Jeremiah 18:12 · Bible study
Jeremiah 18:12 Commentary: 'It is in vain'
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does 'It is in vain' mean in Jeremiah 18:12? Explore the people's defiant refusal to repent, the meaning of נוֹאָשׁ, and the nature of hardened rebellion.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The people defiantly reject God's call to repentance, declaring it hopeless and resolving to persist in their own sinful plans.
- Key words: נוֹאָשׁ (no'ash), “despairing, hopeless”; שְׁרִירוּת (sherirut), “stubbornness, hardness” of heart.
- Main debate: Whether “no hope” expresses despair or defiant refusal, most commentators see it as hardened resolve rather than passive hopelessness.
- Theological theme: The nature of human rebellion: a willful, self-aware rejection of God's grace in favor of autonomy.
- Best use: As a warning against a hardened heart that refuses to repent, and as a mirror for examining one's own response to God's call.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But they will reply, ‘It is hopeless. We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”
WEB World English Bible 2000
But they say, ‘It is in vain; for we will walk after our own plans, and we will each follow the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But they say, It is in vain; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And they have said, It is incurable, For after our own devices we do go, And each the stubbornness of his evil heart we do.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But they say, There is no hope; for we will walk after our own devices, and we will each one do [according to] the stubbornness of his evil heart.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they said; We have no hopes: for we will go after our own thoughts, and we will do every one according to the perverseness of his evil heart.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y dijeron: Es por demás: porque en pos de nuestras imaginaciones hemos de ir, y hemos de hacer cada uno el pensamiento de su malvado corazón.
Porém dizem: Não há esperança; porque seguiremos nossas próprias intenções, e faremos cada um o pensamento de seu maligno coração.
Mais ils disent: C’ est en vain!
Aber sie sprachen: Daraus wird nichts; wir wollen nach unsern Gedanken wandeln und ein jeglicher tun nach Gedünken seines bösen Herzens.
Doch zij zeggen: Het is buiten hoop; maar wij zullen naar onze gedachten wandelen, en wij zullen doen, een iegelijk het goeddunken van zijn boos hart.
Ma costoro dicono: “E’ inutile; noi vogliamo camminare seguendo i nostri propri pensieri, e vogliamo agire ciascuno seguendo la caparbietà del nostro cuore malvagio”.
Ale oni rzekli: Nic z tego; bo za myślami naszemi pójdziemy, a każdy upór serca swojego złego czynić będziemy.
Но они говорят: "не надейся; мы будем жить по своим помыслам и будем поступать каждый по упорству злого своего сердца".
「他們卻說：『這是枉然。 我們要照 自己的計謀 去行。』各人 隨自己頑梗 的惡 心 做事。」
But they will say, There is no hope: we will go on in our designs, and every one of us will do what he is moved by the pride of his evil heart to do.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 18:12
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the broad meaning of this verse: the people of Judah defiantly reject God's call to repentance. The declaration “It is in vain” (or “There is no hope”) is not an admission of despair but a hardened refusal to change. Barnes' Notes stresses the present tense, “But they say”, indicating an ongoing, active rejection. Calvin explains that they “proudly despised” God's threatenings and explicitly refused to return to him, even though a “hope of pardon remained.” Gill adds that they were so “hardened in their sins” that they were “determined to go on in them,” regardless of consequences. Keil & Delitzsch likewise see the reply as “resolved to abide by their evil courses.” The Hebrew word נוֹאָשׁ (no'ash) conveys hopelessness, but here it is the hopelessness of the prophet's labor, not of God's grace. The people shut the door themselves. Their stubbornness (שְׁרִירוּת) echoes earlier warnings (Jer 3:17; 7:24) and reveals a heart fixed on its own devices.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Defiant refusal (majority view): Commentators like Calvin, Gill, Keil read the declaration as a hardened rejection, not passive despair, based on the context of God's call and the word נוֹאָשׁ.
- Fatalistic despair (minority view): Some read 'It is in vain' as a cry of hopelessness, still perhaps open to correction (cf. Cambridge Bible: 'too late to turn back').
- Prophetic sureness of judgment: The verse records what the people will say (future sense: 'But they will reply' BSB)—a prediction that underscores their confirmed rebellion.
