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, 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 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5 Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.

6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

7 But the LORD said to me, Say not, I am a child: for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you you shall speak.

8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, said the LORD.

9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

10 See, I have this day set you 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.

11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Jeremiah, what see you? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

12 Then said the LORD to me, You have well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

13 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, What see you? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.

14 Then the LORD said to me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth on all the inhabitants of the land.

15 For, see, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, said the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.

17 You therefore gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound you before them.

18 For, behold, I have made you this day a defended city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

19 And they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you, said the LORD, to deliver you.

Jeremiah’s First prophecy (see Book comments for Jeremiah).

words: or, prophecies (verses: Jer 1:4, Jer 1:9, Jer 1:1, Jer 2:4, &c.) Compare Jer 36:1, Jer 36:2; but better "words", as the historic portions are also Jehovah’s words. Compare Amo 1:1. Jeremiah. Hebrew. y’irm e yahu = whom Jehovah raises up, or launches forth.

Hilkiah. Not the high priest of that name, who was of the line of Eleazar ( 1Ch 6:4, 1Ch 6:13); whereas Anathoth belonged to that of Ithamar ( 1Ch 24:3, 1Ch 24:6). Compare 2Ch 34.

of the priests. Beside Jeremiah, Nathan ( 1Ki 4:6), Ezekiel ( Jer 1:3), and probably Zechariah ( Jer 1:1) were of priestly origin.

Anathoth. Now ’Anata, three miles north-east of Jerusalem. Jeremiah was persecuted there before he prophesied in Jerusalem ( Jer 11:21; Jer 12:6). This prepared him for later conflicts (Compare Jer 12:5, Jer 12:6).

the word of the LORD came. It is remarkable that, in the four longer prophets, this formula is almost entirely confined to the two who were priests (Jeremiah and Ezekiel). See App-82. Compare Gen 15:1. 1Sa 9:27; 1Sa 15:10. 2Sa 7:4; 2Sa 24:11. 1Ki 12:22. 1Ch 17:3; 1Ch 22:8. 2Ch 11:2; 2Ch 12:7. Eze 1:3; Eze 14:12. Hos 1:1. Joe 1:1, &c.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

Josiah. Three kings named here and in Jer 1:3. Two others not named here (Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin), who reigned only three months each ( 2Ki 23:31; 2Ki 24:8).

thirteenth year. A year after Josiah began his reformation ( 2Ch 34:3). (618 B.C. See App-50.) Sixty-six years after Isaiah ended. For the chronology of Jeremiah, see App-77and App-83. From 2Ch 34:22. Jeremiah was probably still at Anathoth.

It came also in the days. See note on Gen 14:1.

the fifth month. The month that Jerusalem was destroyed ( Jer 52:12; 2Ki 25:3, 2Ki 25:8). After that, Jeremiah continued in the Land ( Jer 40:1; Jer 42:7); and, later, in Egypt (chs Jer 43:44).

Then: i.e. in the thirteenth year of Josiah.

word. Singular, because referring to this special prophecy.

I knew. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), for choosing. Reference to Pentateuch ( Exo 33:12, Exo 33:17). App-92.

sanctified thee = set thee apart, or, hallowed thee. See note on Exo 3:5, and compare John Baptist ( Luk 1:15-17); Paul ( Gal 1:15, Gal 1:16); Samson ( Jdg 13:3).

the nations. This distinguishes Jeremiah from some of the other prophets, and shows that the legend of his martyrdom is only legend.

Lord GOD. Hebrew Adonai Jehovah. See App-4.

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6.

I cannot speak, &c. Reference to Pentateuch ( Exo 4:10). App-92. This is true of all God’s messengers.

a child. Hebrew. na’ar, a youth. Probably about Josiah’s age; for he began to reign at 8 years of age, and 8+13 would make him 21. But this refers more to inefficiency than to age.

whatsoever I command, &c. Reference to Pentateuch ( Num 22:20). App-92.

Be not afraid, &c. Reference to Pentateuch ( Exo 3:12; Deu 31:6). App-92. Compare Ezekiel ( Eze 2:6); Paul ( Act 26:17).

saith the LORD = [is] Jehovah’s oracle.

hand . . . touched. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. Compare Isaiah ( Isa 6:6, Isa 6:7); Ezekiel ( Eze 2:8, Eze 2:9); Daniel (Can. Jer 10:16).

I have put My words, &c. This is inspiration. See Deu 18:18. Compare Act 1:16. David’s "mouth", but not David’s "words".

set thee = not only appointed, but installed.

to root out = to declare that nations should be rooted out, &c. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject). Note also the Figure of speech Polyonymia, for emphasis.

and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, &c. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton, and see note above.

build, and to plant = to declare that others (Israel and Judah) should be restored. Compare Eze 17:22-24. A prophecy still future.

Jeremiah’s Second Prophecy (see Book comments for Jeremiah).

Moreover = And. Another commission introducing two visions.

a rod = a staff for striking. Hebrew. makkel, as in Jer 48:17 and Gen 30:37-41.

a rod of an almond tree. Denotes an almond tree staff, corresponding with a vigilant watchman.

an almond tree. Hebrew. shaked = a watcher, or an early waker, because it is the first of the trees to wake from its winter sleep, and is thus what the cock is among birds.

I will hasten . . . it = I am watching. Forming the Figure of speech Paronomasia (App-6), "an almond tree (shaked) . . . I am watching (shoked)", thus emphasizing the certainty.

Jeremiah’s Third Prophecy (see Book comments for Jeremiah).

second time. In order to complete the sense by explaining that it was the fulfilment of the word of judgment that was to be watched over.

a seething pot = a boiling cauldron. Hebrew a pot blown upon: i.e. brought to boiling by blowing the fire.

toward the north = from the north: i.e. turned towards the prophet, who saw it from the south. The enemy of which it spoke, though situated on the east, would come round the desert and advance from the north, through Dan, the usual route from Assyria. See Jer 1:14.

an evil = the calamity. Hebrew. ra’a’. App-44. See note on Isa 45:7.

all. Frequently put (as here) by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Whole), App-6, for the principal or greater part.

set, &c. Where the kings of Judah had sat to judge and rule. Fulfilled in Jer 39:3, for here the setting is hostile.

them: i.e. the people of Judah.

wickedness. Hebrew. ra’a’. App-44.

forsaken Me. Reference to Pentateuch ( Deu 28:20). App-92.

burned incense. Hebrew. katar. See App-43. This includes the burnt offering and parts of the gift offering.

works. Some codices, with one early printed edition, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "work" (singular)

gird up, &c. See note on 1Ki 18:46.

be not dismayed. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia (App-6), in the alternate words and lines of C (p. 1016):
C     g | 17-. Be not dismayed (tehath).
        h | -17-. At their faces (mippeneyhem).
    g | -17-. Lest I confound thee (ahiteka).
        h | -17. Before them (liphneyhem).
This may be Englished: "Be not abashed. . Lest I abash thee".

made thee = give thee [as].

brasen walls. Some codices, with two early printed editions (one in margin), Targum, Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "a wall of bronze" (singular)

against. Note the Figure of speech Anaphora, by which "against" is repeated seven times, in order to emphasize the fact that as man’s thoughts and ways are the opposite of Jehovah’s ( Isa 55:8), it is impossible for a prophet who is Jehovah’s spokesman to be other than "against" man. See App-49.

the kings of Judah. See Jer 36.

the princes. See Jeremiah 37 and Jeremiah 38.

the priests. See Jeremiah 20 and Jeremiah 26.

the People. See Jer 34:19; Jer 37:2; Jer 44:21; Jer 52:6.