Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 1:8
Be not afraid of their faces: for I [am] with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
8. Be not afraid ] Jeremiah had pleaded his youth, but, as the Lord saw, another cause for his shrinking from the task was his natural timidity.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 8. Be not afraid of their faces] That is, the Jews, whom he knew would persecute him because of the message which he brought. To be fore-warned is to be half armed. He knew what he was to expect from the disobedient and the rebellious, and must now be prepared to meet it.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Be not afraid of their faces; their fierce looks, Eze 3:9, the indication of their enraged minds, Dan 3:19; neither when thou deliverest my message to them, nor when thou mayst be cited before them, Mat 10:18,19. This is Gods answer to Jeremiahs fears in respect of the persons he was to deal with, as the other was in respect of his own consciousness of insufficiency; and he mentions their faces, because the majestic countenance of princes and magistrates is apt to strike a great awe and terror upon children.
I am with thee; I will not only send thee as other kings do their ambassadors, but I will go with thee. This God promises to Moses, Exo 3:12; Deu 31:6,8.
To deliver thee: here God promises his protection for encouragement.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. (Eze 2:6;Eze 3:9).
I am with thee(Exo 3:12; Jos 1:5).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Be not afraid of their faces,…. Their stern looks, their frowning brows, and angry countenances, which would threaten him with destruction and death:
for I am with thee, to deliver thee, saith the Lord; out of their hands, when in the most imminent danger. The Targum paraphrases the words thus,
“my Word shall be thine help to deliver thee:”
which is true of Christ, the essential Word of God.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Just as little needs youthful bashfulness or shy unwillingness to speak before high and mighty personages stand as a hindrance in the way of his accepting God’s call. The Lord will be with him, so that he needs have no fear for any man. The suffix in refers to all to whom God sends him (Jer 1:7). These, enraged by the threatenings of punishment which he must proclaim to them, will seek to persecute him and put him to death (cf. Jer 1:19); but God promises to rescue him from every distress and danger which the fulfilment of his duties can bring upon him. Yet God does not let the matter cease with this pledge; but, further, He consecrates him to his calling.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
We may learn from this verse that Jeremiah, when he observed the heavy and hard conflicts he had to undertake, was greatly disturbed; for he had not courage enough firmly and boldly to assail enemies so many and so violent. He indeed saw, that he had to do with a degenerated people, who had almost all departed from the law of God: and since they had for many years shaken off the yoke, and were petulantly exulting in their freedom, it was difficult to bring them back to obedience, and to a right course of life. It hence appears that the Prophet was restrained by this difficulty, so as not to venture to undertake the prophetic office. But God applied a suitable remedy to his fear; for what does he say? Fear not their face It appears, then, that when Jeremiah said that he was a child, he had in view, as I have already hinted, the difficulty of the undertaking; he could hardly bear to carry on contests so severe with that rebellious people, who had now become hardened in their wickedness. We hence see how he refused, in an indirect manner, the burden laid on him, for he ventured, not openly and ingenuously, and in plain words, to confess how the matter was; but God, who penetrates into the hearts of men, and knows all their hidden feelings and motives, heals his timidity by saying, Fear not their face. (11)
Now this passage shews that corruptions had so prevailed among the chosen people, that no servant of God could peaceably perform his office. When prophets and teachers have to do with a teachable people, they have no need to fight: but when there is no fear of God, and no regard for him, yea, when men are led away by the violence of their lusts, no godly teacher can exercise his duty without being prepared for war. This, then, is what God intimates, when he bids his Prophet to be courageous; for he saw that there would be as many enemies as professed themselves to be the children of Abraham.
The reason, also, for boldness and confidence, that is added, ought to be noticed, For I am with thee to deliver thee By these words God reminds the Prophet, that there would be sufficient protection in his power, so that he had no need to dread the fury of his own nation. It was, indeed, at first, a formidable undertaking, when Jeremiah saw that he had to carry on war, not with a few men, but with the whole people; but God sets himself in opposition to all men, and says, I am with thee, (12) fear not. We hence see that due honor is then conceded to God, when being content with his defense we disregard the fury of men, and hesitate not to contend with all the ungodly, yea, though they may rise up in a mass against us: and were their forces and power the strongest, we ought yet to feel assured that the defense of God alone is sufficient to protect us. This is the full meaning of the passage. It now follows-
(11) The proper rendering is, “Fear not before them,” or, on their account: סמני is invariably a preposition, before, from before, because of, on account of, for, by, through; Deu 2:21; Exo 14:19; Deu 7:19; Jer 6:13; and it is often, though not always, so rendered in our version. The very same phrase is found in Jos 11:6, and rendered, “Be not afraid, because of them;” and also in this book, Jer 41:18, “They were afraid of them.” It may, indeed, be rendered, “Fear them not,” or, “Be not afraid of them.” To introduce “face” or “faces” is by no means right. Gataker’s rendering is, “Fear not before them;” and Blayney’s, “Be not thou afraid because of them.” — Ed
(12) “Earthly kings and sovereigns,” observes Gataker on this verse, “are not wont to go with those whom they send on embassage; God goeth along with those whom he sends, and is by his powerful protection, at all times and in all places, present with them.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) Be not afraid.The words imply, as in those spoken to Ezekiel (Eze. 2:6), to St. Peter (Luk. 5:10), and St. Paul (Act. 18:9), the fear that sprang from the sense of personal weakness and unfitness to cope with the dangers to which his work exposed him. The faces of his adversaries would be a source of terror to him. The consciousness that Jehovah was with him was to raise him from that timidity.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 1:8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I [am] with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
Ver. 8. Be not afraid of their faces. ] Look they never so big, as did Henry VIII upon Latimer and upon Lambert, who yet told him his own; as did Stephen Gardiner upon Dr Taylor, martyr, but had as good as he brought. a The majesty of a man, as also his wrath, showeth itself in his countenance; and young men especially are apt to be baffled and dashed with fierce looks.
