Jeremiah name meaning: origin and Bible context
The Jeremiah name meaning has several attributed historical readings.
Last updated October 15, 2026
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The Jeremiah name meaning has several attributed historical readings. Jeremiah has historical glosses such as exaltation of the Lord, raised up or appointed by Jehovah, and whom Jehovah has appointed. The prophet is one biblical bearer, but the name is not unique to him.
Jeremiah; Jeremias in some KJV New Testament contexts. Identify the bearer by family and passage. Jeremiah 1 identifies the prophet as the son of Hilkiah from the priests at Anathoth. It then describes his call and his fear about speaking as a young person. Those details identify this Jeremiah. The call narrative does not offer a formal dictionary derivation of the name.
Jeremiah name meaning and dictionary readings
| Historical source | Entry wording | Source record |
|---|---|---|
| Hitchcock | exaltation of the Lord | Hitchcock: JEREMIAH |
| Easton | Jeremiah Raised up or appointed by Jehovah. […] | Easton: JEREMIAH |
| Smith | ( whom Jehovah has appointed ) was "the son of Hilkiah of the priests that were in Anathoth." […] | Smith: JEREMIAH |
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Bearers, aliases and passage context
Jeremiah; Jeremias in some KJV New Testament contexts. Identify the bearer by family and passage.
Jeremiah 1 identifies the prophet as the son of Hilkiah from the priests at Anathoth. It then describes his call and his fear about speaking as a young person. Those details identify this Jeremiah. The call narrative does not offer a formal dictionary derivation of the name.
The older dictionaries do not give one identical English gloss. Hitchcock emphasizes exaltation; Easton offers raised up or appointed; Smith gives appointed. These are recorded historical readings. It would be misleading to label one wording the sole meaning while concealing the others.
First Chronicles 12 names other men called Jeremiah among those associated with David. Their setting is different from the prophet's book. Shared spelling cannot establish that the prophet appears in every such verse. Family, tribal setting and the scene's period provide the necessary checks.
The famous letter in Jeremiah 29 belongs to the prophet's context, but its promises do not follow from his name's etymology. A verse explanation must ask who receives that letter and what it says about exile. The name page supplies identification, not a shortcut around the passage.
Second Kings 23:31 names another Jeremiah as the father of Hamutal, Jehoahaz's mother. That family record does not identify him as the prophet, the son of Hilkiah. It is another example of why the name alone is insufficient.
Selected passages in three editions
The panels quote a selection. Other references in the explanation identify related scenes; read their full context in the named biblical book.
Jeremiah 1:1-10
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
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.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.
2 Yahweh’s word came to him in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 Now Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I don’t know how to speak; for I am a child.”
7 But Yahweh said to me, “Don’t say, ‘I am a child;’ for you must go to whomever I send you, and you must say whatever I command you.
8 Don’t be afraid because of them, for I am with you to rescue you,” says Yahweh.
9 Then Yahweh stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. Then Yahweh said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
10 Behold, I have today set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child.
7 But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak.
8 Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah.
9 Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth:
10 see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.
After (WEB Classic): 11 Moreover Yahweh’s word came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then Yahweh said to me, “You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it.”
2 Kings 23:31
King James Version (eng-kjv2006, standard 1769 text)
31 ¶ Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
World English Bible Classic (eng-web, US spelling)
31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
American Standard Version (eng-asv)
31 Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
Before (WEB Classic): 29 In his days Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him, but Pharaoh Necoh killed him at Megiddo when he saw him. 30 His servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. The people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place.
After (WEB Classic): 32 He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 Pharaoh Necoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
FAQ
Was there only one Jeremiah in the Bible?
No. The prophet is the son of Hilkiah in Jeremiah 1, while Chronicles names other bearers in David's setting. A name match is not a person match. Use the cited family or narrative setting to distinguish them.
Related meanings
Biblical names and their meanings
How to study Jeremiah
Record father, town and office from Jeremiah 1 before looking at any other bearer. Next, compare the men in Chronicles by their own setting. The different historical glosses belong in the name column. The evidence identifying a person belongs in the passage column.
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Verdict: Jeremiah in the biblical passages
Jeremiah name meaning has more than one historical English gloss. The prophet's father and town identify him more securely than a gloss. Other men called Jeremiah keep their own records.