Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 1:17
Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.
17 19. Words of encouragement
17. Thou therefore gird up thy loins ] obviously metaphorical. Prepare for energetic action or strenuous conflict. The lower part of the flowing Eastern robe was gathered up in preparation for (i) a journey (Exo 12:11; 2Ki 4:29; 2Ki 9:1), (ii) a race (1Ki 18:46), (iii) a conflict (Job 38:3; Job 40:7).
be not dismayed, etc.] be not dismayed (lit. broken down, shattered) before them, lest I dismay thee before them. Be not a coward, lest I leave thee to the consequences of thy cowardice. Quail not, lest I let thee quail. Cp. Jer 17:17.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gird up thy loins – A symbol of preparation for earnest exertion, and implying also firm purpose, and some degree of alacrit
Be not dismayed … – literally, be not dismayed at their faces, lest I dismay thee before their faces. Naturally despondent and self-distrustful, there was yet no feebleness in Jeremiahs character. There was in him a moral superiority of the will, which made him, at any cost to himself, faithfully discharge whatever his conscience told him was his duty.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Jer 1:17
Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee.
Gods witness
I. Must be quick.
II. Busy.
III. Bold.
IV. Faithful. For–
1. He must speak all that he is charged with.
2. He must speak to all that he is charged against.
(1) Because he has reason to fear the wrath of God if he should be false.
(2) Because he has no reason to fear the wrath of man if he is faithful. (M. Henry, D. D.)
Service requires concentration
The girdle is often yards in length, and is a significant part of a mans apparel when in full dress; and the first sign that a man is in earnest about any work would be that he would gather his skirts about him and tuck them into his girdle; so as to be unhampered and free. The idea for us is that Christian service demands concentration. It needs the fixing of a mans power upon one thing, and the gathering together of all the strength of ones nature until its softest and loosest particles are knit together and become strong. You may take a handful of cotton down and squeeze it tight enough to make it hard and as heavy as a bullet, or you may stretch it out into tissue paper. The reason why some men hit and make no dint is because they are not gathered together, compacted–their loins are not girded. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 17. Gird up thy loins] Take courage and be ready, lest I confound thee; take courage and be resolute, pen, lest by their opposition thou be terrified and confounded. God is often represented as doing or causing to be done, what he only permits or suffers to be done. Or, do not fear them, I will not suffer thee to be confounded. So Dahler, Ne crains pas que je te confonde a leurs yeux, “Do not fear that I shall confound thee before them.” It is well known that the phrase, gird up thy reins, is a metaphor taken from the long robes of the Asiatics; which, on going a journey, or performing their ordinary work, they were obliged to truss up under their girdles, that the motions of the body might not be impeded.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Gird up thy loins: by this expression God quickens and hastens him upon his work, not to stand hesitating, but to be doing; prepare thyself: for it is a speech taken from the custom of the countries where they did wear long garments; and therefore they did gird them up about them, that they might not hinder them in any work that required expedition. See the phrase and practice Exo 12:11; 2Ki 4:29, and in many other texts. It implies two things:
1. Speed and despatch.
2. Courage and resolution, Job 38.
Arise; another expression to the same purpose, to speed him about his work; the like Jer 13.
Command thee, Heb. shall command thee. Be not dismayed at their faces; discover no fear, and conceal no message. See Jer 1:8.
Confound thee, Heb. break thee in pieces; either lest thou prove confused and shattered in thy notions, and unable to deliver thy message, lest I leave thee and forsake thee; or lest I terrify thee worse than they are able to do, even to ruin thee. See Mat 10:28.
Before them: it seems to be spoken by way of aggravation; God would shame him, or destroy him, even in their sight, to become their reproach. Or, Think not to escape any more than Urijah, Jer 26:23.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. gird . . . loinsresolutelyprepare for thy appointed task. Metaphor from the flowing robes wornin the East, which have to be girt up with a girdle, so as notto incommode one, when undertaking any active work (Job 38:3;Luk 12:35; 1Pe 1:13).
