Jeremiah 1:17 - Exposition

Gird up thy loins , as an Oriental does before making any kind of physical exertion, whether walking ( Exodus 12:11 ; 2 Kings 4:29 ), running ( 1 Kings 18:46 ), or fighting ( Job 12:21 ). Be not dismayed . A want of confidence on Jeremiah's part will issue in his utter discomfiture by his enemies. "Dismay" in Hebrew has a twofold reference, subjective ("dismay") and objective ("ruin," "discomfiture"). Both references can be illustrated from this verse. (Comp. the command and—verse 18—premise to Jeremiah with the command and promise to Ezekiel—3:8, Ezekiel 3:9 .)