My Notes on Jeremiah 17:5-10

Jer 17:5  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

Cursed be the man that trusteth in man. Setting one’s hope for success, protection, etc., on man (or oneself) rather than on God leads to a curse. The nation had forsaken God by entering into military alliance with pagan nations, an act compared to abandoning fresh springs of water in order to dig a faulty, useless well that retains no liquid (see Jer 2:14-19). This was one of the reasons for the Babylonian exile, and so, as Jer 27:2-7 indicates, any attempt to thwart God’s punishment by alliance with foreigners is doomed to fail. Should the king, Zedekiah, continue on his course, trusting in men, he will become the object of a taunt song (Jer 38:22). See Psalm 146:3-4; Psalm 118:8-9; Acts 4:19).

Jeremiah himself had been warned by God not to trust the people in his own hometown, even his own kin, for they were plotting against him (Jer 12:6) and would come to grief via God’s punishment (Jer 12:21-23).

And maketh flesh his arm. The arm is a symbol of strength, flesh a designation for man, thus: “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and seeks strength in man.” Man and flesh stand in parallel, as do trusteth and arm.

And whose heart departeth from the Lord. The Hebrew is יסור,”to turn off or away from.” See 1 Sam 12:20; 2 Kings 10:29; Ezekiel 6:9.

Jer 17:6  For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

He shall be like heath in the desert. The word heath is a translation of the Hebrew  כערער,  word denoting something naked or destitute. Desert shrubs barely cling to life and when the desert winds of Palestine kick up they soon die. A dead tree in the desert cannot experience the goodness of rain, neither can a cursed man who trust not in the Lord see when good cometh from God. His fate is to remain dead in a parched and salt waste.

Jer 17:7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Jer 17:8  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

The beatitude and image and its contrast with verse 6 recalls Psalm 1.

Blessed is the man that trusteth…and whose hope the LORD is. He shall be as a tree planted by the waters, in contrast to the cursed man who trusted in man and human strength and who shall be like the heath in the desert (vs 6). Just a a bush naked and destitute of foliage cannot compare with a well rooted, well watered tree in leaf, so too their can be no real comparison between the blessed man who hopes and trusts in God, and the cursed man who trusts himself and/or his fellow men.

And shall not be careful in the year of drought. Many plants have natural “built in” protection devices to aid them during dry seasons. For example, some conserve water by dropping blossoms and growing smaller blooms. Others begin to feed more extensively through their foliage rather than their roots, thus being able to hydrate better when the only water available is in the form of early morning mist, dew, fog, etc. This can be described metaphorically as plants taking care of themselves. But just as a well watered, well rooted tree would have no need for such precautions, trusting (so to speak) in its supply of water, so too the man who trusts in the Lord has no need to seek supplements from some other source.

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

The heart is deceitful above all things. The Hebrew word translated here as deceitful is  עקב. The word originally referred to a rise of land, a knoll. It came to be applied to steeper inclines which were dangerous, treacherous, unpredictable, deadly, thus is extended meaning, deceitful. It can have the sense of haughtiness or arrogance, and this would fit nicely with the description that the heart is deceitful (elevated, raised or looming up like a treacherous cliff) above all things.

Who can know it? The next verse answer this question.

Jer 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

I the LORD search the heart, it try the reins. The haughty, arrogant, deceitful heart cannot deceive or accomplish treachery against God for it is searched (חקר, penetrated, examined) by God who, in Acts 1:24 is called  καρδιογνωστα, “the heart knower”. God also tries (בחן, tests, investigates) the reins (כליות, literally, the kidney, but here, figuratively, the inner man). See Jer 11:20; 12:3.

Even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. The purpose of his searching the heart and trying the reins

St Irenaeus Ministries Concludes Its Podcast Study of the Prophet Jeremiah

St Irenaeus Ministries recently wrapped up its 19 part online study of the Prophet Jeremiah. The podcasts are currently archived online but will not be available indefinitely. This series, along with other studies, can be purchased on CD from their Online Store. Below you will find links to the Jeremiah episodes (click the POD symbol to play the audio).

1. Background.
2. Introduction and Outline.
3.Israel Unfaithful.
4. Faithfulness to God.
5. The Covenant of Deuteronomy.
6. Visions and Parables.
7. Jeremiah Rejected by His Kinsmen.
8. Persecutions.
9. Judgements.
10. Destruction of the Temple.
11. Future of False Prophecy.
12. Prophecy of Restoration.
13. Babylon Gets closer.
14. Jerusalem Falls.
15. Gedaliah, Ishmael, Johanan.
16. Impending Fate of Egypt.
17. Condemnation of Egypt.
18. Settling Old Conflicts.
19. Conclusion.

