The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
The verse introduces Jeremiah as the son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family of the tribe of Levi living at Anathoth in Benjamin, which sets him apart from another Jeremiah who came from Libnah. Anathoth was his home a few miles north of Jerusalem, though his work centered in Jerusalem, and he prophesied later than Isaiah in the closing days of Judah from Josiah through Jehoiakim to Zedekiah, beginning when he was still very young. He was one whom God specially called and fitted for an important place at a particular time, yet at his call he shrank back as a child from deep awareness of his ignorance, weakness, and the greatness of the responsibility. The Lord encouraged him with the assurance of His presence, appointed him as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and brazen walls against a rebellious people, and showed him that nations would be plucked up or planted by his words and that his opposers would fight him and make him suffer but would not prevail. His choice as a youthful priest shows that the prophetic office is not confined to priests or to any class, tribe, family, sex, or station, but is given by God's sovereign wisdom to whomever will consecrate every power to divine leading, and through him God sent many warnings, exhortations, promises of pardon upon obedience, and threats of destruction upon persistent backsliding.
Identity, Place, and Time
The verse presents Jeremiah as the son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family from Anathoth in Benjamin in the land of Benjamin. He belonged to the tribe of Levi and to a priestly line, which marks him out from another Jeremiah who came from Libnah. Anathoth was his home, lying near and north of Jerusalem. It lay three miles from Jerusalem just beyond Gibeah and about a mile from Nob on the way toward Jerusalem, and remained as the small place called Anata, while his prophetic work was centered in Jerusalem.
His name carries the meanings Jehovah rejecteth, fitting Judah's fate, and whom Jehovah appoints or whom Jehovah exalts, fitting his appointment. He was a later prophet than Isaiah, prophesying in the closing days of Judah before the Babylonian captivity. He began with Josiah and continued through Jehoiakim to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah who was carried away into Babylon. The opening chapters thus follow the history of Judah from Jehoshaphat through its kings to its close in B.C. 586.
The book's chapters are not always arranged in chronological order, so events from Zedekiah's reign may be recorded before events from Jehoiakim's reign. He began his prophetic work at an early age, when he was a very young man and a youthful priest.
Call, Office, and Message
Jeremiah stands among those whom God specially called and fitted for an important place in His work at a particular time. At his call he resisted the honor, called himself a child, and said he was not able to go. He shrank from undertaking the work from a deep awareness of his own ignorance and weakness and of its great responsibility, so that only God's authority could move one so conscious of his insufficiency to accept the ministry.
The Lord encouraged him with the assurance of His presence with him and that by the words he would speak nations would be plucked up and broken down or built and planted. God set before him a very hard task with plenty to dismay him, but he must not be dismayed. He was to do his work before a rebellious and gainsaying people and to stand as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and brazen walls. They would fight against him and he would suffer, but they would not prevail.
The prophetic office was not confined to priests or to any particular class or calling, but priests were among those called to it along with kings, herdsmen, nomads, and women. The wide spread of the gift was to destroy the caste spirit, for God chooses whomever will consecrate every power to divine leading without regard to birth or family name, so His counsel was confined to no tribe, family, sex, nor station in life. His choice as a youthful priest to be a prophet proves that prophetic office and spiritual gifts are not of human choice but of God's sovereign wisdom, who takes people from varied and lowly walks of life and then uses them all mightily.
Through him the Lord gave many warnings and exhortations to Judah before the time of Zedekiah. His opening declarations concern the awful backsliding of Judah. His opening record presents promises to Judah if the people obey God and threats of destruction if they persist in disobedience. The promise is singled out that God would pardon Jerusalem if even one person could be found who practiced justice and sought truth, as in Jeremiah 5:1, alongside his grief over Jerusalem's wickedness and its slain people, as in Jeremiah 9:1.
The verse introduces Jeremiah as the son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family of the tribe of Levi living at Anathoth in Benjamin, which sets him apart from another Jeremiah who came from Libnah. Anathoth was his home a few miles north of Jerusalem, though his work centered in Jerusalem, and he prophesied later than Isaiah in the closing days of Judah from Josiah through Jehoiakim to Zedekiah, beginning when he was still very young. He was one whom God specially called and fitted for an important place at a particular time, yet at his call he shrank back as a child from deep awareness of his ignorance, weakness, and the greatness of the responsibility. The Lord encouraged him with the assurance of His presence, appointed him as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and brazen walls against a rebellious people, and showed him that nations would be plucked up or planted by his words and that his opposers would fight him and make him suffer but would not prevail. His choice as a youthful priest shows that the prophetic office is not confined to priests or to any class, tribe, family, sex, or station, but is given by God's sovereign wisdom to whomever will consecrate every power to divine leading, and through him God sent many warnings, exhortations, promises of pardon upon obedience, and threats of destruction upon persistent backsliding.
Identity, Place, and Time
The verse presents Jeremiah as the son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family from Anathoth in Benjamin in the land of Benjamin. He belonged to the tribe of Levi and to a priestly line, which marks him out from another Jeremiah who came from Libnah. Anathoth was his home, lying near and north of Jerusalem. It lay three miles from Jerusalem just beyond Gibeah and about a mile from Nob on the way toward Jerusalem, and remained as the small place called Anata, while his prophetic work was centered in Jerusalem.
His name carries the meanings Jehovah rejecteth, fitting Judah's fate, and whom Jehovah appoints or whom Jehovah exalts, fitting his appointment. He was a later prophet than Isaiah, prophesying in the closing days of Judah before the Babylonian captivity. He began with Josiah and continued through Jehoiakim to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah who was carried away into Babylon. The opening chapters thus follow the history of Judah from Jehoshaphat through its kings to its close in B.C. 586.
The book's chapters are not always arranged in chronological order, so events from Zedekiah's reign may be recorded before events from Jehoiakim's reign. He began his prophetic work at an early age, when he was a very young man and a youthful priest.
Call, Office, and Message
Jeremiah stands among those whom God specially called and fitted for an important place in His work at a particular time. At his call he resisted the honor, called himself a child, and said he was not able to go. He shrank from undertaking the work from a deep awareness of his own ignorance and weakness and of its great responsibility, so that only God's authority could move one so conscious of his insufficiency to accept the ministry.
The Lord encouraged him with the assurance of His presence with him and that by the words he would speak nations would be plucked up and broken down or built and planted. God set before him a very hard task with plenty to dismay him, but he must not be dismayed. He was to do his work before a rebellious and gainsaying people and to stand as a fortified city, an iron pillar, and brazen walls. They would fight against him and he would suffer, but they would not prevail.
The prophetic office was not confined to priests or to any particular class or calling, but priests were among those called to it along with kings, herdsmen, nomads, and women. The wide spread of the gift was to destroy the caste spirit, for God chooses whomever will consecrate every power to divine leading without regard to birth or family name, so His counsel was confined to no tribe, family, sex, nor station in life. His choice as a youthful priest to be a prophet proves that prophetic office and spiritual gifts are not of human choice but of God's sovereign wisdom, who takes people from varied and lowly walks of life and then uses them all mightily.
Through him the Lord gave many warnings and exhortations to Judah before the time of Zedekiah. His opening declarations concern the awful backsliding of Judah. His opening record presents promises to Judah if the people obey God and threats of destruction if they persist in disobedience. The promise is singled out that God would pardon Jerusalem if even one person could be found who practiced justice and sought truth, as in Jeremiah 5:1, alongside his grief over Jerusalem's wickedness and its slain people, as in Jeremiah 9:1.