dismayed . . . confoundthesame Hebrew word; literally, “to break.” Be notdismayed at their faces (before them), lest I make theedismayed before their faces (before them), that is, “lestI should permit thee to be overcome by them” (compare Jer49:37).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou therefore gird up thy loins,…. The loins both of his mind and body. The allusion is to the custom of the eastern countries in wearing long garments, who, when they went about business, girt them about them for quicker dispatch; and here it designs haste and expedition in doing the Lord’s work, as well as courage and resolution of mind:
and arise; and go from Anathoth to Jerusalem:
and speak unto them all that I command thee; [See comments on Jer 1:7],
be not dismayed at their faces; [See comments on Jer 1:8],
lest I confound thee before them; show resentment at him in some way or another, which would make him ashamed before them. The Septuagint and Arabic versions add, “for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord”, as in Jer 1:8.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The interpretation of the symbols is followed by a charge to Jeremiah to address himself stoutly to his duties, and to discharge them fearlessly, together with still further and fuller assurance of powerful divine assistance. “ But thou, gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee: be not dismayed before them, lest I dismay thee before them. Jer 1:18. And I, behold I make thee this day a strong city, an iron pillar, a brazen wall against the whole land, the kings of Judah its princes, its priests, and the people of the land. Jer 1:19. They shall strive against thee, but not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith Jahveh, to save thee.” To gird up the loins, i.e., to fasten or tuck up with the girdle the long wide garment, in order to make oneself fit and ready for labour, for a journey, or a race (Exo 12:11; 1Ki 18:46; 2Ki 4:29; 2Ki 9:1), or for battle (Job 38:3; Job 40:7). Meaning: equip thyself and arise to preach my words to the inhabitants of the land. In ‘ and ‘ there is a play on words. The Niph. sig. broken in spirit by terror and anxiety; the Hiph. to throw into terror and anguish. If Jeremiah appears before his adversaries in terror, then he will have cause to be terrified for them; only if by unshaken confidence in the power of the word he preaches in the name of the Lord, will he be able to accomplish anything. Such confidence he has reason to cherish, for God will furnish him with the strength necessary for making a stand, will make him strong and not to be vanquished. This is the meaning of the pictorial statement in Jer 1:18. A strong city resists the assaults of the foes; the storm cannot shatter an iron pillar; and walls of brass defy the enemy’s missiles. Instead of the plural , the parallel passage Jer 15:20 has the sing. , the plural being used as frequently as the singular to indicate the wall encircling the city; cf. 2Ki 25:10 with 1Ki 3:1; Neh 2:13; Neh 4:1 with Neh 1:3, and Neh 2:17; Neh 4:10. With such invincible power will God equip His prophet “against the whole land,” i.e., so that he will be able to hold his own against the whole land. The mention of the component parts of “all the land,” i.e., the several classes of the population, is introduced by , so that “the kings,” etc., is to be taken as an apposition to “against all the land.” Kings in the plural are mentioned, because the prophet’s labours are to extend over several reigns. are the chiefs of the people, the heads of families and clans, and officers, civil and military. “The people of the land” is the rest of the population not included in these three classes, elsewhere called men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Jer 17:25; Jer 32:32, and frequently. for ; so in Jer 15:20, and often. With the promise in Jer 15:19, cf. Jer 1:8.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Vs. 17-19: AN ASSURANCE OF DIVINE SUFFICIENCY
1. In essence, Jeremiah is now commanded to ROLL UP HIS SLEEVES, (comp. 1Ki 18:46; Job 38:3); he must arise and speak whatever the Lord commands (vs. 17).
a. It is no easy task to which he is called; nor will his message be heard without strong opposition.
b. But he must not be terrified by the hard faces of his countrymen, (comp. Eze 2:6; Eze 3:16-18) Lest it be necessary for God to humble him before them.
2. God has made him as secure as a fortified city with iron pillars and bronze walls (Jer 6:26; Jer 15:20-21; comp. Isa 50:7; Mic 3:7-8) – able to resist any attack made upon him, (vs.18-19).
a. He must understand from the beginning that kings, princes (Jer 21:4-14; Jer 26:12-15), priests and people will fight against him, (Jer 11:19; Jer 15:10); but, they will NOT prevail!
b. The Lord’s presence with His servant assures his deliverance from the hands of his enemies, (vs. 8; Jer 15:20-21; comp. Mat 28:18-20).
3. Thus, the young prophet is encouraged to go forth with a consciousness of divine authority and with unwavering confidence in God’s faithfulness to direct, sustain and protect His obedient servant.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
God first bids his Prophet to be the herald of the dreadful judgment, which we have already noticed: for it was not his purpose to speak only as it were in a corner, or secretly, to Jeremiah, but he committed to him what he intended should be proclaimed audibly to the whole people. It hence follows, And thou, etc. We therefore see that the Prophet had been taught by the Lord, that he might confidently and boldly declare what we shall hereafter see. These things should then be connected, — that God would ascend his tribunal to execute the vengeance he had deferred, — and also that Jeremiah would be the herald of that vengeance he was prepared to inflict. Thou then, — an illative is to be added here, for the copulative is to be thus taken in this place, — Thou then; that is, as thou hast heard that I shall be now the avenger of the people’s sins, and that the time of vengeance is at hand; and also as thou knowest that this has been told thee, that thou mightest warn them to render them more inexcusable, — Thou then, (21) gird thy loins We see why God addressed his servant Jeremiah privately; it was, that he might publicly exercise his office as a teacher.
