Jeremiah 10:23
“O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Spoken amid Jeremiah's prayer as judgment looms over Judah, this verse turns from the futility of idols to humble trust in God's direction of human life.
What Does Jeremiah 10:23 Mean?
Jeremiah confesses that a person cannot, on his own, direct the course of his life. The verse is a prayer of humble realism. "The way of man is not in himself" admits that we do not possess within ourselves the full power to steer our path to a good end. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" repeats the thought: even as we actively walk, choosing and moving, the ultimate direction of our journey is not finally ours to command. Jeremiah speaks this not as despair but as worship, addressed "O LORD."
This is a confession of dependence, not a denial of human choice. People truly walk; they make real decisions and bear responsibility for them. Yet the wisdom here is recognizing that we need God to guide the larger arc that our limited sight cannot govern. Spoken on the eve of national catastrophe, the verse is a steadying truth: when plans collapse and the road bends in ways we never chose, our security is not in our own mastery but in the God who can direct our steps. It invites a daily surrender of our planning to His guidance.
In the Original Language
The word "way" is derek, one's road or course of life. "Direct" is kun, to establish, make firm, or set right -- acknowledging that securing the path belongs to God.
Cross References
“A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”
- Proverbs 16:9
“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
- Proverbs 3:6
“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:”
- James 4:13
Application
Hold your plans humbly and ask God to establish your steps, trusting His guidance over the parts of the journey your own sight cannot govern.