For I am with thee to deliver thee.
a Acts and Mon.
Be not afraid, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Exo 3:12; Deu 31:6). App-92. Compare Ezekiel (Eze 2:6); Paul (Act 26:17).
saith the LORD = [is] Jehovah’s oracle.
Jer 1:8-10
Jer 1:8-10
“Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah. Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth: see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
“Jehovah … touched my mouth …” (Jer 1:9). The Holy Bible reveals that nothing is more powerful than the touch of the Lord’s hand. Our Saviour blessed the children by a touch, placing his hands upon them (Luk 18:15); he cured all kinds of diseases by a mere touch, sometimes even by the touching of his garment (Mat 2:8; Mat 2:15); and he even raised the dead, taking the deceased daughter of Jairus by the hand (Luk 7:14).
“To pluck up, to break down, to destroy, to overthrow, to build and to plant” (Jer 1:10). These six mighty infinitives outline the scope of Jeremiah’s commission, which was very largely one of destruction; but as indicated by the last two, “giving ground for hope following judgment.”
The situation which called for such drastic action upon God’s part was the result of the general moral decay and apostasy which had engulfed, not merely Judah, but the whole world as well. When the first general apostasy came upon mankind, God’s answer was the Great Deluge. The second such defection from the knowledge of God resulted in God’s choice of a Chosen People who were commissioned to preserve and propagate the knowledge of the true God until the times of Messiah; but in that mission Israel utterly failed; and in the awful conditions in the times of Jeremiah, God would respond by the abrogation of the covenant with the Once Chosen People, and the final termination of their status of enjoying God as their husband. Their kingdom, and their favored status ended in the Babylonian captivity. Henceforth, Judah would continue as God’s protected servant until Messiah should be born and cradled in the manger at Bethlehem! But all of the glorious promises to the patriarchs would be fulfilled in a “righteous remnant” who would form the nucleus of the New Israel in Christ; and all racial considerations on God’s part disappeared forever! Four times the New Testament declares that, “There is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles” (Act 11:12; Act 15:9; Rom 3:12 and Rom 10:12).
The Divine Assurance Jer 1:7-10
When called of God Moses brought forth excuse after excuse; but Jeremiah only needed encouragement and reassurance. The Lord took steps to give that timid and hesitant young prophet the encouragement he needed. The assurance in these verses is fourfold: assurance of (1) direction, (2) deliverance, (3) power, and (4) authority.
1. Assurance of divine direction (Jer 1:7)
The divine assurance begins not with promises of assistance but with a gentle rebuke and a reaffirmation of His will. Do not say, I am only a youth. God is telling Jeremiah that his focus is wrong. Jeremiah had been looking at himself, whereas he should have had his focus on obedience to God. The emphasis throughout these verses is on the divine I and not the weak human you: I send you . I have commanded you . I am with you . I have placed My words in your mouth . I have made you an overseer. Thoughts of self are altogether out of place in one who has received a divine commission. It was Jeremiahs duty simply to obey the instructions of his Sovereign. The objections raised by Jeremiah are beside the point. Often men try to set feeble excuses against the plain call of God. They imagine that they are being modest. They plead a lack of qualification or strength or ability when in fact they may be doubting and mistrusting the power of God to provide for His own work.
Jeremiahs focus needed to be lifted from self to God (Jer 1:7). He need not worry about where he will go or what he shall say. The Lord will direct his ways and his words. All Jeremiah needs to do is follow the leading of the Lord. He is to go where God sends him and speak what God commands him. The verbs go and speak in Jer 1:7 are not imperatives but imperfects in Hebrew and for this reason most translators render them in English as futures. But the imperfect sometimes has imperative force and in the present context an imperative seems to fit best. After all Gods wills are in reality musts. When God is directing a ministry He will provide both the place and the power for service. God in effect is saying here, Where you will go and what you will say is My business. A great burden lifted off the shoulders of the young priest when he heard these reassuring imperatives.
The limits of Jeremiahs preaching are clearly defined. He is to preach what God commands. He is not called to propagate the philosophies of men or to concoct and say what is clever and interesting and amusing. Jeremiah was called to preach the word! The greatest temptation that any preacher faces is that of identifying his own desires, interests and opinions with those of God. If every preacher would make his preaching as broad and as narrow as the expressed commandments of God he would avoid this pitfall.
