Jeremiah / Chapter 1

Jeremiah 1

19 verses • Westminster Leningrad Codex 3 traditions available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Jeremiah 1 establishes the prophet's identity, commissioning, and mandate. The superscription (vv. 1-3) places Jeremiah in the priestly town of Anathoth and spans his ministry from Josiah's thirteenth year (627 BCE) through the fall of Jerusalem (586 BCE). God's call comes with an extraordinary claim: Jeremiah was known, consecrated, and appointed before birth (v. 5). The prophet protests his youth, but God overrides the objection and commissions him with authority over nations. Two visions follow — the almond branch (shaqed/shoqed wordplay, vv. 11-12) and the boiling pot tilting from the north (vv. 13-14) — establishing the twin themes of divine watchfulness and coming judgment from Babylon. The chapter closes with God's promise that Jeremiah will face fierce opposition but will not be overcome.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The call narrative of Jeremiah 1:5 is among the most theologically significant verses in the Hebrew Bible for the doctrine of divine foreknowledge and prophetic vocation. The shaqed/shoqed wordplay in verses 11-12 is untranslatable — God sees an almond tree (shaqed) and declares 'I am watching (shoqed) over my word to perform it.' The pun functions as a visual-verbal confirmation of God's vigilance. The boiling pot vision (vv. 13-14) introduces the 'foe from the north' motif that dominates the first half of the book. The concluding metaphor — Jeremiah as a fortified city, iron pillar, and bronze wall — is remarkable for what it promises: not comfort, not success, but indestructibility under siege. God does not promise Jeremiah an easy life; he promises that Jeremiah will survive the hardest one.

Translation Friction

Verse 5 required careful handling of yada ('knew') — this is not mere awareness but intimate, purposeful knowing, the same verb used for covenant relationship. We chose 'knew you' rather than 'chose you' to preserve the relational depth while noting the covenantal force. The almond branch wordplay (shaqed/shoqed) cannot be reproduced in English; we rendered the meaning and documented the pun in the translator notes and expanded rendering. The word na'ar ('youth, boy') in verse 6 is ambiguous regarding Jeremiah's exact age — it can mean anything from a child to a young man. We rendered 'only a youth' and noted the range. The verb natatti ('I have given/set') in verse 5 uses the prophetic perfect — a past tense describing a future or ongoing reality — which we rendered as present: 'I have appointed you.'

Connections

The call narrative parallels Moses (Exodus 3-4, similar reluctance and divine assurance), Isaiah (Isaiah 6, temple commissioning), and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1-3, visionary call). The 'before you were born' language anticipates Paul's self-understanding in Galatians 1:15. The 'foe from the north' motif connects to Ezekiel 38-39 (Gog from the north) and the broader ancient Near Eastern tradition of invasion from the north. The fortified city metaphor for the prophet anticipates the siege of Jerusalem itself — Jeremiah becomes a miniature of the city he is sent to warn, besieged but not destroyed. **Tradition comparisons:** The Septuagint preserves a significantly different text tradition for Jeremiah. LXX Jeremiah is approximately 2,700 words (roughly 12-15%) shorter than MT Jeremiah overall. The LXX preserves what many scholars believe is the OLDER, SHORTER text of Jeremiah. This is confirmed by 4QJerb from Qumran, which follows the LXX's shorter text and different arrangement of the Oracles Against the Nations. The MT represents a later, expanded edition. Two distinct Hebrew Vorlagen existed: a shorter text (behind LXX and 4QJerb) and a longer text (behind MT and 4QJera). This makes Jeremiah the most dramatically divergent book between LXX and MT in the entire Hebrew Bible. See the [LXX Jeremiah comparison](/lxx-jeremiah/1). Targum Jonathan provides interpretive renderings: Jeremiah's calling is rendered literally. Divine foreknowledge is not an anthropomorphism requiring adjustment — it is an attribute of God's eternal knowledge. (3 notable renderings in this chapter) See [Targum Jonathan on Jeremiah](/targum/jeremiah). The Latin Vulgate shaped Western theology here: Priusquam te formarem in utero novi te became a foundational text for the theology of divine foreknowledge, predestination, and (later) the sanctity of prenatal life. Novi te (I knew you) with its int... (2 notable Vulgate renderings in this chapter) See the [Vulgate Jeremiah](/vulgate/jeremiah).

