Jeremiah 33:3
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
God speaks this to Jeremiah while he is shut up in the court of the prison during the siege of Jerusalem, before unveiling promises of healing and restoration.
What Does Jeremiah 33:3 Mean?
God invites His people to call on Him, promising to answer and reveal great things they do not yet know. The verse is an open invitation followed by two promises. "Call unto me" is the simple condition -- an act of turning to God in prayer. "I will answer thee" is the first promise, that God will not leave the call unmet. "Shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not" is the second, that God will disclose things beyond the caller's present understanding. The word "great and mighty" suggests matters that are vast, hidden, and inaccessible apart from God's revealing.
Spoken to Jeremiah while he was confined during the siege, this promise shines against a dark backdrop. With the city collapsing, God invites His prophet to seek Him and learn of a future he could not foresee -- promises of healing, return, and restoration that follow in the chapter. The verse teaches that prayer is not only request but the doorway to deeper knowledge of God's purposes. For the reader, it is a standing invitation: bring your questions and needs to God, who answers and who opens up understanding that no amount of human reasoning could reach on its own.
In the Original Language
"Call" is qara, to call out or cry. "Great and mighty things" pairs gedolah (great) with batsar, things fenced off or inaccessible -- hidden matters one cannot reach without God's disclosure.
Cross References
“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”
- Psalms 91:15
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”
- James 1:5
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
- 1 Corinthians 2:9
Application
Make a habit of calling on God with your questions and needs, expecting Him to answer and to open up understanding that human reasoning alone cannot reach.