2. Assurance of divine deliverance (Jer 1:8)
The Lord saw within the heart of Jeremiah a fear of those to whom he was sent. Jeremiah had not said he was afraid but the Lord saw the fear in his heart. Sinful men never had welcomed a message of judgment and condemnation, and there was strong possibility of reprisal. Do not be afraid of them, the Lord says to his prophet, for I am with you. The Hebrew reverses the order and has it with you am I. What words of comfort. God spoke these words to Moses at the burning bush (Exo 3:12), Joshua at Jordan (Jos 1:15) and Jacob at Bethel (Gen 28:15). They are reminiscent of the parting words of Jesus: Lo I am with you always (Mat 28:20). The major point of emphasis here is that God will be available to his prophet. But implicit in these words is a warning that the Lord will be near him to mark his words and deeds.
God promises to deliver Jeremiah. Deliver him, but from what? From hardship? From trial? From discouragement? From slander and attack? Hardly! The promise is not that Jeremiah will be free from danger but that God will be his Deliverer. It is not that Jeremiah would remain unhurt physically, mentally, emotionally throughout his ministry. It is rather that God will deliver him from destruction at the hands of his enemies. He will not be delivered from trial but will be enabled to pass through trial.
3. Assurance of divine power (Jer 1:9)
Jeremiah declares that after the assurance of divine direction and deliverance the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. It is obvious that this is not purely metaphorical (as in Psa 51:15); it represents a real experience on the part of the prophet. This experience however must have been a visionary one analogous to that which Isaiah experienced at the beginning of his ministry. But why did God touch the lips of the prophet? In Isaiah the touching of the lips was for purification; here, for communication. The hand is the symbol of making and doing. The act symbolized the fact that God was taking over his mouth, remaking it. Henceforth Jeremiah would speak with the tongue (authority) of God.
4. Assurance of divine authority (Jer 1:10)
The divine summons closes with assurance that Jeremiah will have divine authority. God declares I have made you an overseer over the nations and kingdoms, i.e., the officer who puts Gods plan into operation. His ministry will have both a negative and a positive emphasis. Four verbs describe the negative work that the prophet must perform: (1) to uproot like a noxious weed; (2) to tear down; (3) to destroy; and (4) to raze or overthrow. Of course the prophet himself would not have the power to do these things; but it would be his mission to announce what God was about to do. Jeremiah fulfills this part of his commission by preaching divine judgment upon the nations of his day. Old sinful Judah must be destroyed. So too must the foreign nations which have proudly lifted up themselves against their Creator be uprooted.
But Jeremiah is not merely a prophet of destruction; he is also a prophet of construction. Two infinitives describe the positive aspect of his ministry: (1) to build, and (2) to plant. Beyond the tumult of war and destruction Jeremiah was permitted to see the dawn of a new day. In the assessment of the ministry of Jeremiah the emphasis is on the negative. Four verbs are used to describe the destructive side of his ministry while only two verbs are used to describe the constructive aspect. Furthermore the negative elements are listed before the positive. As one reads through the Book of Jeremiah it is true that threatening is much more in the foreground and promise in the background. Yet somehow one gets the impression that the ultimate purpose of this prophet is to pave the way for that new day, that new beginning. The old must be swept away in order that the new can be inaugurated. In the words of Jensen:
Jeremiah was to pluck up dead ritual and plant living worship, pluck Up vile ways and plant straight paths, pluck up degenerate hearts and plant new hearts of a new covenant.”
not afraid: Jer 1:17, Isa 51:7, Isa 51:12, Eze 2:6, Eze 2:7, Eze 3:8, Eze 3:9, Mat 10:26, Luk 12:4, Luk 12:5, Act 4:13, Act 4:29, Eph 6:20
for I am: Jer 15:20, Jer 15:21, Jer 20:11, Exo 3:12, Deu 31:6, Deu 31:8, Jos 1:5, Jos 1:9, Isa 43:2, Mat 28:20, Act 7:9, Act 7:10, Act 18:10, Act 26:17, 2Co 1:8-10, 2Ti 4:17, 2Ti 4:18, Heb 13:5, Heb 13:6
Reciprocal: Exo 6:29 – speak Jer 1:19 – for I am Jer 30:11 – I am Joh 14:27 – afraid 1Pe 3:14 – and be
Jer 1:8. The word for faces is sometimes rendered “countenances” and that is the idea In this place. Jeremiah was destined to go up against people who would not like his teaching and who would give him many threatening looks. The Lord is assuring him of his support and that he need have no fear because of the threats of enemies.
He was not to fear the response of his audience, because the Lord promised to be with him and to deliver him from his threatening hearers (cf. Gen 15:1; Num 21:34; Deu 3:2; Deu 31:6; Deu 31:8; Jos 1:9; Dan 10:12; Dan 10:19; Mat 28:20; Luk 1:30; Luk 5:10; Act 27:24). The Lord always supports the servants whom He sends on His missions (cf. Exo 3:12; Jos 1:1-9; Mat 28:19-20; et al.).
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)