Jeremiah 1:1

דִּבְרֵ֥י יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּ֑הוּ מִן־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּעֲנָת֔וֹת בְּאֶ֖רֶץ בִּנְיָמִֽן׃

The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.

KJV The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The superscription identifies Jeremiah by patronym, priestly lineage, and geographic origin. Anathoth was a Levitical city assigned to the descendants of Aaron (Joshua 21:18), about three miles northeast of Jerusalem. The priestly background is significant — Jeremiah will later clash with the Jerusalem priesthood as an outsider priest from a peripheral town. Some scholars connect his father Hilkiah with the high priest who discovered the Book of the Law under Josiah (2 Kings 22:8), though this is uncertain.
Jeremiah 1:2

אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו בִּימֵ֛י יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־אָמ֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה בִּשְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה לְמָלְכֽוֹ׃

The word of the LORD came to him in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

KJV 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The thirteenth year of Josiah is approximately 627 BCE, five years before Josiah's major religious reforms (622 BCE). This means Jeremiah's prophetic career began before the discovery of the Book of the Law in the temple (2 Kings 22:3-13). The standard prophetic reception formula devar-YHWH ('the word of the LORD') indicates direct divine communication.
Jeremiah 1:3

וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵ֨י יְהוֹיָקִ֤ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֙הוּ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה עַד־תֹּם֙ עַשְׁתֵּֽי־עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לְצִדְקִיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה עַד־גְּל֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִֽׁי׃

It continued through the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah — until Jerusalem was taken into exile in the fifth month.

KJV 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The superscription spans approximately forty years (627-586 BCE), covering the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin are omitted, likely because their reigns were too brief (three months each). The 'fifth month' refers to Av (July-August) 586 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar's forces destroyed the temple and deported the remaining population. The Hebrew galut ('exile, captivity') is the defining catastrophe of Judah's history.
Jeremiah 1:4

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

The word of the LORD came to me:

KJV Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The narrative shifts to first person — Jeremiah now speaks directly. The formula devar-YHWH ('the word of the LORD') followed by le'mor ('saying') introduces direct divine speech. The le'mor is rendered as a colon in English rather than the redundant 'saying.'

Septuagint (LXX, shorter text)minor

LXX adds καὶ before the verb, a minor syntactic smoothing.

Jeremiah 1:5

בְּטֶ֨רֶם אֶצָּרְךָ֤ בַבֶּ֙טֶן֙ יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם תֵּצֵ֥א מֵרֶ֖חֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֑יךָ נָבִ֥יא לַגּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you came out from the womb, I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

KJV Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Notes & Key Terms 2 terms

Key Terms

יָדַע yada
"knew" — to know, to be intimate with, to recognize, to choose, to acknowledge in covenant

When God is the subject and a person is the object, yada often carries covenantal force — not merely cognitive awareness but purposeful, relational knowing. Compare Amos 3:2: 'You only have I known of all the families of the earth.'

הִקְדִּישׁ hiqdish
"set apart" — to sanctify, consecrate, set apart, make holy, dedicate

From the root q-d-sh. To set apart for divine service before birth — Jeremiah's holiness is not earned but assigned. The same root gives us qadosh ('holy') and miqdash ('sanctuary').

Translator Notes

  1. Three verbs define God's prenatal action toward Jeremiah: yada ('knew' — intimate, purposeful knowledge), hiqdashti ('I set apart, consecrated'), and netattikha ('I appointed, gave'). The last verb uses the prophetic perfect — grammatically past tense but describing a reality that extends into the present and future. 'To the nations' (lagoyim) gives Jeremiah's ministry an international scope beyond Judah alone, which the oracles against the nations (chapters 46-51) fulfill. The threefold structure — known, consecrated, appointed — moves from the inward (relationship) to the outward (mission).

Targum Jonathan (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)literal

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."

Jeremiah's calling is rendered literally. Divine foreknowledge is not an anthropomorphism requiring adjustment — it is an attribute of God's eternal knowledge.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 405 CE)

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you"

Priusquam te formarem in utero novi te became a foundational text for the theology of divine foreknowledge, predestination, and (later) the sanctity of prenatal life. Novi te (I knew you) with its intimate Latin connotation of personal knowledge shaped Western predestination theology.