Podcast Study of Jeremiah Continues

St Irenaeus Ministries has just posted the third installment of its podcast study of the prophet Jeremiah. Below are links to these first three installments and include a summary of the material they contain.

1).  Jeremiah: Background.  “Jeremiah is called to prophecy when he was preparing for the priesthood around age 20, in the reign of King Josiah, the great reformer. Jeremiah is reluctant and protests that he does not know how to speak, but God tells him that He watches over His words, but does not hide from Jeremiah that this will take many years, which will turn out to be forty years. Under Josiah, Jeremiah is somewhat protected, but ultimately, the Babylonians capture Judah, and Jeremiah joins his kinsmen in captivity”(33 minutes. ) Listen Here.

2).  Jeremiah: Outline.   Josiah, at age 8, came to the throne, and showed signs of clear piety by his teens. During the time of his reign, there was a lack of competing power in the area, giving Josiah room to make needed reforms.

“Josiah cleansed the temple, and the priests discovered the book of the law there, which had been neglected. Josiah elevated the Passover to a great festival, and Huldah prophesies that those who participated in these reforms would die before seeing the judgment on Judah.

“Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, was born of a well-to-do priestly family around 646 BC. Unlike even priests and nazirites, he was forbidden to marry or even to be at celebrations.

“Jeremiah’s opponents plot his demise and ultimately, King Zedekiah declares that he will not oppose killing Jeremiah. After the Babylonians conquer Israel, the Babylonians offer to take Jeremiah back to Babylon because he said not to oppose them, but Jeremiah did not accept” (44 minutes). Listen Here.

3).  Jeremiah: Israel Unfaithful.  “God recalls when Israel came into the land out of Egypt and how He dealt harshly with those who would dare to touch His people, the first fruits of the harvest. Unfortunately, Israel became dissolute. The people carried on the religious ceremonies despite God not being in the ceremonies, and the people didn’t even ask where God was.

“The Israelites did not seek refuge in God when the nation was threatened; they sought protection from Egypt, who liked to exact a terrible price from their beneficiaries later. Jeremiah says that Israel’s unfaithfulness is as bad as a prostitute’s. Even the faithless Samaritans were not as guilty as Israel, who should have known better” (38 Minutes).  Listen Here.

To listen to other podcasts from St Irenaeus Ministries go here. Be sure to check out their online store for even more.

Notes on Jeremiah 2:1-3 with a Summary of 2:4-3:5

To see previous entries on Jeremiah click on my “Notes on Jeremiah” page in the link field under this blogs header.

The material found in Jeremiah 2:1-6:30 is generally dated to early in his prophetic career; probably during the reform of King Josiah which began in 627 (see 2 Kings 22-23;  2 Chron. 34-35).  The first part of this collection  of sermons or, rather, these excerpts of sermons (2:1-4:4), appear to be intended as giving the reason for the boiling cauldron vision the prophet had in chapter 1.  The second part of the collection (4:5-6:30) appears to be a description of the destructive power that will be wrought by the boiling cauldron (an image of the Babylonian Empire).

Jer 2:1  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: As already stated in my notes on chapter one, this or like phrases are typical prophetic stock, denoting the origin and authority of the revelation.

Jer 2:1  Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the Lord: I have remembered thee, pitying thy youth, and the love of thy espousals, when thou followedst me in the desert, in a land that is not sown.

Go.  A common word in prophetic missioning texts.  Apparently Jeremiah is being bidden to go (literally, “walk”) to Jerusalem, the religious and political capital of the kingdom of Judea.

Cry in the ears of Jerusalem.  The Hebrew  וקראת “cry” actually has the sense of “accost.”  It is a reminder that the prophet’s function is often one of confrontation.

I remembered thee, pitying thy youth.  The Hebrew לך  חסד (kheh-sed), can be translated as “pitying,” but also as “kindness” (KJV), “devotion (NAB, RSV).  If “pitying thy youth” is accepted as the reading it would mean that God’s remembrance of Israel’s bride-like love for Him causes him pain due to the present situation of infidelity.  If the reading “kindness/devotion” is accepted, then God’s remembrance forms the basis for his current condemnation.  In the present context “devotion” makes better sense.  The DR translation of “pitying” may have been influenced by the imagery Ezek 16:8.

