Jeremiah 17:16 (KJV)

Passage

As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

Nearby Context

Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

Jeremiah 17:15 Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.

Jeremiah 17:16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.

Jeremiah 17:17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.

Jeremiah 17:18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hastened", "pastor", "follow", "thee", "neither", "desired", "woeful", and "thou". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hastened" and "pastor", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Behold they say unto me Where is..." into verse 17's "Be not a terror unto me thou...", so "hastened" and "pastor" 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 "hastened" and "pastor" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.