Jeremiah 1:6

וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הִנֵּ֥ה לֹא־יָדַ֖עְתִּי דַּבֵּ֑ר כִּי־נַ֖עַר אָנֹֽכִי׃

But I said, "Oh, Lord GOD! I do not know how to speak — I am only a youth."

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

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

נַעַר na'ar
"youth" — boy, youth, young man, servant, attendant

The term is flexible in age — it can describe an infant (Exodus 2:6), a teenager (Genesis 37:2), or a young soldier (2 Samuel 18:5). Jeremiah's point is his lack of experience and authority, not a precise age claim.

Translator Notes

  1. The exclamation ahahh is a cry of distress or protest, not a polite demurral. The Hebrew na'ar can mean anything from a boy to a young man of military age; its exact age range is debated. Jeremiah's protest echoes Moses ('I am not a man of words,' Exodus 4:10) and establishes the pattern of prophetic reluctance. The address Adonai YHWH ('Lord GOD') combines the title of sovereign authority with the divine name.
Jeremiah 1:7

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר נַ֣עַר אָנֹ֑כִי כִּ֠י עַל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוְּךָ֖ תְּדַבֵּֽר׃

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a youth.' To everyone I send you to, you will go, and everything I command you, you will speak.

KJV But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. God does not dispute Jeremiah's youth — he overrides its relevance. The construction is emphatic: 'to all that I send you, you will go' — there will be no exceptions or preferred assignments. The commission parallels Moses' commission in Exodus 4:12 ('I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say'). Jeremiah's adequacy comes from the sender, not the sent.
Jeremiah 1:8

אַל־תִּירָ֖א מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י לְהַצִּלֶ֖ךָ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃

Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to rescue you," declares the LORD.

KJV Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Hebrew mippenehem (literally 'from their faces') suggests the intimidation of facing hostile audiences. God's promise itti ani ('I am with you') is the foundational assurance formula of the Hebrew Bible (cf. Genesis 26:3, 28:15, Exodus 3:12, Isaiah 41:10). The verb lehatzilekha ('to rescue you') implies Jeremiah will face real danger — the promise is not protection from trouble but deliverance through it. The formula ne'um YHWH ('declares the LORD') seals the divine speech.

Septuagint (LXX, shorter text)minor

LXX reads 'do not be afraid before them' (ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν) where MT has 'of their faces' (מִפְּנֵיהֶם). Same sense, slightly different idiom.

Jeremiah 1:9

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יְהוָה֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ וַיַּגַּ֖ע עַל־פִּ֑י וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י הִנֵּ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי דְבָרַ֖י בְּפִֽיךָ׃

Then the LORD stretched out his hand and touched my mouth. The LORD said to me, "See — I have placed my words in your mouth.

KJV Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The physical gesture of touching the mouth parallels Isaiah's commissioning, where a seraph touches Isaiah's lips with a burning coal (Isaiah 6:6-7). In Jeremiah's case there is no purification — the act is commissioning, not cleansing. The verb natatti ('I have placed') uses the prophetic perfect, indicating a completed divine action. Jeremiah's words from this point forward carry divine authority because they originate with God, not the prophet.

Targum Jonathan (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)anti-anthropomorphism

"And the LORD sent forth the word of his prophecy and placed it upon my mouth."

God's hand reaching out and touching Jeremiah's mouth becomes 'the word of his prophecy' being placed upon Jeremiah's mouth. The physical gesture is replaced with verbal prophetic commissioning — the Word, not the hand, empowers the prophet.

Jeremiah 1:10

רְאֵ֞ה הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָ ׀ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה עַל־הַגּוֹיִ֤ם וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכוֹת֙ לִנְת֣וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֔וֹץ וּלְהַאֲבִ֖יד וְלַהֲר֑וֹס לִבְנ֖וֹת וְלִנְטֹֽעַ׃

See, today I have appointed you over nations and over kingdoms — to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

KJV See, I have this day set thee 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.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

לִנְתוֹשׁ lintosh
"to uproot" — to uproot, to pluck up, to tear out by the roots

An agricultural metaphor: nations are like plants that God can pull out by the roots. The same verb appears in the restoration promise of 31:28.