The love of thy espousals. “espousals” translates a word meaning ‘bridehood.”  The meaning is: “how you loved me like a bride (see NAB, RSV).

When thou followedst me in the desert, in a land that is not sown.  A reference to the early desert wanderings of Israel, before the sin of the Golden Calf (Ex 32).  This was the Golden Age of Israel (see Hos 2:16-17).  It should be noted that the image of marriage which opens chapter two of Jeremiah reappears in 3:1-5, marking 2:1-3:5 as a literary unit (see Hosea 1:2-3:5).  Israel is here being presented as a devoted bride who loved her husband even though he had not at the time anything of substance to offer her.  God is like a young groom who has big plans for the future and glories in his wife’s devotion.

Jer 2:3   Israel is holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his increase: all they that devour him offend: evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.

The Hebrew word for holy is קדש ׁ (qodesh=ko’-desh).  The word has the basic meaning of “to be separate.”  When applied to God it is not merely an attribute of His; He does not have holiness, He is holy .  It is, as it were, His very essence “in which He radically transcends all that is created” (see Hosea 11:9; and see footnote 1 below).  “in creatures the quality (of holiness) is derived from the divine by some peculiar contact” (see fn 2).  When something is consecrated (made holy) it is separated from the profane and dedicated to the service of God.  God’s act of choosing Israel as His special possession was an act of consecration by which they were to be a “holy nation” (Ex 19:5-7).  This consecration of Israel to holy use meant that the people had to remove themselves from a profane existence, hence the giving of the law in Exodus 20ff.

The first-fruit of His increase (i.e., His abundant harvest).  Israel is here compared to the first-fruits of the harvest.  According to the law of Exodus 22:28 and 23:19 the first-fruits of the land had to be offered to God and were, for that very reason, considered holy (Leviticus 22:20).  For this reason neither an alien, nor the average Israelite were allowed to partake of them, but only the specially consecrated priests and (under certain conditions) those who belonged to his household (Lev 22:15-20).

all they that devour him offend: evils shall come upon them, saith the Lord.  Do “devour” Israel would be a greater sacrilege than consuming the first-fruits of the harvest.  As Just mentioned, priests were allowed to partake of those fruits, but if anyone (“all they that devour”) devours Israel they offend God and will suffer “evil” (punishment).

These first three verses of chapter two prepare for the accusations that follow in 2:4-3:5.  In 2:5 the people are accused of breaking the first commandment.  In 2:6-9 they are accused of forgetting the favors God had done for them and for going after useless idols; in 2:10-11 they are accused of being worse than the pagans, for pagans do not abandon their gods as Israel has abandoned THE God.  After this they are compared to a fool who forsakes “living water” (i.e., fresh, flowing water which symbolizes God and His help)  in order to dig for himself  broken cisterns (2:12-13).  This image prepares for 2:14-19.  They sought help from the waters of the Nile (Egypt and its gods), and from the Euphrates (Assyria and its gods) and, as a result, have paid the penalty.  As 2:20-25 makes clear, their sins are not new .  They have constantly gone awhoring after false gods, acting like senseless beasts in heat.  As a result of all of this, they will be confounded (2:26) and then attempt to return to God, only to hear him declare his indignation and level further accusations (2:27-3:5).

Footnotes:

#1 From the article HOLY in THE NEW WORLD DICTIONARY-CONCORDANCE TO THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE.

#2 From the article HOLY in McKENZIE’S DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE.

Forum: Notes On Jeremiah 1:11-19

[forum:10]

Note: I’m using my own translation here.  You may wish to consult other translations, such as the NAB or the RSV.

1:11 And the word of the Lord came unto me, asking, “What is it that you see, Jeremiah?”  I replied, “I see the staff of a watching tree.”

The word of the Lord came unto me is, as I noted in my previous post on this prophet, a stock prophetic phrase.  The prophet speaks on God’s authority, not his own (see 2 Pt 1:21).  Jeremiah will have some harsh, brutal words to say against false prophets (see 2:8; 8:10-12; 23:9-40).  The word can come to a prophet in a number of ways, sometimes the revelatory phenomenon is described in both oracular and optical terms (see Ezek 1).  It’s possible that what Jeremiah sees is a vision, but it is also possible that he is in the fields around his hometown during the blossoming of the watching tree (but see note verse 12). The word which I have translated as staff can refer to a stick or branch, but also a rod or staff.  Why I’ve translated it as I have will be noted below, under verse 12.  The watching tree is a reference to the almond tree.  Almond shaped eyes are a common physiological feature of near eastern peoples, hence the name.

