Jeremiah 1:19

. John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Jeremiah 19:1 INTRODUCTION TO JEREMIAH 19 In this chapter is foreshadowed, represented, and confirmed, the destruction of Jerusalem, by the breaking of a potter's vessel the prophet had in his hand; and by the place where he was bid to do this, and did it. The order for it, and the witnesses of it, and the place where it was done, are declared in Jeremiah 19:1; the proclamation there of Jerusalem's ruin is made, Jeremiah 19:3; the cause of it, their apostasy, idolatry, and shedding of innocent blood, Jeremiah 19:4; the great slaughter of them by the sword and famine, Jeremiah 19:6; and how easy, and irresistible, and irrecoverable, their destruction would be, are signified by the breaking of the bottle, Jeremiah 19:10, when Jerusalem for its idolatry would become as defiled a place as Tophet, where the prophet was, Jeremiah 19:12; from whence he came to the temple, and there repeated the proclamation of the evil that should come upon that city, and all the towns around it, Jeremiah 19:14. Ver. 1. Thus saith the Lord, go and get a potter's earthen bottle,....

1:11-19 God gave Jeremiah a view of the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. The almond-tree, which is more forward in the spring than any other, represented the speedy approach of judgments. God also showed whence the intended ruin should arise. Jeremiah saw a seething-pot boiling, representing Jerusalem and Judah in great commotion. The mouth or face of the furnace or hearth, was toward the north; from whence the fire and fuel were to come. The northern powers shall unite. The cause of these judgments was the sin of Judah. The whole counsel of God must be declared. The fear of God is the best remedy against the fear of man. Better to have all men our enemies than God our enemy; those who are sure they have God with them, need not, ought not to fear, whoever is against them. Let us pray that we may be willing to give up personal interests, and that nothing may move us from our duty.

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 hid him when they sought for him, and delivered him out of the dungeon and bonds into which he was cast by them; See Gill on Jeremiah 1:8.

19 . they shall not prevail against thee ] When we compare portions of the subsequent history of Jeremiah, we find that in point of fact the prophet was from time to time at the mercy of his foes. The sense therefore here is shall not finally prevail . Before the prophet’s death his cause should be vindicated, his predictions verified, and good seed sown. Cp. the nature of the fulfilment of our Saviour’s prayer in Luke 22:32 . Jeremiah 1:19

(19) I am with thee. —That thought was in itself enough. The presence, and therefore the protection, of the All-wise and the Almighty was the one condition of safety. Even in its lower sense, “Immanuel,” God with us ( Isaiah 7:14 ), was the watchword of every true combatant in God’s great army.

Metaphorically the walls and fortifications of the city represent the prophet's power of patiently enduring the attacks of his enemies; while the iron pillar, supporting the whole weight of the roof Judges 16:29 ; 1 Kings 7:21 ), signifies that no trials or sufferings would crush his steadfast will.

They shall fight against thee; make united attempts upon thee. See Judges 20:11 . They shall not prevail; they shall not be able, by all their devices, to shorten thy days, Jeremiah 15:20 20:10,11 . For I am with thee: here is the reason given of his safety, God will be his guard. See Jeremiah 1:8 2 Timothy 4:17,18 .

18. defenced city, &c.—that is, I will give thee strength which no power of thine enemies shall overcome (Jer 6:27; 15:20; Isa 50:7; 54:17; Lu 21:15; Ac 6:10). walls—plural, to express the abundant strength to be given him. De Rossi's'S manuscripts read singular, "wall." people of the land—the general masses, as distinguished from the princes and priests.

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. Jeremiah 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. Jeremiah 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 (Exodus 12:11; 1 Kings 18:46; 2 Kings 4:29; 2 Kings 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 'אל־תּחת and ' אחתּך לthere 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 Jeremiah 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 חמות, the parallel passage Jeremiah 15:20 has the sing. חומת, the plural being used as frequently as the singular to indicate the wall encircling the city; cf. 2 Kings 25:10 with 1 Kings 3:1; Nehemiah 2:13; Nehemiah 4:1 with Nehemiah 1:3, and Nehemiah 2:17; Nehemiah 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 למלכי, 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. שