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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

Jeremiah 1:6

And I said: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God: behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Doubting;   Excuses;   Humility;   Jeremiah;   Prophets;   Scofield Reference Index - Inspiration;   Thompson Chain Reference - Excuses;   Humble;   Leaders;   Religious;   Self-Justification-Self-Condemnation;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Humility;   Simplicity;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Prophecy, prophet;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Prophet, Prophetess, Prophecy;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - All-Sufficiency of God;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ah!;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jonah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jeremiah;   Mission(s);   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Isaiah;   Isaiah, Book of;   Solomon;   Vision;   Zephaniah (1);   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Prophet;   Transfiguration (2);   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jeremiah;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Child;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ah;   Jeremiah (2);   Prophecy;   Self-Surrender;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Agriculture;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for December 4;   Faith's Checkbook - Devotion for March 13;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But I protested, “Oh no, Lord God! Look, I don’t know how to speak since I am only a youth.”
Hebrew Names Version
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I don't know how to speak; for I am a child.
King James Version
Then said I, Ah, Lord God ! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
English Standard Version
Then I said, "Ah, Lord God ! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth."
New American Standard Bible
Then I said, "Oh, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth."
New Century Version
Then I said, "But Lord God , I don't know how to speak. I am only a boy."
Amplified Bible
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, For I am [only] a young man."
World English Bible
Then said I, Ah, Lord Yahweh! behold, I don't know how to speak; for I am a child.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said I, Oh, Lord God, behold, I can not speake, for I am a childe.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then I said, "Alas, Lord Yahweh!Behold, I do not know how to speakBecause I am a youth."
Berean Standard Bible
"Ah, Lord GOD," I said, "I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!"
Contemporary English Version
I replied, "I'm not a good speaker, Lord , and I'm too young."
Complete Jewish Bible
I said, "Oh, Adonai Elohim , I don't even know how to speak! I'm just a child!"
Darby Translation
And I said, Alas, Lord Jehovah! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then I said, "But, Lord God , I don't know how to speak. I am only a boy."
George Lamsa Translation
Then I said, I beseech thee, O LORD God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am but a child.
Good News Translation
I answered, "Sovereign Lord , I don't know how to speak; I am too young."
Lexham English Bible
Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth."
Literal Translation
Then I said, Ah, Lord Jehovah! Behold, I do not know how to speak for I am a boy.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The sayde I: Oh LORDE God, I am vnmete, for I am yet but yonge.
American Standard Version
Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child.
Bible in Basic English
Then said I, O Lord God! see, I have no power of words, for I am a child.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said I: 'Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child.'
King James Version (1611)
Then said I, Ah Lord God, behold, I cannot speake, for I am a childe.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde I: O Lorde God, I can not speake, for I am yet but young.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I said, O Lord, thou that art supreme Lord, behold, I know not how to speak, for I am a child.
English Revised Version
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y seide, A! A! A! Lord God, lo! Y kan not speke, for Y am a child.
Update Bible Version
Then I said, Ah, Lord Yahweh! look, I don't know how to speak; for I am a child.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I [am] a child.
New English Translation
I answered, "Oh, Lord God , I really do not know how to speak well enough for that, for I am too young."
New King James Version
Then said I: "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth."
New Living Translation
"O Sovereign Lord ," I said, "I can't speak for you! I'm too young!"
New Life Bible
Then I said, "O, Lord God! I do not know how to speak. I am only a boy."
New Revised Standard
Then I said, "Ah, Lord God ! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said I - Ah! My Lord Yahweh! Lo! I know not how to speak, - For a child, am I!
Revised Standard Version
Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth."
Young's Literal Translation
And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known -- to speak, for I [am] a youth.'
THE MESSAGE
But I said, "Hold it, Master God ! Look at me. I don't know anything. I'm only a boy!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I said, "Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth."