1:12    And the Lord answered me, saying to me, “You see soundly: for I  watch without sleeping to do my word.

You see soundly: for &c. The Hebrew word translated as for serves as a causal conjunctive.  Jeremiah has seen correctly precisely BECAUSE the Lord is looking to bring about his word.  Had God not called him as a prophet he would not have seen soundly.  What Jeremiah saw was the branch (rod, staff) of a watching (almond) tree (vs 11).  God (so it seems) is here comparing himself to a rod or staff made from such a tree, and having its fruit (nuts) still on it.  In the Scripture, both watchfulness and a rod (staff) are associated with vigilance and readiness (see Ex 12:11. Note: several different Hebrew words are used for rod/staff in the OT).

I watch without sleeping. The Hebrew word  שׁקד  (shaqad=watching tree) and the word שׁקד  (shaqed=to be alert, wakefulness) are from the same root; my translation (adding the words “without sleeping”) has tried to convey the fulness of the latter word’s meaning.

To do my word. “To do” translates the Hebrew word לעשׂתו (asah),which can refer to both human action (or God’s action) or of a tree’s bearing seed or fruit (see Gen 1:11-12).  Just as a tree bears fruit (produce) a man produces action.  God is watching to do his word because of the evil the people have “done” (see 2:12-13, 17, 23, 28.  These verses all employ the word asah, which the NAB variously translates as “done,” “conduct,” “made”).

1:13 And the word of the Lord came unto me a second time, asking, “What is it you are seeing?” And I replied, “I see a a rapidly boiling cauldron which is turning towards us from the north.”

A rapidly boiling cauldron. “Rapidly boiling” translates a word which means “to seeth,” “snort,” “breath heavily.”  Steam rising from a boling pot of water is a fitting image of anger; even today we say “i was boiling,” to denote feelings of anger.

Which is turning towards us from the north. The Hebrew reads literally: “and the face thereof is from the face of the north.”  The sentence is somewhat convoluted but makes sense once the significance of the words are known and seen in relation to the image.  (1) The cauldron has just bee described as boiling (seething, snorting breathing heavily), hence its face is the open end (i.e., the mouth) of the pot from which its breath (steam) is issuing.  (2) The word “face” in Hebrew can mean “towards,” for one can only see another’s face if it is turned towards them.  We are to understand then the Jeremiah sees the “face” (mouth) of the cauldron because it is turning (tipping) towards him in the Holy Land.  (3) He sees this vision while turned toward (i.e., as he’s facing) the north and seeing the north’s “face.”

1:14  And the Lord said unto me, “from the north evil shall be opened wide upon all who sit in the land.”

The north was the proverbial place from which invasions came.  Evil shall be opened wide implies that the coming evil will be full and unrelenting.  The boiling cauldron of evil will not just trickle out its contents upon the land.  The boiling cauldron is an image of the Babylonian empire, which would invade and destroy the kingdom of Judah (see 4:5-31; 39:1-10).

1:15  “Because, look, I will beckon all the famlies of the kingdoms of the north,” says the Lord; “and they shall come, and every one shall set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and over against all the walls that surround her, and against all the encampments of Judah.

Because, look, I will beckon. What is about to befall Jerusalem and the entire kingdom of Judah is God’s doing, but he is not its cause (see vs 16).

All the families of the kingdoms of the north…and they shall come, and every one shall set up his throne. “Families of the kingdoms of the north” is probably a reference to the various royal tribes and clans (i.e., minor dynasties) which had joined or been subsumed under the king of Babylon.  Essentially, they were minor rulers under him, but as such they were entitled to a share in any booty gained by military victory.

Everyone shall set up his throne at the entrance of the gates. The entrance of the gates of a city was the place where officials conducted trials, heard peoples pleas/complaints, and issued their judgments.  In a capital city such as Jerusalem, this would have been done by the king, though he could delegate the authority to others.  The fact that foreign potentates are setting up their thrones at the entrances of the city implies that they are sitting in judgment; and indeed they are, for they are God’s instruments of judgment against his people.

Over against all the walls that surround her, and against all the encampments of Judah. The judgment against God’s people takes the form of a siege.  This is in accord with the covenant curses promised as punishment should the people of God (who had entered the covenant freely) ever break it (see Deut 28:49-57).   All the encampments of Judah probably refers to the many fortified cities which surrounded the capital as added protection against siege.

1:16  And I will proclaim my verdict against them on account of all their wickedness in forsaking me, and for burning incense to other gods, and for bending the knee to the work of their own hands.