Translator Notes

  1. Six infinitives define Jeremiah's mandate: four destructive (natosh 'uproot,' natots 'tear down,' ha'avid 'destroy,' haros 'overthrow') and two constructive (banot 'build,' nata 'plant'). The four-to-two ratio reflects the book's overwhelming emphasis on judgment before restoration. These six verbs recur throughout Jeremiah as a thematic refrain (cf. 18:7-9, 24:6, 31:28, 42:10, 45:4). The scope — 'over nations and kingdoms' — matches the international mandate of verse 5.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 405 CE)

"To uproot and to destroy and to scatter and to overthrow, and to build and to plant"

The six verbs (four destructive, two constructive) in Latin became a paradigm for prophetic ministry in Western theology: divine judgment precedes restoration. The ratio of destruction to construction shaped penitential theology.

Jeremiah 1:11

וַיְהִ֤י דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֔ר מָה־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ וָאֹמַ֕ר מַקֵּ֥ל שָׁקֵ֖ד אֲנִ֥י רֹאֶֽה׃

The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" I said, "I see the branch of an almond tree."

KJV Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

שָׁקֵד shaqed
"almond tree" — almond tree, almond blossom; from the root sh-q-d ('to watch, be wakeful')

The almond tree's name derives from the root meaning 'to be watchful, alert.' It is called the 'watcher' because it blooms first, as if watching eagerly for spring. The pun with shoqed (v. 12) is central to the vision's meaning.

Translator Notes

  1. The first of two confirmatory visions. The almond tree (shaqed) is the 'wakeful tree' because it blossoms earliest in the year, often while snow still covers the ground. The wordplay shaqed/shoqed is the interpretive key — God asks what Jeremiah sees, and the answer itself becomes a prophetic message. This type of vision-with-wordplay also appears in Amos 8:1-2 (qayits/qets, 'summer fruit'/'end').
Jeremiah 1:12

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יְהוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י הֵיטַ֣בְתָּ לִרְא֑וֹת כִּֽי־שֹׁקֵ֥ד אֲנִ֛י עַל־דְּבָרִ֖י לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃

The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching over my word to carry it out."

KJV Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The KJV's 'I will hasten' obscures the wordplay. The verb shoqed does not primarily mean 'hasten' but 'watch, be wakeful, be alert.' God is not saying he will speed up his word but that he is actively watching over it to ensure its fulfillment. The pun shaqed/shoqed cannot be reproduced in English — no single English word captures both 'almond tree' and 'watching.' The phrase heitavta lir'ot ('you have seen well/correctly') affirms that Jeremiah's prophetic sight is functioning.
Jeremiah 1:13

וַיְהִ֨י דְבַר־יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלַי֙ שֵׁנִ֣ית לֵאמֹ֔ר מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה וָאֹמַ֗ר סִ֤יר נָפ֙וּחַ֙ אֲנִ֣י רֹאֶ֔ה וּפָנָ֖יו מִפְּנֵ֥י צָפֽוֹנָה׃

The word of the LORD came to me a second time: "What do you see?" I said, "I see a boiling pot, and it is tilting away from the north."

KJV And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The second vision. The Hebrew sir naphuach is a pot being heated until its contents boil over. The phrase upanav mippenei tsaphonah ('its face from the face of the north') is directional — the pot is tilting from the north, meaning its scalding contents will pour southward toward Judah. This is the first appearance of the 'foe from the north' motif that dominates Jeremiah's early oracles (4:6, 6:1, 6:22, 10:22). The 'north' becomes almost a theological symbol in Jeremiah — the direction from which destruction comes.

Septuagint (LXX, shorter text)minor

LXX reads ἀπὸ προσώπου βορρᾶ 'from the face of the north' — identical sense to MT.

Jeremiah 1:14

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י מִצָּפ֛וֹן תִּפָּתַ֥ח הָרָעָ֖ה עַ֥ל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

The LORD said to me, "From the north, disaster will be unleashed upon all the inhabitants of the land.

KJV Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb tippatach ('will be opened, unleashed') suggests something being broken open or let loose — like the boiling pot spilling its contents. The ra'ah ('disaster, calamity') here is not moral evil but the coming military catastrophe. The phrase 'all the inhabitants of the land' indicates comprehensive judgment — no one in Judah will be untouched.
Jeremiah 1:15

כִּ֣י ׀ הִנְנִ֣י קֹרֵ֗א לְכָֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת מַמְלְכ֥וֹת צָפ֖וֹנָה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה וּבָ֡אוּ וְֽנָתְנוּ֩ אִ֨ישׁ כִּסְא֜וֹ פֶּ֣תַח ׀ שַׁעֲרֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם וְעַ֤ל כָּל־חוֹמֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ סָבִ֔יב וְעַ֖ל כָּל־עָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃

For I am about to summon all the clans of the kingdoms of the north," declares the LORD. "They will come and each will set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its surrounding walls, and against all the cities of Judah.

