“The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:”
Helcias, the high priest who discovered the book of the law, (Clement of Alexandria, Strom. i., &c.) though this be uncertain. — Anathoth, a village to the north of Jerusalem, to which many priests had retired, though it did not belong to them. (Calmet)
“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.”
Joakim. His immediate predecessor and successor, both called Jechonias, (Haydock) are passed over, as their reign was short, (Calmet) only lasting three months each. (Haydock) — Fifth. Jerusalem was taken on the 9th of the preceding month. But the temple was not burnt, nor the captives sent off till the fifth month, or the 10th of the civil year, chap. xxxix. 8., and lii. 13., and 4 Kings xxv. 2. (Calmet) — Jeremias also prophesied in Egypt, chap. xliv. (Worthington) — But this title alludes to his principal predictions. (Menochius)
“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. ordained: Heb. gave”
Knew, with affection, and designed thee for this office from eternity. Many think (Calmet) that Jeremias was purified from original sin before his birth. (St. Augustine) — He had this privilege, and was also a priest, prophet, virgin, and martyr. (Worthington) — Yet to sanctify, often means only to set aside, Exodus xiii. 2., and Ecclesiasticus xlix. 9. — Nations, whose overthrow he points out, chap. xxv. 27, 44, &c. (Calmet)
“Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.”
Ah. Hebrew ahah. Septuagint, “thou Being.” Protestants, “Then said I: Ah, Lord God.” (Haydock) — He does not imitate a child. He might be above 30 years old, though some say (Calmet) only 14, (Tirinus) or less; yet he finds himself devoid of eloquence, like Moses, Exodus xiv. 10. (Calmet)
“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.”
Mouth; perhaps (Haydock) with a coal, by means of an angel, (Isaias vi. 5.) in a sort of dream. He found himself changed into a new man.
“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.”
Root up, to announce the fall and restoration of many nations, Ezechiel iv. 2. (Calmet) — Jeremias spoke of the Gentiles, as well as of the Jews. (Worthington)
“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.”
Watching. Hebrew, “of an almond.” Septuagint, “nut-tree.” (Haydock) — The almond-tree flourishes in January, and bears fruit in March. (Theodoret) (Pliny, [Natural History?] xvi. 25.) — Thus God will speedily send his scourge from Babylon, to punish his people. (Calmet) —The sense is the same. (Menochius) — God’s law is outwardly bitter, but the kernel is sweet. (Theodoret) (Worthington)
“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. toward: Heb. from the face of the north”
North, whence the wind blows, to make the fire burn more intensely. Assyria lay to the north, and Babylon to the east of Judea; but the troops always penetrated the northern frontier, as they could not pass through the Desert Arabia. The caldron represented Jerusalem, Ezechiel xi. 3., and xxiv. 3.
“Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. shall: Heb. shall be opened”
North. The tributary kings were forced to attend, Judith ii. 7., and 3 Kings xx. 1. — About. The princes thus took Sedecias, and sent him to Reblatha, chap. xxxix. 3. (Calmet)
“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. confound: or, break to pieces”
Loins. Make haste, and take courage, Job xxxviii. 3. (Menochius)
“And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.”
Prevail. God does not promise peace, but victory. (Worthington)