And hence we learn, that all who are called to rule the Church of God cannot be exempt from blame, unless they honestly and boldly proclaim what has been committed to them. Hence Paul says that he was free from the blood of all men, because he had from house to house and publicly declared whatever he had received from the Lord, (Act 20:26😉 and he says in another place,
“
Woe is to me if I preach not the Gospel, for it has been committed to me.” (1Co 9:16)
God bids the Prophet to gird his loins This is to be understood of the kind of dress which the Orientals used and continue to use, for they wear long garments; and when they undertake any work, or when they proceed on a journey, they gird themselves. Hence he says, gird thy loins, that is, undertake this expetition which I devolve on thee. At the same time he requires activity, so that the work might be expeditiously undertaken. Arise, he says, and speak to them whatsoever I shall command thee In short, God intimates in these words, that he was unwilling to proceed to extremes, until he had still tried whether there was any hope of repentance as to the people. He indeed knew that they were wholly irreclaimable; but he intended to discover more fully their perverseness in bidding Jeremiah, in the last place, to pronounce the extreme sentence of condemnation.
He now again repeats what he had before said, Fear not their face And this exhortation was very needful, as Jeremiah undertook an office in no small degree disliked; for it was the same as though he was an herald, to proclaim war in the name of God. As, then, Jeremiah had distinctly to declare that it was all over with the people, because their perverseness had been so great that God would no longer be entreated, it was a very hard message, not likely to be attended to, especially when we consider what great pride the Jews had. They gloried in their holy descent, and also thought, as we shall hereafter see, that the Temple was an impregnable fortress even against God himself. Since, then, their temper was so refractory, it was needful that the Prophet should be more than once confirmed by God, so that he might boldly undertake his office. The exhortation is, therefore, repeated, Fear not before them.
He afterwards adds, lest I make thee to fear But the word חת, chet, means sometimes to fear, and sometimes to break in pieces. Jerome perverts the meaning of the Prophet, by rendering the phrase, “I shall never make thee to fear.” It is indeed a godly truth, that God would give courage to his Prophet so as to render him invincible against his enemies; and doubtless he would exhort us in vain, were he not to supply us with fortitude by his Spirit. This is, indeed, true; but the word פן, p e n, will not allow us thus to explain the passage. What then does God mean? We must either render the verb to break or to fear. The verb אחתך ach e t a k, is transitive; and either meaning would be suitable. For God, after having bidden the Prophet to be of a courageous and invincible mind, now adds,
“
Take heed to thyself; for if thou be timid, I will cause thee really to fear, or, I will break thee down before them.”
He then intimates, in these words, that the Prophet ought to be sufficiently fortified, as he knew that he was sent by God, and thus acted as it were under the authority of the highest power, and that he should not fear any mortal man. (22) There is also to be understood here a threatening, “See, if thou conductest thyself courageously I shall be present with thee, and however formidable at the first view thy opponents may be, they shall not yet prevail; but if thou be timid and faint — hearted, (23) I will render thee an object of contempt: thou shalt not only be timid in heart; but I will make thee to be despised by all, so that thou shalt be contemptuously treated; for in that case thou wilt not be worthy that I should fight for thee and supply thee with any courage and power to put thine enemies to flight.”
We hence see what this means, Fear not, lest I should make thee to fear; that is, “Be of a good courage and of a ready mind, lest thou be justly exposed to shame; and fear them not, lest thou shouldest really fear them, and lest they should even tear thee to pieces and tread thee under their feet: for in case thou fearest them, thou wilt be unworthy of being supported by the strength of my Spirit.”
This passage contains a useful doctrine, from which we learn that strength shall never be wanting to God’s servants, while they derive courage from the conviction that God himself is the author of their calling and become thus magnanimous; for God will then supply them with strength and courage invincible, so as to render them formidable to the whole world: but if they be unhinged and timid, and turn here and there, and be influenced by the fear of men, God will render them base and contemptible, and make them to tremble at the least breath of air, and they shall be wholly broken down; — and why? because they are unworthy that God should help them, that he should stretch forth his hand and fortify them by his power, and supply them, as it has been already said, with that fortitude, by which they might terrify both the Devil and the whole world.
(21) This is correctly given, only the ו need not be rendered “then” or “therefore.” It is an instance of the nominative absolute, or of the anticipative case, –
And thou, gird thy loins, And arise, and speak to them All that I shall command thee.
“
And as for thee,” by Blayney, is very tame and prosaic. The version of the Geneva Bible is, “Thou, therefore, trusse up thy loyns.” — Ed.
