly limitations, or the direst of situations. Just as Jeremiah, imprisoned and facing the destruction of his homeland, chose to declare God's ultimate power before presenting his perplexity, we too are invited to ground our prayers and our hope in the unshakeable truth of God's sovereignty. This verse encourages us to cultivate a faith that believes in the impossible, trusting that God's purposes will prevail and His promises will be fulfilled, even when the path forward is shrouded in doubt and the odds seem stacked against us. It is a call to worshipful surrender and confident expectation in the face of the unknown.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of Jeremiah's declaration "Ah Lord GOD!"?
Answer: The opening exclamation, "Ah Lord GOD!" (Hebrew: ʼăhâhh Adonai Yᵉhôvih), is profoundly significant. The word "Ah" (ʼăhâhh) is an interjection expressing lament, pain, or earnest appeal, indicating Jeremiah's deep emotional state as he grapples with his dire circumstances and God's seemingly paradoxical command to purchase land. "Lord GOD" combines Adonai (my Lord, a title emphasizing reverence, ownership, and absolute authority) with Yᵉhôvih (a vocalization of the divine covenant name YHWH, often pronounced Elohim after Adonai to avoid repeating the same sound, out of reverence). This combination emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty, His covenant faithfulness, and His personal relationship with His people. Together, it signifies Jeremiah's profound reverence, submission, and perhaps even a cry of bewilderment and earnest petition to the all-powerful, covenant-keeping God, even as he struggles to understand God's plan amidst the chaos of the Babylonian siege. It sets a tone of honest, yet reverent, dialogue with the Almighty, acknowledging His supreme authority even in the midst of human confusion.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jeremiah 32:17, with its resounding declaration of God's limitless power, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "great power and stretched out arm" of God, which created the heavens and the earth and for whom "nothing is too hard," is perfectly embodied in Jesus. He is the one through whom all things were made, as affirmed in John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16, demonstrating the very creative power Jeremiah attributes to God. Moreover, the declaration "nothing too hard for thee" finds its most dramatic expression in Christ's resurrection from the dead, a feat utterly impossible by human standards, yet accomplished by God's mighty power, as described in Ephesians 1:19-20. Through Christ, God's "stretched out arm" is revealed not merely in physical deliverance, but in the spiritual deliverance from sin and death, offering new creation to those who believe, as articulated in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Thus, Jeremiah's cry of faith in God's omnipotence becomes a foundational truth for the Christian, assuring us that the God who raised Jesus from the grave can overcome any impossibility in our lives, bringing about His redemptive purposes and making all things new through the power of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the "power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24).