Contextual Overview

4 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations. 6 And I said: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God: behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. 7 And the Lord said to me: Say not: I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee: and whatsoever I shall command thee, thou shalt speak. 8 Be not afraid at their presence: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. 9 And the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me: Behold I have given my words in thy mouth: 10 Lo, I have set thee this day over the nations, and over kingdoms, to root up, and to pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Lord: Jeremiah 4:10, Jeremiah 14:13, Jeremiah 32:17

I cannot: Exodus 4:1, Exodus 4:10-16, Exodus 6:12, Exodus 6:30, Isaiah 6:5

for I am: 1 Kings 3:7-9

Reciprocal: Exodus 3:11 - General Exodus 4:11 - General Exodus 4:13 - send Numbers 11:26 - went not out Judges 6:15 - wherewith 1 Samuel 3:15 - feared 1 Samuel 18:18 - Who am I 1 Kings 3:9 - who is able 1 Chronicles 29:1 - young Proverbs 25:6 - in the presence Jeremiah 20:7 - deceived Ezekiel 4:14 - Ah Zechariah 2:4 - young Mark 13:11 - take 1 Corinthians 2:1 - with 2 Corinthians 3:5 - but 2 Corinthians 10:10 - and his 2 Corinthians 12:9 - My grace James 1:5 - any

Cross-References

Genesis 1:5
And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day.
Genesis 1:6
And God said: Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters: and let it divide the waters from the waters.
Genesis 1:7
And god made a firmament, and divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament, and it was so.
Genesis 1:8
And God called the firmament, Heaven; and the evening and morning were the second day.
Genesis 1:11
And he said: let the earth bring forth green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have seed in itself upon the earth. And it was so done.
Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth the green herb, and such as yieldeth seed according to its kind, and the tree that beareth fruit, having seed each one according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:13
And the evening and the morning were the third day.
Genesis 1:14
And God said: Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years:
Genesis 1:20
God also said: let the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven.
Genesis 1:22
And he blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea: and let the birds be multiplied upon the earth.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said I, Ah, Lord God!.... The word אהה, "Ah", or "Ahah", is used in distress and grief, as Kimchi observes; and is expressive of mourning and complaint, as Jarchi notes; and shows that the prophet was troubled and uneasy at his call, and would gladly have been excused on the following account:

behold, I cannot speak; or, "I know not how to speak" r; properly and pertinently, politely and eloquently, especially before great personages, kings and princes, and the citizens of Jerusalem, being brought up in a rustic manner in the country. A like excuse Moses made, Exodus 4:10. The Targum is, "I know not to prophesy: for I am a child"; meaning either in knowledge and understanding, or in years; not a mere child, but a "junior", as the Septuagint version renders the word; or a "young man", as the Arabic version; so Samuel and Zechariah were young men, when they first ministered in their office, 1 Samuel 3:1. Abarbinel supposes that Jeremiah was now twelve or fifteen years of age; but it should seem rather that he was more, perhaps twenty years of age; since he seems to have prophesied to the men of Anathoth before he was sent to Jerusalem, Jeremiah 11:21.

r לא ידעתי דבר "uescio loqui", V. L. Munster, Vatablus, Junius Tremellius "non novi loqui", Pagninus, Montanus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There is no resistance on Jeremiah’s part, but he shrinks back alarmed.

I cannot speak - i. e., “I cannot prophesy,” I have not those powers of oratory necessary for success. The prophets of Israel were the national preachers in religious matters, and their orators in political.

I am a child - This implies nothing very definite about Jeremiah’s age. Still the long duration of his prophetic mission makes it probable that he was very young when called to the office, as also were Isaiah, Hosea, Zechariah, and others.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Jeremiah 1:6. I cannot speak — Being very young, and wholly inexperienced, I am utterly incapable of conceiving aright, or of clothing these Divine subjects in suitable language. Those who are really called of God to the sacred ministry are such as have been brought to a deep acquaintance with themselves, feel their own ignorance, and know their own weakness. They know also the awful responsibility that attaches to the work; and nothing but the authority of God can induce such to undertake it. They whom God never called run, because of worldly honour and emolument: the others hear the call with fear and trembling, and can go only in the strength of Jehovah.

"How ready is the man to go,

Whom God hath never sent!

How timorous, diffident, and slow,

God's chosen instrument!"


 
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