Jeremiah 1:7
“But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
This is God's reply to Jeremiah's objection that he is too young to speak, part of the prophet's initial commissioning at Anathoth.
What Does Jeremiah 1:7 Mean?
God overrides Jeremiah's excuse and tells him to go wherever sent and speak whatever commanded. Jeremiah had just protested, "I am a child," pleading his youth and inability to speak. God does not dispute the feeling; He redirects the focus. The two commands -- "thou shalt go" and "thou shalt speak" -- shift attention away from Jeremiah's limits toward God's sending and God's message. The prophet's task is not to generate authority but to carry it; the words belong to God, and so does the destination.
This is a pattern repeated whenever God calls the reluctant. The qualification for the work is obedience to the One who sends, not natural confidence. Notice that God promises content ("whatsoever I command thee") and direction ("all that I shall send thee"). Jeremiah is freed from inventing his own ministry and freed from choosing his own audience. For anyone who feels too young, too small, or too unprepared for what God asks, this verse turns the question from "Am I able?" to "Has God sent me?"
In the Original Language
The phrase "I am a child" uses na'ar, a youth or young servant. God's commands "thou shalt go" and "thou shalt speak" are emphatic imperatives that place the action under His authority, not Jeremiah's competence.
Cross References
“Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”
- Exodus 4:12
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers,”
- 1 Timothy 4:12
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
- Matthew 28:19
Application
When God's call exposes your inexperience, stop rehearsing your inadequacy and start asking only whether He has truly sent you; the message and the courage are His to supply.