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Geneva Study Bible Commentary

Jeremiah 1:5

Before I (g) formed thee in the womb I knew thee; and before thou wast born I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet to the (h) nations.

(g) The scripture uses this manner of speech to declare that God has appointed his minsters to their offices before they were born, as in (Isaiah 49:1; Galatians 1:15).

(h) For Jeremiah did not only prophecy against the Jews, but also against the Egyptians, Babylonians, Moabites and other nations.

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See also Jeremiah 1:5 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Jeremiah 1:5. _BEFORE I FORMED THEE_] I had destined thee to the prophetic office before thou wert born: I had formed my plan, and appointed thee to be my envoy to his people. St. Paul speaks of...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Rather, “Before I formed thee in the belly.” I approved of thee (as one fit for the prophetic office),” and before thou camest forth from the womb” I made thee holy (dedicated thee to holy uses); I ha...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE CALL TO REPENTANCE, THE IMPENITENCE OF THE PEOPLE, AND THE JUDGMENT ANNOUNCED CHAPTER 1 The Call of the Prophet _ 1. The introduction (Jeremiah 1:1) _ 2. The divin...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE PROPHET'S CALL. The account of this should be compared with similar accounts of the calls of other prophets (see Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 1:1 to Ezekiel 3:3; Amos 7:12 ff.) and the characteristic differe...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    I KNEW. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Cause), for choosing. Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 33:12; Exodus 33:17). App-92. SANCTIFIED THEE. set thee apart, or, hallowed thee. See note on Exodu...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The Prophet's call and its nature...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Jeremiah's call The passage will fall into four sections. (i) Jeremiah 1:4. The prophet's call and its nature. (ii) Jeremiah 1:11. The symbol of the almond tree, shewing that Jehovah is wakeful to p...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _I knew thee_ meaning not mere acquaintance, but choice as a consequence of knowledge. The parallelism of contrast, frequent in the poetical books of the Bible, shews this to be the sense of the word...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    BEFORE I FORMED THEE, &C.— See Isaiah 49:1. We have examples of a similar designation with that mentioned in the text, in St. John the Baptist, and St. Paul....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    II. THE CALL EXTENDED Jeremiah 1:4-10 TRANSLATION (4) Then the word of the LORD came unto me saying, (5) Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart; a proph...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. KNEW THEE - approved of thee as my cho...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    1:5 appointed (a-24) Lit. 'gave.' so in ver. 18....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    I KNEW THEE] approved, selected thee: cp. Genesis 18:19; Psalms 1:6; Nahum 1:7. SANCTIFIED] consecrated: cp. John Baptist (Luke 1:15) and St. Paul ...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE CALL OF JEREMIAH (13TH YEAR OF JOSIAH). FIRST PROPHECY 1-3. See Introduction....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    I KNEW THEE. — With the force which the word often has in Hebrew, as implying. not foreknowledge only, but choice and approval (Psalms 1:6; Psalms 37:18; Amos 3:2). I SANCTIFIED THEE. — i.e., consecra...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    בְּ טֶ֨רֶם _אֶצָּרְךָ֤_† בַ † בֶּ֨טֶן֙ יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָ...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER I THE CALL AND CONSECRATION IN the foregoing pages we have considered the principal events in the life of the prophet Jeremiah, by way of introduction to the more detailed study of his writin...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    COURAGE PROMISED TO A FEARFUL MESSENGER Jeremiah 1:1-19 God has a distinct purpose for each life, and our one aim should be to discover and work out His plan. See Psalms 139:16; Galatians 1:15. The...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The first three verses constitute a title page naming the author and giving the dates of the period during which he exercised his ministry. The Book opens with the account of Jeremiah's call, and at o...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Knew, with affection, and designed thee for this office for eternity. Many think (Calmet) that Jeremias was purified from original sin before his birth. (St. Augustine) --- He had this privilege, and...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    I have often read this Chapter with particular pleasure, and marked with much emphasis what is contained in these verses: for in them we find the most decisive testimony, to that distinguishing attrib...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    Here Jeremiah explains more fully what he had already mentioned that he had been called from above, for otherwise he would have presumptuously obtruded himself: for no one, as the Apostle says, takes...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    In chapter 1 the prophet is established in his office, to which he had been appointed by Jehovah, even before his birth, that he should carry His word unto the nations. But Jeremiah's fears are immedi...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    BEFORE I FORMED THEE IN THE BELLY I KNEW THEE,.... Not merely by his omniscience, so he knows all men before their conception and birth; but with such a knowledge as had special love and affection joi...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Ver. 5. _Before I formed thee in the b...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Jer. 1:5. "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee; and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." In the same manner as God i...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Then the word of the Lord came unto me_ With a satisfying assurance to himself, that it was the word of the Lord, and not a delusion. _Before I formed thee in the belly_ That is, the womb. Having spo...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE CALL AND COMMISSION OF THE PROPHET...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee, before ever his conception had taken place, the Lord had destined him to be His prophet; AND BEFORE THOU CAMEST FORTH OUT OF THE WOMB, I SANCTIFIED THEE...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    ORDAINED: _ Heb._ gave...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-10 Jeremiah's early call to the work and office of a prophet is stated. He was to be a prophet, not to the Jews only, but to the neighbouring nations. He is still a prophet to the whole world, and...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    BEFORE I FORMED THEE IN THE BELLY, i.e. womb, ISAIAH 46:3. Having spoken before of the time of his call, JEREMIAH 1:4, he now speaks of the manner of it. I KNEW THEE, i.e. approved and appointed thee,...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Jeremiah 1:5 Before H2962 formed H3335 (H8799) womb H990 knew H3045 (H8804) born H3318 (H8799)...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JEREMIAH'S INITIAL CALL (JEREMIAH 1:4). YHWH's initial call assures Jeremiah that he had been chosen even before he was born, that he need not be afraid that he was still young and immature (around t...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JEREMIAH LEARNS THAT HE WAS CHOSEN FROM BIRTH TO BE A PROPHET TO THE NATIONS (JEREMIAH 1:4). When the ‘word of YHWH' first came to Jeremiah God informed him that he had been chosen even before he was...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Jeremiah 1:1 I. (Jeremiah 1:4). The two great blessings of _election_and _mediation_are here distinctly taught. God did not speak to the nations directly, but mediationally. He created a minister who...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Jeremiah 1:1. The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Ju...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Jeremiah's call and enduement. The sign of the almond rod and seething pot. CHARACTERS: God, Holy Spirit, Jeremiah, Josiah, Jehoiakim. CONCLUSION: God, by His special counsel and foreknowle...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Jeremiah 1:5. _Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee._ In the creation God knew the nature and designations of every creature, whether of plants, or of living beings. He assigned laws and abod...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee._ Seven points in Jeremiah’s life and call:-- 1. God knowing him. “I knew thee.” 2. God sanctifying him. “I sanctified thee.” 3. God ordaining him. “...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JEREMIAH—NOTE ON JEREMIAH 1:1 Introduction. These verses introduce the book’s historical background (vv. Jeremiah 1:1), Jeremiah’s call and message (vv....