What is clear: The people plainly reject God's call to repentance and declare their intention to continue in their sinful ways.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of 'no hope' (נוֹאָשׁ) | All agree the people are rejecting God's call, they refuse to return to him. | Some (e.g., Gill) emphasize it as a defiant statement that the prophet's labor is in vain; others (e.g., Cambridge Bible) read it as 'too late to turn back', implying a fatalism. The difference is whether the focus is on the prophet's efforts or the people's own despair. |
| Role of human will vs divine sovereignty | The people are responsible for their rebellion; they choose to walk after their own plans. | Reformed commentators (Calvin) stress that this hardheartedness is part of God's judicial hardening; others (Matthew Henry) focus on the human freedom to reject grace. The tension between God's sovereign 'framing evil' and human culpability remains. |
| Ongoing possibility of repentance | The verse records a refusal in a specific moment; God's subsequent judgment in v13ff shows the seriousness. | Some argue that the people's words close the door permanently (Keil: 'resolved to abide by their evil courses'); others point out that God's call to repent in v.11 was genuine and the offer remained open until judgment fell. There is debate on whether this verse depicts a point of no return or a warning that can still be heeded. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The chapter opens with the well-known potter-and-clay parable (Jer 18:1, 10), illustrating God's sovereign freedom to shape nations according to their response. In verse 11, God explicitly applies the lesson: “Behold, I frame evil against you”, the verb yotser (I form) deliberately echoes the potter's work. The call to “return now every one from his evil way” is urgent, offered while ruin is still being shaped on the wheel.
Jeremiah 18:12 records the people's answer. The verse stands as a hinge between God's offer and his subsequent pronouncement of judgment (v13ff). The phrase “It is in vain” (נוֹאָשׁ, no'ash) repeats the same term from Jeremiah 2:25, where Israel said the same thing while chasing foreign lovers. The word carries the sense of “incurable” or “hopeless”, not that God's mercy runs out, but that the people insist the situation is beyond fixing, so they might as well continue in sin.
Culturally, this is a people steeped in covenant rebellion. The “stubbornness of the evil heart” (שְׁרִירוּת לֵב) is a recurring diagnosis in Jeremiah (3:17; 7:24; 9:14; 11:8; 13:10; 16:12; 23:17) and reaches back to Deuteronomy 29:19, where a man blesses himself while walking in that stubbornness. The people's words, “we will walk after our own plans”, directly counter God's command to walk in his ways. They exchange the ancient paths (v15) for their own devices. It is not merely a slip; it is a deliberate, corporate rejection of Yahweh's authority over their lives.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 18:12. The Hebrew text is consistent across the major manuscripts, and the ancient versions (LXX, Targum) reflect the same reading. Variations in English translations (e.g., 'no hope' vs 'it is in vain') stem from the semantic range of the verb נוֹאָשׁ rather than from differences in the source text.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Jeremiah 18:12 has been used as a striking example of human self-condemnation. The Reformers, particularly Calvin and Luther, cited it to illustrate the bondage of the will, fallen humanity's natural antipathy toward grace. Puritan writers like Matthew Henry drew from it pastoral warnings against a seared conscience: the people talk themselves into hopelessness rather than into repentance. In more recent evangelical preaching, the verse is often employed to challenge the assumption that sinning long enough makes change impossible, the 'no hope' is self-imposed. Among traditions emphasizing human free will, the verse shows the tragic possibility of rejecting God's clear call. Across these readings, the constant is a somber recognition: the human heart can become so fixed on its own way that it resists even the offer of mercy.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Rejection of Grace: The people say “It is in vain” to God's offer of repentance. They treat his mercy as worthless.
- The Declaration of Autonomy: “We will walk after our own plans”, a direct assertion of independence from God's will.
- The Hardness of the Heart: Stubbornness (שְׁרִירוּת) describes a heart set in its ways, unmoved by God's warnings or promises.
Five-point outline
- God's Initiative (v.11): God frames evil against Judah but still calls them to return. The door is open.
- The People's Refusal (v.12a): “No hope”, they reject the premise that change is possible or desirable.
