Jeremiah 32:17
“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
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Jeremiah prays this after buying a field at God's command, even as Jerusalem was besieged, grounding his trust in restoration on the Creator's unlimited power.
What Does Jeremiah 32:17 Mean?
Jeremiah prays that the God who made heaven and earth can do anything, for nothing is too hard for Him. The prayer opens with "Ah Lord GOD!" -- an exclamation of awe. Jeremiah grounds his confidence in creation itself: the God who brought heaven and earth into being by His "great power and stretched out arm" is the same God Jeremiah now addresses. The logic is simple and strong. A God powerful enough to make the entire cosmos is surely powerful enough for any present need. "There is nothing too hard for thee" is the conclusion drawn from the act of creation.
The context sharpens the prayer. God had just told Jeremiah to buy a field even as Babylon's army was overrunning the land -- a seemingly absurd purchase that pointed to a future restoration. Jeremiah anchors his trust in such a promise on the Creator's limitless power. For the reader, this verse models how to pray when circumstances look impossible: begin with who God is. Remembering that He made everything reframes our problems, however large, as small before the One whose arm is never too short. It invites bold faith rooted in the character of the Creator.
In the Original Language
"Stretched out arm" uses zeroa, the arm as a symbol of power and might. The phrase "too hard" is from pala, to be wonderful or extraordinary -- nothing is too wondrous or difficult for God.
Cross References
Application
When a situation looks impossible, begin your prayer with who God is -- the Maker of heaven and earth -- and let His creative power reframe the size of your problem.