Jeremiah 32:20

My Notes

What Does Jeremiah 32:20 Mean?

Jeremiah prays with historical memory: God "hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day." God's reputation — his name — was established through the signs and wonders of the Exodus and has continued producing testimony to the present moment. The acts of the past are still generating reputation in the present.

The phrase "even unto this day" (ad ha-yom ha-zeh — until this very day) means the Exodus miracles aren't ancient history. They're current testimony. The signs God performed in Egypt are still making his name known centuries later. The reputation didn't peak at the Red Sea and decline. It's still active. Still producing recognition. Still establishing God's name.

The scope — "in Israel, and among other men" — means God's reputation extends beyond his covenant people to the broader human population. The name God made for himself through the Exodus isn't known only by Israelites. It's known by the nations. The Egyptian signs produced a reputation that the entire world recognizes.

Reflection Questions

• 1.How does the Exodus still 'making God's name' (active, current reputation) change your view of ancient miracles?
• 2.What past act of God in your life is still generating testimony in the present?
• 3.How does Jeremiah use God's established reputation as the argument for present-tense intervention?
• 4.What does the international scope (reputation reaching 'other men' beyond Israel) teach about the reach of God's acts?

Devotional

You set signs in Egypt. And they're still working. Your name is still being established by what you did centuries ago. Jeremiah prays from the present tense of a reputation the Exodus is still producing.

The 'even unto this day' is the prayer's most powerful historical claim: the miracles God performed in Egypt haven't stopped generating testimony. The signs and wonders from centuries earlier are still making God's name known. The reputation that was established at the Red Sea is as active today as it was the morning Israel walked through on dry ground.

The name-making function of the miracles means the Exodus wasn't just a rescue. It was a marketing campaign for God's character. The plagues, the Passover, the sea-splitting — each one established something about who God is. And the establishment continues. 'Hast made thee a name, as at this day' — the name is still being made. Still growing. Still resonating.

The international scope ('in Israel, and among other men') means God's reputation crossed borders: Rahab in Jericho knew about the Exodus (Joshua 2:10). The Philistines knew (1 Samuel 4:8). Centuries later, Jeremiah can still cite the international reach of God's Exodus-reputation. The signs that were performed in one country produced a name that traveled to every country.

Jeremiah prays this as context for his current request (verses 24-25: the Babylonians are building siege ramps and the city is about to fall). The prayer's logic: you made your name through the Exodus. Your name is still active. Now — in this crisis — act consistently with the name you've been building for centuries. The reputation from the past is the argument for the present.

What past act of God in your life is still producing testimony today?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture