Jeremiah 1:18 (ASV)

Passage

For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 1:16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

Jeremiah 1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them.

Jeremiah 1:18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

Jeremiah 1:19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "thee", "fortified", "city", "iron", "pillar", "brazen", and "walls". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "thee", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Thou therefore gird up thy loins and..." into verse 19's "And they shall fight against thee but...", so "behold" and "thee" belong inside that flow. In Jeremiah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "behold" and "thee" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.