(22) It is true that the primary meaning of the verb here used is, to be broken, or to be broken down, to be broken in pieces. It is applied to the breaking of a bow, and to the breaking down of images, 1Sa 2:4; Jer 50:2; and to the breaking down of nations, (Isa 8:3; Isa 30:31.) Such is its meaning when applied to what is material and visible; but when applied to the mind or spirit, it means to be dispirited, daunted, terrified, or dismayed, 2Kg 19:26; Jer 8:9. It is here first in a passive sense, and then in Hiphil, as in Job 31:34; and in Jer 49:37, —
Be not dismayed at them, Lest I cause thee to be dismayed before them.
or,
Be not terrified by them, Lest I terrify thee before them.
Blayney gives to the verb first its secondary meaning, and then its primary, “Be not thou afraid of them, lest I should suffer thee to be crushed before them.” How crushed before them? By whom? And to say that there is no threat included in the last line is singular, as words could hardly be framed to express it more distinctly.
The Targum expresses the meaning of the first line, “Restrain not thyself from rebuking them.” Grotius renders the last line, “ Ne ego to perterrefaciam coram illis — lest I terrify thee before them;” which seems to be its best rendering. — Ed.
(23) Cotton, the old translator, has rendered it very strikingly, “If thou quailest,” expressing the two words in one. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) Gird up thy loins.Be as the messenger who prepares to be swift on his errand, and to go whithersoever he is sent (1Ki. 18:46; 2Ki. 4:29; 2Ki. 9:1). The vivid image of intense activity re-appears in the New Testament (Luk. 12:35; 1Pe. 1:13), and has become proverbial in the speech of Christendom.
Be not dismayed.The repeated calls to courage appear to indicatelike St. Pauls exhortations to Timothy (1Ti. 4:12; 1Ti. 6:13; 2Ti. 2:3)a constitutional timidity. We must remember, as some excuse for this, that the reign of Manasseh had shown that the work of the prophet might easily lead to the fate of the martyr (2Ki. 21:16). Even Ezekiel, among the remnant of exiles on the banks of Chebar, needed a like encouragement (Eze. 2:6).
Lest I confound thee.The Hebrew emphasises the command by repeating the same words: Be not dismayed, lest I dismay thee.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17, 18. Gird up thy loins Fasten up the outer garment with the girdle, so as to be ready for vigorous exertion. Thus was Jeremiah to address himself to his great and urgent work. In God’s promise to him, as given in the concluding portion of this verse, we have a paronomasia which is imperfectly shown in our Version. It is literally, Be not dismayed, (Niphal,) lest I dismay thee, (Hiphil.) If thou, Jeremiah, shalt give way to cowardice or tear, I, Jehovah, will throw thee into terror and dismay; but if thou shall stand firm in the strength of God, I will make thee a defenced city, strong to resist all assaults; an iron pillar, which the storm cannot shatter; and brazen walls, which no missiles can batter down or penetrate. Thou shalt stand against the whole land its kings, its princes, its priests, and its people. All these, with infernal unanimity, shall conspire against thee, but shall not prevail.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Jer 1:17. Be not dismayed, &c. Be not thou confounded at their presence, lest I confound thee in their presence.
REFLECTIONS.1st, We have here an account of the prophet’s parentage, with the time of his prophesy.
1. He was of the sacerdotal race, the son of Hilkiah, not the high priest, nor of that family, but probably a descendant from Ithamar, of whose line Abiathar was the last high-priest, whose possessions were at Anathoth, (see 1Ki 2:26.) a city about three miles from Jerusalem, in the tribe of Benjamin.
2. He began to prophesy in the thirteenth year of Josiah, and, no doubt, was a great encourager of that pious king in his work of reformation, and countenanced by him in his labours to bring Israel to repentance: but the attempts of both were fruitless; the people continued hypocritical, even when they pretended to reform, and thus filled up the measure of their iniquities, and brought down those judgments which Jeremiah was commissioned to denounce against them. He continued to prophesy during the wicked reigns of Josiah’s successors, when the destruction of the people was hastening apace, till he saw Jerusalem, under Zedekiah, miserably destroyed, and the people enslaved. Note; They who will not be reformed, must be destroyed.
2nd, The designation of the prophet to his office, and God’s encouragement of him to proceed in it, are here set forth.
1. His designation. God, before he came forth out of the womb, had sanctified or separated him for this peculiar service, in which he was to be employed, as a prophet unto the nations; not only to the Jews, but to other nations also, against whom his word should go forth. Note; None can minister acceptably before God, whom he hath not first sanctified and ordained.
2. His distress, under the apprehension of his own insufficiency. Ah, Lord God! I cannot, or I know not how to speak, as such an office requires; for I am a child, in weakness, probably also in years, it being certain that he began to prophesy very early. Note; (1.) The work of the ministry is an arduous task; they may well tremble for themselves who are called to undertake it. (2.) It becomes young men especially to entertain a diffidence of their own abilities. No rock so fatal to youth as self-conceit.
3. God encourages him for his work. Say not, I am a child: though never so insufficient of ourselves, we must not draw back when we have God’s mission and promise of support: his strength shall be perfected in our weakness.
