Jeremiah 1:11-16

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jeremiah 1:11-19

Here, I. God gives Jeremiah, in vision, a view of the principal errand he was to go upon, which was to foretel the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, for their sins, especially their idolatry. This was at first represented to him in away proper to make an impression upon him, that he might have it upon his heart in all his dealings with this people. 1. He intimates to him that the people were ripening apace for ruin and that ruin was hastening apace towards them. God, having... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 1:11

Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me ,.... At the same time as before: saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? The Septuagint version leaves out the word "Jeremiah": and I said, I see a rod of an almond tree ; a dry stick, without leaves or fruit upon it, and yet he knew it to be an almond tree stick; though some think it had leaves and fruit on it, by which it was known. The Targum is, "and I said, a king hastening to do evil I see;' meaning Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 1:12

Then said the Lord unto me, thou hast well seen ,.... The thing seen is a very proper emblem of what I am about to do, and the quick dispatch that will be made therein: for l will hasten my word to perform it ; the words שקד אני , "shoked ani", "I will hasten", or "I am hastening", are in allusion to שקד , "shoked", the name of the almond tree in Hebrew; which is so called because it is quick and early, and, as it were, hastens to bring forth its flowers, leaves, and fruit; in like... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 1:13

And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time ,.... In the same vision: saying, what seest thou ? besides the almond tree rod; which perhaps was now removed out of sight, and another object appears: and I said, I see a seething pot ; a pot with fire under it, boiling and bubbling up: and the face thereof was towards the north ; either the mouth of the pot where it boiled up, which might be turned to the north in the vision; or that side of the pot, as Kimchi thinks, on... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 1:14

Then the Lord said unto me ,.... Explaining the above vision: out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land ; that is, out of Babylon, which lay north, as Jarchi says, and so the Talmud F20 T. Bab. Gittin, fol. 6. 1. and Bava Bathra, fol. 25. 2. ; or north east, as Kimchi and Ben Melech, to the land of Israel; from hence came Nebuchadnezzar and his army, which are meant by "the evil" that should break forth, or "be opened" F21 תפתח ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 1:15

For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord ,.... Which belonged unto and were under the jurisdiction of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and the "call" of them, as Kimchi well observes, is no other than putting it into their hearts to come: and they shall come ; being influenced and directed by the providence of God, who had a principal concern in this matter: and they shall set everyone his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jeremiah 1:16

And I will utter my judgments against them ,.... Not against the kingdoms of the north, but against the people of the Jews. The sense is, that God would enter into judgment with this people, and pass sentence upon them, and execute it: touching all their wickedness ; or on account of all their sins and transgressions hereafter mentioned: who have forsaken me . The Targum is, "who have forsaken my worship"; for to forsake the public worship of God, attendance on his word and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 1:11

A rod of an almond tree - שקד shaked , from שקד shakad , "to be ready," "to hasten," "to watch for an opportunity to do a thing," to awake; because the almond tree is the first to flower and bring forth fruit. Pliny says, Floret prima omnium amygdala mense Januario; Martio vero pomum maturat . It blossoms in January, when other trees are locked up in their winter's repose; and it bears fruit in March, just at the commencement of spring, when other trees only begin to bud. It was... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 1:12

I will hasten my word - Here is a paronomasia. What dost thou see? I see שקד shaked , "an almond," the hastening tree: that which first awakes. Thou hast well seen, for ( שקד shoked ) I will hasten my word. I will awake, or watch over my word for the first opportunity to inflict the judgments which I threaten. The judgment shall come speedily; it shall soon flourish, and come to maturity. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Jeremiah 1:13

A seething pot - toward the north - We find, from Ezekiel 24:3 , etc., that a boiling pot was an emblem of war, and the desolations it produces. Some have thought that by the seething pot Judea is intended, agitated by the invasion of the Chaldeans, whose land lay north of Judea. But Dr. Blayney contends that צפונה מפני mippeney tsaphonah should be translated, From the face of the north, as it is in the margin; for, from the next verse, it appears that the evil was to come from the... read more

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