Jeremiah 1:8 (ASV)

Passage

Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child.

Jeremiah 1:7 But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak.

Jeremiah 1:8 Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah.

Jeremiah 1:9 Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth:

Jeremiah 1:10 see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "afraid", "thee", "deliver", "saith", and "jehovah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "afraid" and "thee", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "But Jehovah said unto me Say not..." into verse 9's "Then Jehovah put forth his hand and...", so "afraid" 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 "afraid" and "thee" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.