I will prolaim my verdict. Continues the judgment theme mentioned earlier.

All their wickedness. The Herew word for wickedness used here is the same as that used for evil in verse 13.  The evil coming from the north is due to the wickedness of the people.

Forsaking me. The Hebrew word עזבוני (azab) means to leave, loosen, abandon, ect.  The word is often used in Jeremiah to denote apostasy from God (2:13, 17, 19; 5:7, 19, ect).

Burning incense to other gods. This could also read: “offering burn offerings to other gods.”  Other may have pejorative connotations.  The Hebrew word isאחרים (acher), which has the proper meaning of “hinder.”    It is derived from the Hebrew word achar, to loiter, to be a slacker.  When it comes to observing the covenant demands they have become slackers, and now seek after less morally demanding gods.

Bending the knee to the work of their own hands. They prostrate themselves before the idols they have made (see Jer 25:6-7, 14; 32:30).  The Hebrew word for work used here is  derived from the word לעשׂתו (asah), used by God in verse 12 when he said he was watching to do his word.  This work of the people in constructing and worshipping idols is what has led God to do his word (start the process of a reeb, a covenant lawsuit against them.

1:17  You, therefore, gird up your loins, rise up and speak unto them all that I command you.  Do not break down before their faces, lest I break thee down before their faces.

Gird up your loins. In the Bible this is a call to vigilance and action (see Ex 12:11; 1 Kings 18:46; Job 38:3).  Just as God is vigilante to do His word (see note under 1:12), so too must the prophet be ready and willing to fulfill his service to God’s word.

Speak unto them all that I have commanded. Recalls the end of Matthew’s Gospel.  The phrase or its equivalent is often used in prophetic commissioning texts (see Deut 18:15-20).

Do not break down before their faces, lest I break thee down before their faces. In performing his ministry, Jeremiah is not to fear his enemies, rather, he is to fear God.  “If Jeremiah appears before his adversaries in terror, then he will have cause to be terrified of them; only if by unshaken confidence in the power of the word he preaches in the name of the Lord, will he be able to accomplish anything. Such confidence he has reason to cherish, for God will furnish him with the strength necessary for making a stand, will make him strong and not to be vanquished” (Keil & Delitzsch).

1:18-19  For behold I have made thee this day a fortified city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass, over all the land, to the kings of Juda, to the princes thereof, and to the priests, and to the people of the land. A nd they shall fight against thee, and shall not prevail: for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee. (Douay-Rheims Bible).  The image stands in marked contrast to that of Jerusalem sieged against in verse 15.  In the face of his enemies Jeremiah will be like a heavily fortified city.  The passage is reminiscient of Matt 16:16-18).

Notes on Jeremiah 1:1-10 (UPDATED)

[forum:10]

UPDATE: Oops!  The original  post should have included a note on verse 10, and now does.

Note #1: I’m quoting from Young’s Literal Translation of the bible, the reader may wish to use a more modern and up to date version, such as the NAB or the RSV.  This text uses the name Jehovah for God, a famous mispelling of the divine name ( יהוה) YHWY.

Note #2: at the bottom of the post you will see a”Topic” link which will allow you to participate in a forum on this post.  Please feel free to add comments, critigues, insights, or ask questions.

The Superscription:  Jeremiah 1:1-3

Jer 1:1  Words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who are in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin,
Jer 1:2  unto whom the word of Jehovah hath been in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,
Jer 1:3  and it is in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, till the removal of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

Notes on 1:1

Jeremiah. The meaning of the name is uncertain, however some scholars speculate that it means “one raised up by the Lord.”  If this is the case it calls to mind the prophecy of Moses in Deut 18:15-18: “The Lord thy God will raise up for you a prophet…I (God) will raise up for them a prophet like you (Moses) from among their brothers, and will put my words into his mouth.”  The ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy is found in our Lord (see Acts 3:19-23), whom many mistook for Jeremiah, raised from the dead (Matt 16:14).

Hilkiah. The name of Jeremiah’s father.  A high priest with this name found the book of the Law in the temple during repairs undertaken by the reform of King Josiah (2 Kings 22:4 ff).  Some have speculated that this was Jeremiah’s father, however, the fact that the prophet’s father is referred to in general terms as “(one” of the priests that were in Anathoth” rather than high priest militates against this.

Anathoth. A priestly town in the region of the Tribe of Benjamin (Josh 21:18; 1 Ch 6:45).  According to Isaiah 10:30 it was just a few miles north of Jerusalem.  Just as our Lord’s own townspeople opposed him (Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16-30), so too, the people of Anathoth opposed Jeremiah (11:21-23).