Three arguments he urges: [1.] I send thee; and under a divine call we may be assured of divine help. [2.] I will instruct thee; whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak; and therefore he should never be at a loss for matter or words. [3.] I am with thee, to uphold thee with my arm, to comfort thee with my presence, to deliver thee from all danger; be not afraid of their faces. He might expect opposition; to be brow-beat, threatened, and insulted on account of his ministry; but he need not fear when God’s omnipotence is engaged for him. Note; (1.) If God pleases, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings he can shew forth his praise. (2.) A faithful reprover must expect to meet a frowning world; but we must not fear the faces of men; nor need we; if God’s power protect, and his love comfort us, what can man do against us?
4. God gives him a sign to confirm his word to him. The Lord put forth his hand; the Lord Jesus, the God of his holy prophets, who probably appeared now in a human form; and touched my mouth, intimating that it was sanctified, and fitted for his service; and the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words into thy mouth, that he might with freedom and boldness deliver the message that he hath received from his master; and an awful one it was! See, I have set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms, as a prophet, whose word concerning them would infallibly come to pass; to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down; to pronounce their doom, and foretel the judgments which should overturn them, as a house or a tree rooted up, and thrown down by the whirlwind: and to build and to plant; to prophesy the restoration of the Jews after their captivity; or to call them to repentance, that when others perished through obstinacy, they might be preserved. Note; (1.) The sword of God’s word in the mouth of his ministers is more to be feared than the glittering spear. (2.) The same prophetic word which is to some a favour of death unto death, because they harden their hearts against the warnings, becomes through Divine Grace, to the penitent a savour of life unto life.
3rdly, Jeremiah, having received his mission, has here a general view of the great subject of his prophesy, the destruction of the Jews for their sins.
1. Their ruin is represented by two signs, shewing how speedily and terribly it approached. The first is a rod of an almond-tree, which is presented to his view, and which God explains, as signifying that the destruction of the Jews should be very soon, as the almond-tree hastens before any other tree to put forth her blossoms. The other is a seething-pot, with its face toward the north. This pot is Jerusalem, and the fire under it the Chaldeans, as God explains it, assembling out of the north, under the conduct of Nebuchadnezzar, called of God to execute his judgments, coming under the divine direction, and therefore sure to prevail. They shall set up not only their tents as besieging foes, but their thrones as triumphant conquerors, in the gates of Jerusalem, having subdued it, with all the defenced cities of Judah. Note; (1.) God will never want armies to execute his vengeance against a devoted people: at his summons instantly they assemble. (2.) Ministers clearly in the Bible foresee the ruin of sinners, and forewarn them; but too often they will not believe, till too late they feel their doom inevitable.
2. The cause of their ruin is their sins, especially their idolatry. I will utter my judgments against them, pass sentence upon them, and execute it, touching all their wickedness, which was great and aggravated, who have forsaken me, apostatized from God’s worship and service, and have burnt incense to other gods; they have worshipped the works of their own hands; gods of their own fancy, and the images of their own making; which argued their stupidity and ignorance to be as strange as their impiety and ingratitude.
3. God directs him how to proceed, and encourages him to be faithful. Gird up thy loins; alluding to the long garments that they wore in the East, which, when they went in haste, they girt about their waist. He must be expeditious and diligent: arise, and speak unto them boldly and resolutely, not intimidated by any fears or danger, all that I command thee, without adding thereto, or diminishing therefrom, however offensive and provoking the message might appear, and however great the personages to whom it must be delivered, to the kings, princes, priests, and people. The dignity of the magistrates does not set them above reproof, nor the sacredness of the sacerdotal office exempt those who dishonour it from rebuke: rather, as their influence and example are so pernicious, and they are chief in the transgression, they deserve the severest scourge. To engage him with boldness and zeal to discharge his mission, God warns and promises. He warns him of his danger, if he proved fearful or faithless: Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them, and put such marks of his displeasure upon him, as would be his greatest confusion. He promises, if he persisted undismayed in the discharge of his duty, to protect and preserve him safe as a defenced city, strong as an iron pillar, and unshaken as walls of brass. Though all rose up against him, as he might expect they would, kings, priests, and people, yet they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee in every day of danger and difficulty. Note; (1.) The ministers of God must shew no respect to persons when they are delivering his word, nor dare to adulterate the awful truths of God, by softening the expressions, or seeking to make their message less offensive. (2.) It requires much grace to stand against the torrent of ungodliness, and testify to great as well as small the judgments of God. (3.) We have need of every argument to work on our fears, as well as hopes; and all will be little enough to fix us unshaken against the revilings and opposition that we may expect to meet in the zealous discharge of our ministry. (4.) If God be with us, though princes threaten, and priests thunder their anathemas, and the people join the cry, we shall be enabled, unmoved and fearless, to witness to their faces their iniquities, and declare the wrath of God revealed against them.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
How needful must faithfulness be in the service of the Lord? And where the Lord gives grace to his poor servants to be faithful, he will give strength to bear them up against all their foes. An iron pillar and brasen walls, are strong figures, to intimate, that the arrows of the enemy with all their fury will be thrown against them. But as iron pillars and brasen walls are simply for defense, and not for injury: how beautifully do those similitudes teach, that the servants of the Lord are not to strive and repel carnal attacks, with the same weapons, but to be like their Master, who when reviled, reviled not again. The Lord hath undertaken his servants cause, and he will recompense vengeance on his and their enemies, Deu 32:43 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Jer 1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.
