Jeremiah 1:19

God in this verse briefly reminds his servant, that though he would be supplied with invincible power, yet he would have great trials, so that his office would not be, according to a common saying, a mere play. He then shews for what purpose he would be made like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a brazen wall, even that he might manfully fight, and not for the purpose of keeping away all dangers, and all fightings, and everything hard and grievous to the flesh. We, in short, see that the promise was given for this end, — that Jeremiah, relying on God’s aid, might not hesitate to set himself against all the Jews, and that whatever might be their fury, he might still be courageous. Now a profitable doctrine may be hence gathered, even this — that whenever God promises his servants victory over their enemies, they ought not to make this the occasion of fostering their torpidity or idle...

11-19 God gave Jeremiah a view of the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. The almond-tree, which is more forward in the spring than any other, represented the speedy approach of judgments. God also showed whence the intended ruin should arise. Jeremiah saw a seething-pot boiling, representing Jerusalem and Judah in great commotion. The mouth or face of the furnace or hearth, was toward the north; from whence the fire and fuel were to come. The northern powers shall unite. The cause of these judgments was the sin of Judah. The whole counsel of God must be declared. The fear of God is the best remedy against the fear of man. Better to have all men our enemies than God our enemy; those who are sure they have God with them, need not, ought not to fear, whoever is against them. Let us pray that we may be willing to give up personal interests, and that nothing may move us from...

Verse Jeremiah 1:19. _THEY SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THEE_] Because I am determined to defend and support thee against all thy enemies. One of the ancients has said, Θεου θελοντος, και επι ῥιπος πλεῃ Σωζῃ· Thestius, apud Theophil. ad Autolyc. lib. ii. "God protecting thee, though thou wert at sea upon a twig, thou shouldst be safe....

EXPOSITION AN ACCOUNT OF THE CALL AND CONSECRATION OF JEREMIAH TO THE PROPHETIC OFFICE, FOLLOWED BY TWO EXPRESSIVE SYMBOLS OF THE MATTERS WHICH HE HAS TO ANNOUNCE. JEREMIAH 1:1 There are some indications that the original form of the heading has been somewhat modified. Notice (1) that the words with which Jeremi

AND THEY SHALL FIGHT AGAINST THEE,.... The Targum adds, "that they may hide the words of thy prophecy;'' hinder him from prophesying, stop his mouth, and even take away his life: BUT THEY SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THEE; as to do either: FOR I AM WITH THEE, SAITH THE LORD, TO DELIVER THEE; as he did; he hid him when they sought for him, and delivered him out of the dungeon and bonds into which he was cast by them; Jeremiah 1:8....

Jeremiah 1:1. _The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: 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. 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._ Jeremiah was a young man when he was called to the prophetic office; and he was sent of God, as a young prophet, to help the young king, Josiah. His public life, therefore, opened somewhat happily. But, after the death of Josiah, wicked kings sat upon the throne, and it was the painful lot, and yet in some respects the choice privilege, of this weeping prophet to be sent upon his Master's errand, time after time, to a disobedient

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE CALL TO REPENTANCE, THE IMPENITENCE OF THE PEOPLE, AND THE JUDGMENT ANNOUNCED CHAPTER 1 The Call of the Prophet _ 1. The introduction (Jeremiah 1:1) _ 2. The divine call (Jeremiah 1:4) 3. The renewed call and the first visions (Jeremiah 1:11) Jeremiah 1:1. The first three verses introduce us to the person of the prophet, to the time the Word of the Lord came unto him, and to the sphere of his ministry. Jeremiah's father, Hilkiah, was a priest of the line of Ithamar; his home was Anathoth of Benjamin. (See general introduction.)...

THE TWO VISIONS OF JUDGMENT. These form a separate experience, and imply some change of standpoint, since it is now the judgment of Judah through the instrumentality of the nations which is presented to the prophet's eye. The first vision (Jeremiah 1:11 f.) is preparatory; he sees the branch (rod) of an almond tree, and the interpretation of his vision is that this _shâ kç d_ stands for the Divine _shô kç d,_ the watcher God (who slumbers not nor sleeps, Psalms 121:4), ever wakeful unto judgment. The almond tree is here called the waker, because of its early (February) blossoming; see Thomson, _The Land and the Book,_ p. 318. Such play on words is characteristic of Hebrew thought; it finds a parallel, _e.g._ in Amos

Jeremiah's call The passage will fall into four sections. (i) Jeremiah 1:4. The prophet's call and its nature. (ii) Jeremiah 1:11. The symbol of the almond tree, shewing that Jehovah is wakeful to perform his word. (iii) Jeremiah 1:13. That of the caldron, indicating a threatened invasion of Judah. (iv) Jeremiah 1:17. Words of encouragement....

II. THE CALL CONFIRMED Jeremiah 1:11-19 TRANSLATION (11) And the word of the LORD came unto me saying, What are you looking at, Jeremiah? And I replied, I am looking at a rod of almond. (12) Then the LORD said unto me, you have seen well, for I am watching over MY word to perform it. (13) And the word of the LORD came unto me a second time saying, What are you looking at? And I said, I am looking at a boiling pot and its face is from the north. (14) And the LORD said unto me, From the north calamity is unleashed upon all the inhabitants of the land. (15) For, behold, I am about to call for all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north (oracle of the LORD) and they will come and place each man his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah. (16) Then I will pronounce against them My judgments bec