Notes on 1:2

Commenting on verse 1 the Protestant commentator Albert Barnes writes:

The usual title of the prophetic books is “the Word of the Lord,” but the two books of Amos and Jeremiah are called the words of those prophets, probably because they contain not merely the words of those prophets, probably because they contain not merely prophecies, but also the record of much which belongs to the personal history of the writers. This title might therefore be translated the “life of Jeremiah” or “acts of Jeremiah,” though some understand by it a collection of the prophecies of Jeremiah.

But this explanation fails to account for what is said in 1:9 And Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, `Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth.

In the days of Josiah, king of Judah…in the thirteenth year of his reign. Jeremiah describes himself a youth in 1:6, suggesting a date of birth circa 650-645 B.C.  The thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign was circa 626.  Josiah was one of the greatest kings of the Davidic line.  He instituted a widespread reform of the covenant (2 Kings 22-23; 2 Ch 33-34).

Notes on 1:3

till the removal of Jerusalem in the fifth month. A reference to the Babylonian exile of 587 B.C.  In fact, Jeremiah’s ministry lasted beyond this time.  For an explanation see footnote 2 of the NAB.

The Call of Jeremiah (part 1) 1:4-10

Jer 1:4  And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,
Jer 1:5  `Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.’
Jer 1:6  And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known–to speak, for I am a youth.’
Jer 1:7  And Jehovah saith unto me, `Do not say, I am a youth, for to all to whom I send thee thou goest, and all that I command thee thou speakest.
Jer 1:8  Be not afraid of their faces, for with thee am I to deliver thee, –an affirmation of Jehovah.’
Jer 1:9  And Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, `Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Jer 1:10  I have set thee this day over the nations, and over kingdoms, to root up, and to pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant.

The Call of Jeremiah (part 1) Notes on 1:4

And there is a word of Jehovah unto me.  A stock prophetic phrase found throughout the prophetic books.

Notes on 1:5

`Before I form thee in the belly, I have known thee; and before thou comest forth from the womb I have separated thee, a prophet to nations I have made thee.’ Note the contrast in tenses: “Before I form thee…”, “before thou comest forth.”  Using the present tense of future events is typical of prophetic literature.  It commuicates the idea that what is being prophecied will come to pass (except when a prophecy is conditional, i.e., wont come to apss if the people repent).  Here, the contrast in tenses seems to emphasize the certainty of God’s foreknowledge of the prophet.  St Paul tells us that God chose him before his birth to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles (i.e., poeple of the nations) in Gal 1:15:16. See also Luke 1:13-17.

Notes on 1:6

And I say, `Ah, Lord Jehovah! lo, I have not known (how) to speak, for I am a youth.’ This reminds one of Moses’ initial response to his call in Exodus 4:10.  There Moses claimed to be a poor speaker, here Jeremiah appeals to his youth or inexperience in speaking to men concerning important subjects.

Notes on 1:7

Do not say, I am a youth, for to all to whom I send thee thou goest, and all that I command thee thou speakest. His youth and inexperience are irrelevant where God’s power is concerned.  The authority of the word, and, consequently the authority of the one preaching it, comes from the source of the word and the mission, namely God.

Notes on 1:8

Be not afraid of their faces, for with thee am I to deliver thee, –an affirmation of Jehovah.’ “Face” is Hebrew idiom for presence: “Be not afraid in their presence.”  “With thee I am” is not merely a statement of the divine presence.  The promise of the divine presence when given in the context of a mission is a promise and guarrantee of divine help and power in the performance of that mission.  See God’s promise to deliver St Paul in Acts 26:17.

Notes on 1:9

And Jehovah putteth forth His hand, and striketh against my mouth, and Jehovah saith unto me, `Lo, I have put my words in thy mouth. God’s striking the mouth of the prophet calls to mind the fact that the angel touched Isaiah’s lips with an ember in Isaiah 6:7.  the words “I have put my words into thy mouth” recalls the commissioning of Moses in Exodus 4:10-17.

Words and themes found in verse 7-9 are typical of prophetic call narratives (see Exek 3:1-10; Matt 28:18-20; ect).

Notes on 1:10

I have set thee this day over the nations, and over kingdoms, to root up, and to pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant.  Jeremiah’s mission is for both Jew and Gentile; and his message is one of both weal and woe.  See 18:7-9; 25:15-38; chapters 30-31,  46-51; ect.