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    JEREMIAH—NOTE ON JEREMIAH 1:5 God’s plan for Jeremiah was that he be CONSECRATED, or “set apart,” for preaching God’s word. Jeremiah’s ministry is to be a prophet TO THE NATIONS, not just to Israel ...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES.— 1. CHRONOLOGY. Jeremiah 1:1, penned _cir._ B.C. 578; Jeremiah 1:4, _sq._ B.C. 629. But the recently discovered Assyrian chronology would make the date of the “thirteen...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION AN ACCOUNT OF THE CALL AND CONSECRATION OF JEREMIAH TO THE PROPHETIC OFFICE, FOLLOWED BY TWO EXPRESSIVE SYMBOLS OF THE...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    At this time shall we turn in our Bibles to the book of Jeremiah. About sixty years after Isaiah died, God called Jeremiah to what I feel must have been the hardest task any minister has ever been cal...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    2 Timothy 2:19; Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 4:11; Ephesians 4:12;...

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    JEREMIAH, THE WAILING PROPHET Jeremiah 1:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS The ten tribes of Israel had passed into captivity before God called Jeremiah. Judah was following hard in the path of her sister natio...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    I sanctified — I ordained thee for this public service. He speaks thus to Jeremiah, not to the other prophets, because he stood in need of greater encouragement than they, both in respect of the tende...

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    Does Jeremiah teach reincarnation in this verse? PROBLEM: God told Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; and ordained you a prophet to the nati...

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