I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps. Correct me, O LORD, but only with justice—not in Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing. Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge You, and on the families that do not call on Your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have consumed him and finished him off; they have devastated his homeland.
A man's steps are from the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way?
Significance
Jeremiah 10:23 and Proverbs 20:24 both employ the vocabulary of דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, "way/path") and צַעַד (tsa'ad, "step") to affirm that human beings do not ultimately control their own course. Proverbs states this as a general wisdom principle — "A man's steps are from the LORD" — while Jeremiah applies it as a prophetic confession within a specific crisis: because Judah's path is not self-determined, Jeremiah can appeal to God for measured correction (v. 24) rather than annihilating wrath (v. 25). The broader context of Jeremiah 10:23-25 thus transforms a sapiential observation into a basis for intercessory prayer, moving from acknowledgment of divine sovereignty to a plea that God direct His wrath toward the pagan nations rather than consuming His own people.
Found via
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type
Allusion
Connection Method(s)
Longitudinal Theme — Proverbs 20:24's principle that "A man's steps are from the LORD" and Jeremiah 10:23's confession that "no one who walks directs his own steps" develop the one canonical theme of divine sovereignty over the human way (דֶּרֶךְ/צַעַד); Jeremiah carries the sapiential theme forward into prophetic intercession, grounding his plea for measured correction (v. 24) in it.
Suggest a correction or idea
Spotted a broken link, a typo, a wrong reference — or have an idea that would help? Tell us. Keeping the web of Scripture accurate is a shared work.