The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Parallel translations
- WEB Now Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
- KJV Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
- NKJV Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
- NASB Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
- NLT The Lord gave me this message:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The narrative shifts to Jeremiah's own account of his calling. God directly addressed him.
Overview
With this verse Jeremiah begins relating his personal commissioning in the first person. The phrase 'Yahweh's word came to me' marks the divine initiative behind true prophecy. God speaks; the prophet receives and relays, never inventing his message.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Ezek 3:16At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
- Ezek 1:3the word of the LORD came directly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Kebar. And there the LORD’s hand was upon him.
- Jer 1:2The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 1:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.