KJV For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The image is of conquering kings setting up their judgment seats at the gates of a conquered city — the gates were the place of legal authority and public judgment. God himself is summoning (qore') these foreign powers as instruments of his covenant judgment. The plural 'kingdoms of the north' does not identify a single nation but a coalition; historically this was fulfilled by the Neo-Babylonian empire and its vassals.
Jeremiah 1:16

וְדִבַּרְתִּ֤י מִשְׁפָּטַי֙ אוֹתָ֔ם עַ֖ל כָּל־רָעָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲזָב֗וּנִי וַֽיְקַטְּרוּ֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לְמַעֲשֵׂ֥י יְדֵיהֶֽם׃

I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness, because they have abandoned me, burned incense to other gods, and bowed down to the works of their own hands.

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

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Three charges are listed: abandonment of God (azavuni, 'they abandoned me'), worship of other gods through incense offerings (vayeqatteru le'lohim acherim), and idolatry — bowing to 'the works of their own hands' (ma'asei yedehem). The last phrase is devastating: the gods they worship are things they themselves manufactured. The irony runs throughout Jeremiah — Israel trades a living God for objects they carved.
Jeremiah 1:17

וְאַתָּ֞ה תֶּאְזֹ֣ר מָתְנֶ֗יךָ וְקַמְתָּ֙ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י אֲצַוֶּ֑ךָּ אַל־תֵּחַת֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם פֶּן־אֲחִתְּךָ֖ לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

As for you — prepare yourself! Stand up and speak to them everything that I command you. Do not be shattered by them, or I will shatter you before them.

KJV Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The idiom te'ezor motnekha (literally 'gird your loins') means to tuck your robe into your belt for action — rendered here as 'prepare yourself.' The warning is striking: if Jeremiah loses courage before the people (techat mippenehem), God himself will break Jeremiah before them (achittekha lipnehem). The verb ch-t-t ('to be shattered, dismayed, broken') is used in both halves, creating an internal wordplay — fear of people will bring worse consequences than fear of God.
Jeremiah 1:18

וַאֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה נְתַתִּ֣יךָ הַיּ֗וֹם לְעִ֨יר מִבְצָ֜ר וּלְעַמּ֥וּד בַּרְזֶ֛ל וּלְחֹמ֥וֹת נְחֹ֖שֶׁת עַל־כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמַלְכֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂרֶ֔יהָ לְכֹהֲנֶ֖יהָ וּלְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land — against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.

KJV For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen 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.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Three metaphors of indestructibility: fortified city (ir mivtsar), iron pillar (ammud barzel), and bronze walls (chomot nechoshet). These are all siege-resistant structures — God is saying Jeremiah will be besieged but not breached. The list of opponents is comprehensive: kings, officials (sarim), priests, and common people ('am ha'arets). Every stratum of society will oppose Jeremiah, and he will outlast them all. The word sarim ('officials, princes, commanders') refers to the ruling class rather than royal offspring.
Jeremiah 1:19

וְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹא־י֣וּכְלוּ לָ֑ךְ כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה לְהַצִּילֶֽךָ׃

They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue you," declares the LORD.

KJV And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The chapter closes by returning to the assurance formula of verse 8: itti ani ('I am with you'). The verb nilchamu ('they will fight') promises not peace but warfare — Jeremiah's entire career will be one of opposition. The promise is not immunity from attack but survival through it. The verb lehatzilekha ('to rescue you') frames the chapter's conclusion with the same verb that opened the divine promise in verse 8, creating an inclusio of divine protection around the entire commissioning.

Targum Jonathan (Aramaic, 1st-5th c. CE)memra

"For my Memra is in your help, says the LORD, to deliver you."

The promise of divine presence to the prophet follows the standard Memra formula. Jeremiah's prophetic ministry is sustained by the Memra's accompaniment.

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