- The Root of Rebellion (v.12b): “Our own plans”, they replace God's word with their own designs.
- The Nature of Stubbornness (v.12c): The “stubbornness of the evil heart” is not ignorance but willful persistence in sin.
- The Divine Reversal (v.13ff): Such rebellion is unprecedented even among the nations, and God responds with judgment.
Illustration hooks
- A person diagnosed with a treatable illness who insists “it's too late” and refuses help, the refusal masquerades as realism.
- A coworker who says “I know my choices are bad, but I'm going to do what I want anyway”, an honest declaration of rebellion.
- A church member who stops listening to preaching, claiming “I've heard it all before”, a quiet version of “it is in vain.”
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Is it possible for someone to be truly beyond God's grace? Does this verse teach that?”
- “How can I recognize a hardened heart in myself before it becomes chronic?”
- “What does it mean to walk after my own plans? How do I do that without realizing it?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts us with a stark picture of human rebellion. Judah had heard God's call to repent; they answered with a flat refusal. But perhaps we are more like them than we imagine. As you discuss, resist the easy judgment of Israel, let the text search your own heart.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 18:11-12 together. What does God offer to Judah, and how do they respond?
- What does the phrase “It is in vain” convey about the people's mindset? Is it despair, defiance, or something else?
- How does the word “stubbornness” (שְׁרִירוּת) describe the condition of the heart? Look at Deuteronomy 29:19 and Jeremiah 3:17 for help.
- What does it mean to “walk after our own plans”? In what ways do we do the same today?
- Why does God call their rebellion a “very horrible thing” (v.13)? What makes it so shocking compared to other nations?
- How does the warning of the stubborn heart in Deuteronomy 29:19 apply to us today?
- What step can you take this week to turn from your own plans and walk in God's way instead?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 6:5 | Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil. |
| Genesis 8:21 | Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. I will never again strike every living thing, as I have done. |
| Deuteronomy 29:19 | and it happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, “I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart,” to destroy the moist with the dry. |
| II Kings 6:33 | While he was still talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. Then he said, “Behold, this evil is from Yahweh. Why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?” |
| Isaiah 57:10 | You were wearied with the length of your ways; yet you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your strength; therefore you weren’t faint. |
| Jeremiah 2:25 | “Keep your feet from being bare, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is in vain. No, for I have loved strangers, and I will go after them.’ |
| Jeremiah 3:17 | At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘Yahweh’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Yahweh’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart. |
| Jeremiah 7:24 | But they didn’t listen or turn their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes suggests that the phrase often rendered "and they said" is more accurately translated "but they say," and the word for "imagination" should be understood as "stubbornness." He points to the same usage in Jeremiah 3:17 to support this reading.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin draws attention to how the Jews' pride aggravated their sin: they declared their situation hopeless, yet in the same breath sought safety through foreign alliances and superstitions rather than turning back to God. They refused the repentance that alone could have secured pardon.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools notes that the phrase "no hope" here means it is now too late to turn back. They link this directly to stubbornness, implying that the people's hardened refusal has closed off any possibility of returning.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the people's brazen defiance: they openly declare their intention to follow their own stubborn, wicked hearts. The comment emphasizes that this is not weakness but a desperate, willful rebellion against God's warning, spoken with a determined "surely" that shows their hardened resolve.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that the people's declaration of no hope was not a denial of God's mercy but a stubborn resolve to persist in sin regardless. He clarifies that these are not their exact spoken words but the language of their hearts and actions, framed by the prophet to expose their hardened intent.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB argues that the people's words are not hypocritical excuses but an honest confession of their true condition. They openly admit they are hopelessly given over to sin and determined to follow their own path, acknowledging that no warning can reach them. This stark honesty reveals the depth of their rebellion.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the snow of Lebanon and its trickling streams never fail, a fact of nature that underscores how unnatural Israel's rebellion is. The people have forgotten God, while even the most remote natural sources remain constant. This contrast highlights their willful obstinacy.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees God's judgment against Judah as deliberate and purposeful, like a potter shaping a vessel to a specific end. Their sin has earned ruin, and God is actively working toward that ruin, so they cannot miss both the justice and the design in what is coming.