FocusCommission and opposition
Connection to the wholeThe call establishes the prophet's task and the opposition he will face in delivering the LORD's words.
interpretation Jeremiah 1:5
KJVBefore 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.
Read it in context
The Call of Jeremiah
Start reading at Jeremiah 1:1 (Jeremiah 1:1 to Jeremiah 1:19).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
The call establishes the prophet's task and the opposition he will face in delivering the LORD's words.
- 1:1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
- 1:2 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.
- 1:3 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.
- 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
- 1:5 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.
- 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
- 1:7 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.
- 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
- 1:9 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.
- 1:10 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.
- 1:11 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.
- 1:12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
- 1:13 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.
- 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
- 1:15 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.
- 1:16 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.
- 1:17 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.
- 1:18 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.
- 1:19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
Who
- Who wrote the book? Jeremiah son of Hilkiah is the prophet behind the book, with Baruch serving as his scribe. The complete collection includes narrative and a historical appendix as well as Jeremiah's dictated words. Biblical references: Jeremiah 1:1; Jeremiah 36:4; Jeremiah 36:32. stated in the text
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Jeremiah 1:1–1:19): The LORD addresses Jeremiah personally in his call and commissions him concerning nations and kingdoms. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? Judah and Jerusalem before and during the Babylonian crisis, exiles in Babylon, and later readers of the preserved prophetic collection. Individual oracles name additional recipients. Biblical references: Jeremiah 2:2; Jeremiah 29:1; Jeremiah 46:1. stated in the text
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? The Call of Jeremiah. Read Jeremiah 1:1 through Jeremiah 1:19 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? The call establishes the prophet's task and the opposition he will face in delivering the LORD's words. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? The opening dates Jeremiah's ministry from Josiah's reign toward the captivity of Jerusalem. Individual messages also name particular reigns and events, and the book is not arranged as a simple diary. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? Judah and Jerusalem dominate, with messages to exiles in Babylon, accounts involving Egypt, and oracles concerning other nations. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in The Call of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1 to Jeremiah 1:19). Start reading at Jeremiah 1:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? Hebrews explicitly quotes Jeremiah's new-covenant promise in its explanation of Christ's priestly work. The quotation retains the named houses of Israel and Judah; later application should account for that wording. See Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:8, Hebrews 8:10. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Listen to unwelcome truth and distinguish it from reassuring claims unsupported by God's word. Do not detach promises of restoration from the judgment, exile, and response described around them. interpretation
Cited: Jeremiah 1:1, Jeremiah 1:19, Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:8, Hebrews 8:10
Who wrote it, and how we know
Jeremiah, with Baruch as scribe
Named in Scripture
What Scripture saysThe book names Jeremiah and records that Baruch wrote at his dictation.
Jeremiah 1:1Jeremiah 36:4Jeremiah 36:32
Early traditionTradition names Jeremiah with Baruch as scribe.
What is debatedThe closing chapter parallels 2 Kings and appears to be added.
Related passages
- Before I Ps 71:5-6 Isa 49:1,5 Luke 1:76 Gal 1:15-16
- I knew Exod 33:12,17 Rom 8:29 2 Tim 2:19-21
- and before Luke 1:15,41 Rom 1:1
- and I ordained Eph 1:22 Eph 4:11-12
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Jeremiah 1
Jeremiah records words associated with his prophetic ministry and accounts surrounding Judah's fall. The book is not arranged as one continuous dated diary. Read each oracle's audience, occasion, and conditions rather than assigning every promise to every reader. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Jeremiah 1:1 Jeremiah 1:2 Jeremiah 36:4
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Jeremiah
Jeremiah records words associated with his prophetic ministry and accounts surrounding Judah's fall. The book is not arranged as one continuous dated diary. Read each oracle's audience, occasion, and conditions rather than assigning every promise to every reader.
Jeremiah 1:1 Jeremiah 1:2 Jeremiah 36:4
FocusCommission and opposition
Connection to the wholeThe call establishes the prophet's task and the opposition he will face in delivering the LORD's words.
interpretation Judah's unfaithfulness and announced judgment
Jeremiah 2:1–25:38FocusWarning, intercession, and refusal
Connection to the wholeOracles and enacted signs expose covenant unfaithfulness and the coming judgment, including the warning about Babylon.
interpretation The prophet contested
Jeremiah 26:1–29:32FocusTrue and false messages
Connection to the wholeNarratives and letters contrast competing claims about the LORD's word and address life under Babylonian power, including the exiles' situation.
interpretation Promises of restoration
Jeremiah 30:1–33:26FocusReturn, covenant, and hope
Connection to the wholeWords of restoration appear amid announced judgment, including the new covenant promise; their wording and named audience must remain visible.
interpretation Jerusalem's fall and its aftermath
Jeremiah 34:1–45:5FocusRejected words and continuing disobedience
Connection to the wholeThe accounts follow conflicts around the prophetic word, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the choices of survivors, with a word to Baruch.
interpretation Oracles against the nations
Jeremiah 46:1–51:64FocusJudgment on the surrounding powers
Connection to the wholeThe collected oracles extend the judgment announcements beyond Judah and culminate in the words against Babylon.
interpretation The fall of Jerusalem recounted
Jeremiah 52:1–34FocusDestruction and the exiled king
Connection to the wholeThe historical appendix recounts the disaster and closes with Jehoiachin's release, placing the preceding messages beside their historical aftermath.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.