Jeremiah 1:11

11. What seest thou A form of question many times used to call attention to a prophetic vision. See especially the book of Zechariah.

A rod of an almond tree The word שׁקד , “almond,” means primarily wakeful, vigilant, and is applied to this tree because it wakes up to life, and blossoms in January, while the other trees are still in their winter’s sleep. Hence it is a natural symbol of vigilance, and so God uses it to suggest his own ever-wakeful activity. The word מקל , ( makkel,) though ordinarily meaning “rod,” is here used in the sense of shoot or twig. Both Gesenius and Furst give to the root form the meaning to germinate. Other examples of the sense which seems to be demanded in this text are, Genesis 30:37; Jeremiah 48:17.