The title of the book in the Vulgate Latin version is, “the Prophecy of Jeremiah”; in the Syriac and Arabic versions, “the Prophecy of the Prophet Jeremiah”.

The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah This is the general title of the whole book, and includes all his discourses, sermons, and prophecies; and designs not his own words, but the words of the Lord, which were put into his mouth, and he delivered under divine inspiration.

To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah This was the beginning of the prophecy of Jeremiah, so that he prophesied long after Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, and Micah; for this king was the son of Amon king of Judah, which Amon was the son of Manasseh; the Septuagint and Arabic versions…

And it came also in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah king of Judah In the beginning of his reign, and in the fourth year of his reign; see , no mention is made of Jehoahaz, who reigned between Josiah and Jehoiakim, because his reign was short, but three months, , and perhaps no word of the…

Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. ] Not in the days of Jehoiakim, but in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah, . The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions read, “unto him”.

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 joined with it; in which sense the Lord knows them that are his, as he does not others, and predestinates…

Then said I, Ah, Lord God! &c.] The word (אהה) , “Ah”, or “Ahah”, is used in distress and grief, as Kimchi observes; and is expressive of mourning and complaint, as Jarchi notes; and shows that the prophet was troubled and uneasy at his call, and would gladly have been excused on the following…

But the Lord said unto me, say not, I am a child This excuse will not be admitted: for thou shall go to all that I shall send thee; either to “every place”, as the Targum paraphrases; or “to all persons to whom” he should be sent, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions render the words; or “to all…

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.

Then the Lord put forth his hand Who, according to Kimchi, was the Angel that appeared to the prophet, and spoke in the name of the Lord to him, and is called by his name; but rather it was the Son of God, the true Jehovah, who appeared in a human form he assumed for the present, and put forth his…

See, I have this day set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms Not as a prince, but as a prophet over them, to prophesy things concerning them, whether good or evil, which should certainly come to pass as he predicted: to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down; that…

Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me At the same time as before: saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? The Septuagint version leaves out the word “Jeremiah”: and I said, I see a rod of an almond tree; a dry stick, without leaves or fruit upon it, and yet he knew it to be an almond tree stick;…

Then said the Lord unto me, thou hast well seen The thing seen is a very proper emblem of what I am about to do, and the quick dispatch that will be made therein: for l will hasten my word to perform it; the words (שקד אני) , “shoked ani”, “I will hasten”, or “I am hastening”, are in allusion to…

And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time In the same vision: saying, what seest thou? besides the almond tree rod; which perhaps was now removed out of sight, and another object appears: and I said, I see a seething pot; a pot with fire under it, boiling and bubbling up: and the face…

Then the Lord said unto me Explaining the above vision: out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land; that is, out of Babylon, which lay north, as Jarchi says, and so the Talmud [[18]]; or north east, as Kimchi and Ben Melech, to the land of Israel; from hence…

For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord Which belonged unto and were under the jurisdiction of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and the “call” of them, as Kimchi well observes, is no other than putting it into their hearts to come: and they shall come;…

And I will utter my judgments against them Not against the kingdoms of the north, but against the people of the Jews. The sense is, that God would enter into judgment with this people, and pass sentence upon them, and execute it: touching all their wickedness; or on account of all their sins and…

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…

For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city Or, “as” one; so read the Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions; which is inexpungible, and cannot be taken: and an iron pillar; which cannot be removed out of its place: and brasen walls; which cannot be broken down.

And they shall fight against thee The Targum adds, “that they may hide the words of thy prophecy;” hinder him from prophesying, stop his mouth, and even take away his life: but they shall not prevail against thee; as to do either: for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee; as he did; he…