Ver. 17. Thou therefore gird up thy loins, ] q.d., Thou hast, I must needs say, a hard task of it. But hard or not hard, it must be done, a or thou art undone. About it therefore and play the man, plucking up thy best heart, as we say, and acting vigorously. Stir up the gifts of God that are in thee, and exercise thy talents committed unto thee. Verbi minister es: hoc age.
Be not dismayed at their faces, lest.
“ Fulminia erant linguae singulae verba tuae. ”
a Perquam difficile est, sed ita lex iubet.
b Antanaclasis.
c Melc. Ad. in Vit. Calvin, p. 106.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
gird up, &c. See note on 1Ki 18:46.
be not dismayed. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia (App-6), in the alternate words and lines of C (p. 1016):
C g | 17-. Be not dismayed (tehath).
h | -17-. At their faces (mippeneyhem).
g | -17-. Lest I confound thee (ahiteka).
h | -17. Before them (liphneyhem).
This may be Englished: “Be not abashed. . Lest I abash thee”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Jer 1:17-19
Jer 1:17-19
“Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them. For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.”
“Gird up thy loins …” (Jer 1:16). This is the equivalent to the modern admonition for one to “roll up his sleeves” and go to work. The loose robe-type garment generally worn was shortened and made less cumbersome by tightening the thong usually tied around the middle.
Although Jer 1:5 had made the fact of predestination a sure factor in Jeremiah’s life, Jer 1:17 “Enunciates the requirement of obedience. The prophet who is ashamed to stand forth with the word will soon have no word to proclaim; but the Lord of the word can make his servant impregnable, unlike the disloyal state of Judah.
“Against the people of the land.” (Jer 1:18). The Anchor Bible renders this “`The landed gentry’; because this is a technical term for the important landholders.
The manner in which God did indeed protect and bless Jeremiah is truly amazing. In spite of being sentenced to death, the king of Judah was powerless to execute the sentence. “The astonishing thing is that Jeremiah lived as long as he did. How long he lived is an unexplained miracle of history.
It happened to Jeremiah, exactly like it happened to God’s “Two Witnesses” in the Apocalypse. God said. “I will give power unto my … witnesses. These have power … to smite the earth as often as they will … and when they have finished their testimony … the beast … shall overcome them and kill them” (Rev 11:3; Rev 11:6; Rev 11:11). So it was with Jeremiah who was immune to every danger until his work was done; and then “the beast” (Apostate Judah) put him to death by stoning; but Jerusalem nevertheless continued in captivity until her sentence ended.
Exhortation and Encouragement Jer 1:17-19
After a brief preview of the fate of Jerusalem the divine eye again focuses on the key man for the hour. First comes the exhortation (Jer 1:17) and then the encouragement (Jer 1:18-19).
1. Words of excoriation
The verbs in Jer 1:17 are most instructive. Three positive commands are followed by one prohibition. The first command, gird up your loins, implies preparation. Before beginning a journey, starting a race or engaging in conflict an oriental would bind up his loose flowing robes so as not to be hindered in his movement. Cf. Gehazi on an urgent mission (2Ki 4:29); Elijah racing from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel (1Ki 18:46). Jesus also advised his disciples in Luk 12:35 : Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps be burning. Gird up the loins then implies (1) readiness for action and (2) energy in action. God is saying to the prophet Prepare yourself for a strenuous ministry. In modern idiom God might say to a preacher, Roll up your sleeves!
The second command, Stand up, implies action! He is to begin his prophetic ministry immediately. The kings business is urgent and there is no time for loitering. The third command, speak, points to the primary task of the prophet viz., the communication of the word of God. As in Jer 1:7, the prophet is directed to preach nothing more and nothing less than what the Lord has commanded.
