The Bible — notes and cross-references in Jeremiah | Interpretation and commentary to chapter 1

1:18¹ fortified

On earth there is always a battle raging between God and those who oppose Him and fight against Him. God fights not by Himself directly but through His servants who have been sent by Him. This was the situation in Jeremiah’s time. God sent His army — a young man named Jeremiah — to fight against those who opposed Him. Jeremiah was equipped by God to such an extent that he became a fortified city and an iron pillar and brass walls. Because God was with him to deliver him, the opposers would not prevail over him (v. 19).

1:18^a And

vv. 18-19: Jer. 15:20

1:17^a gird

1 Kings 18:46; 2 Kings 4:29; Job 38:3; Luke 12:35

1:16^a works

Deut. 4:28; Micah 5:13; Rev. 9:20

1:14^a north

Jer. 4:6; 6:1

1:13^a pot

Ezek. 11:3, 7; 24:3

1:13¹ boiling

The boiling pot facing away from the north signifies that out of the north (referring especially to Babylon) calamities (evil — v. 14) would be let loose (Jer. 4:6b) upon all the inhabitants of Israel.

1:11^a almond

Num. 17:8

1:11¹ rod

Related to the word watch, found in v. 12. Here the rod of an almond tree signifies that God was watching over His word in order to fulfill it, i.e., to execute His word to punish Israel (cf. Deut. 28:15-68).

1:10^1a pluck

Jer. 18:7; 2 Cor. 10:4-5

The plucking up, the breaking down, and the destroying are Jehovah’s tearing down, whereas the building up and the planting are Jehovah’s exalting. This corresponds to the two meanings of Jeremiah’s name (see note Jer. 1:1¹). Jehovah’s building up and His planting both involve His word. God’s word is a building up of Christ and a planting of Christ for the exalting of Christ (Acts 20:32; Mark 4:14).

1:9^b put

Isa. 51:16; Jer. 5:14

1:9^a mouth

Isa. 6:7; Luke 21:15

1:8^b with

Exo. 3:12; Deut. 31:6, 8; Josh. 1:5; Acts 18:10

1:8^a not

Jer. 1:17; Ezek. 2:6; 3:9; Acts 18:9

1:6^a speak

Exo. 4:10; 6:12, 30; Isa. 6:5

1:5¹ appointed

Lit., given. Jeremiah was born a priest (v. 1), but he was called by God to be a prophet not only to the nation of Israel but also to all the nations (vv. 5-8). Hence, he was a priest-prophet.

The content of Jeremiah’s prophecy is God’s carrying out of His economy through His chastisement of Israel, His elect, in love with His tender care, compassion, and sympathy, and His judgment on the nations in righteousness to match His love, that Israel may manifest Christ, who is their divine righteousness (Jer. 23:6; 33:16) as their centrality and universality, by their being made a new creation with the inner law of the divine life and the capacity of this life to know God (Jer. 31:33-34).

1:5^c sanctified

Luke 1:15; Gal. 1:15-16

1:5^b knew

Exo. 33:12, 17

1:5^a formed

Isa. 49:1, 5

1:3^c captivity

2 Kings 25:8-11; Jer. 52:15

1:3^b Zedekiah

2 Kings 24:17; 2 Chron. 36:10

1:3^a Jehoiakim

2 Kings 23:36; 2 Chron. 36:5; Jer. 25:1

1:2^a Josiah

2 Kings 22:1; 2 Chron. 34:1

1:1¹ Jeremiah

Meaning perhaps Jah exalts, or Jah tears down; Jah being a shortened form of Jehovah.