The fourth command, a negative one, is accompanied by a word of warning. God knew that during his ministry Jeremiah would on numerous occasions face hostile crowds, angry shouts, mocking, taunting, jeering, insolent opponents. The message of divine judgment always stirs such reactions among godless sinners. True preachers of the word must constantly battle the temptation to be intimidated by their audience and to compromise their message. Thus the Lord commands His prophet, Do not be dismayed because of them. He must not permit himself to break down before his audience nor show any signs of fear nor let his fear cause him to alter the message. A stern warning accompanies this commandment, lest I shatter your nerve before them. If Jeremiah shows the least bit of fear for his enemies they will be able to get the best of him. One moment of weakness will finish him as Gods messenger. Only fear of the Lord will save a man of God from the fear of his congregation.
2. Words of encouragement
The challenging as for you to Jeremiah (Jer 1:17) is balanced by the assuring as for Me of the Lord (Jer 1:18). God does not make demands without supplying needs. When God gives the prophet a message to deliver he also gives him the courage to deliver it and the strength to withstand the reaction it provokes. Jeremiah would be fortified by divine strength. Three metaphors are used to portray the protection which Jeremiah would experience: (1) He would be as invincible as a fortified city which might withstand enemy bombardment for years. (2) He would be as indestructible as an iron gate which could withstand the heaviest attack. (3) He would be as impregnable as a wall of bronze, the toughest metal known to the ancients. Walls of wood might be destroyed by fire and walls of stone might ultimately be battered down; but all the weapons of ancient warfare would be ineffective against walls of brass. Though all segments of the population-the kings, princes, priests and people of the land-might oppose him, yet God would give him the strength to endure.
Metaphorical language gives way to literal warning and promise in the last verse of chapter 1. Jeremiah would be famous but he would not be popular. All the powerful figures of the nation will fight against him but they will not prevail. God will come to his rescue. His adversaries might win the skirmishes but they will not win the war. Jeremiah is not promised deliverance from persecution and suffering but from being defeated by persecution and suffering. Here then is the contrasting picture presented by this verse: Jeremiah hated and attacked by men but loved and protected by his God. The invincible Lord will stand with him; he cannot be defeated. On this positive note the call narrative concludes.
The Call of Jeremiah – Jer 1:1-19
Open It
1. What does it feel like to bring news that you know will be unpopular?
2. When have you been chosen for a task for which you felt totally unqualified?
Explore It
3. How is Jeremiah identified at the beginning of the book bearing his name? (Jer 1:1)
4. How long did Jeremiah serve as a prophet to Judah? (Jer 1:2-3)
5. How did God announce to Jeremiah that he was chosen as a prophet? (Jer 1:5)
6. What was Jeremiahs assessment of his own abilities in relation to Gods call? (Jer 1:6)
7. How did God respond to Jeremiahs reservations? (Jer 1:7)
8. What promise did God make to Jeremiah from the outset of his ministry? (Jer 1:8)
9. By what action did God transform Jeremiah into His mouthpiece? (Jer 1:9)
10. How did God describe Jeremiahs mission as prophet? (Jer 1:10)
11. By what symbol did God show Jeremiah that He was watching both Jeremiah and the people of Judah? (Jer 1:11-12)
12. What did the boiling pot tilting away from the north symbolize? (Jer 1:13-15)
13. What sins had caused God to execute judgment on Judah by means of the peoples from the north? (Jer 1:16)
14. What consequences did God promise if Jeremiah did not say what He commanded? (Jer 1:17)
15. Although He predicted that the people would oppose Jeremiah, what did God promise His prophet? (Jer 1:19)
Get It
16. What difference can it make to know that God knew us and set us apart even before our birth?
17. What reservations do you have about your ability to serve God according to His call?
18. When we tell people about Christ, whose words do we speak?
19. How did God make it clear to Jeremiah that there was nothing to fear?
20. Why do you think God sent Jeremiah to Judah, knowing that they would fight against him?
21. What is the source of our strength to preach Gods Word?
Apply It
22. When can you make a list of the ways you have seen God work in your life throughout your life?
23. What regular practice of prayer, meditation, or Bible study can you use to enhance your fear of the Lord and put your fear of people into perspective?
Questions on Jeremiah Chapter One
By Brent Kercheville
1. Describe Gods call to Jeremiah. What do we learn about God? What do we learn about Gods plan?
2. What is Jeremiahs response to Gods calling? Can you relate to Jeremiah?
3. Explain Gods response to Jeremiahs response. How does God deal with Jeremiahs objections? What lessons do we learn?
4. What is Jeremiahs mission given by God (Jer 1:9-10)? Explain.
5. Explain the two visions Jeremiah sees and their meanings (Jer 1:11-16).
6. What are Gods fnal words to commission Jeremiah (Jer 1:17-19)? What is Jeremiah told to do?
TRANSFORMATION: How does this relationship change your relationship with God? What did you learn about him? What will you do differently in your life?
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
gird up: 1Ki 18:46, 2Ki 4:29, 2Ki 9:1, Job 38:3, Luk 12:35, 1Pe 1:13
and speak: Jer 1:7, Jer 23:28, Exo 7:2, Eze 3:10, Eze 3:11, Jon 3:2, Act 20:20, Act 20:27
be not: Jer 1:8, Jer 17:18, Exo 3:12, Eze 2:6, Eze 2:7, 1Th 2:2
confound thee: or, break thee to pieces, Eze 3:14-18, Eze 33:6-8, 1Co 9:16
Reciprocal: Exo 6:29 – speak Exo 8:1 – Go Deu 1:17 – ye shall not 2Ki 1:15 – be not afraid of him Neh 6:13 – that I should Isa 51:7 – fear Isa 58:1 – spare Jer 26:2 – all the words Jer 26:12 – The Lord Jer 36:8 – did Jer 43:1 – all the words Lam 3:57 – thou saidst Eze 3:9 – fear Eze 3:26 – I will Eze 31:2 – speak Eze 33:7 – thou shalt Mat 10:26 – Fear Luk 12:4 – Be Act 4:20 – we cannot Act 18:9 – Be Gal 2:11 – because Eph 6:20 – boldly
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
JEREMIAH CONTRA MUNDUM!
Be not dismayed.
Jer 1:17
I. A tender-hearted prophet.Jeremiah stands before us, keenly sensitive to injustice and misconstruction, deeply moved by the ungodliness prevailing round him, well aware that the nation is hurrying to its ruin. I recognise in him a brother of my own, although I have not his lofty gifts. Frequently his heart was cast down. Frequently the burden laid on him seemed too heavy to carry. Frequently there was storm and darkness within his soul. I compassionate him. I feel for him. I love him. I know something of his misgivings and griefs.
II. A reassuring God.Let us see at what pains God is to scatter the fears that gather round his soul. He gives him the assurance of an eternal ordination, an appointment to his work in the Divine mind before he was himself born. He gives him the assurance of a present help, touching his mouth to tell him that he will never be left in uncertainty as to his messagethat thought and language will always be supplied. He gives him the assurance of a successful ministry: I have this day set thee over the nations.
One by one, if only I lean on Him, God will dispel all my alarms, and will make me wise and strong.
Illustration
A sense of helplessness is of prime importance as a preparation for ministry. Those who count themselves able to speak will never become Gods mouthpiece, those who have no words of their own will be surprised to find how forcible and perennial the stream of holy speech will become through their lips. Though you cannot He can. And your sense of inability is the condition that the Spirit of your Father should speak through you. Of you, too, it shall be true, the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me doeth the works.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Verse 17. Gird, up thy loins is a figurative expression for the prophet to “Get hold of himself” or brace himself to meet the test. He is to meet the corrupt people and rebuke them for their sins, and it will arouse their anger and bring forth many threats if not actual physical violence. The Lord bids him not to be dismayed at their faces which means their threatening countenances. The prophet is also placed under a threat from the Lord in case he shrinks from the struggle which is decreed he shall have. To confound means “to prostrate or “break down” according to the lexicon definition of the original word. Should Jeremiah flinch before those unworthy people then he will get some of the wrath of God poured out upon him.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Jer 1:17. Thou therefore gird up thy loins Prepare to do the work to which I call and appoint thee. For, it being the custom of the eastern people to wear long garments, which they girded about their loins when any business required great activity or expedition; by thus speaking the Lord enjoins his prophet to use all possible vigour and intention of mind as well as of body, that he might execute, with diligence and despatch, the office which God had assigned him. And arise Another expression of the same meaning. And speak all that I command thee Hebrew, shall command thee. Be not dismayed at their faces Discover no fear, and conceal no message; lest I confound thee The Hebrew verb is the same in both parts of the sentence, which may be literally rendered thus: Be not confounded at their faces, (namely, when thou appearest in their presence,)
lest I confound thee before them. God exhorts him not to be dismayed at the scoffs and ill treatment he should meet with from hardened sinners, especially from those who thought their power and authority set them above reproof, and would bear them out in whatsoever they did: see Eze 11:6. He tells him it is better to bear the reproaches of men than the reproofs of God, who would call him to a strict account how he discharged his duty.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1:17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I {q} confound thee before them.
(q) Which declares that God’s vengeance is prepared against them who do not execute their duty faithfully, either for fear of man, or for any other reason, 1Co 9:16 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jeremiah was to get to work and announce all of the Lord’s messages to His people (cf. Exo 12:11; 2Ki 4:29; 2Ki 9:1; Luk 12:35; Eph 6:14; 1Pe 1:13). He was not to let fear discourage him from being obedient (cf. Deu 31:6-8; Jos 1:6-9; Eph 6:10-14), because if he did, the Lord would really give him something to fear. The disobedient believer not only fears people, but he or she also has God to fear because God becomes his or her adversary (cf. Jer 12:5-6; Jer 20:9).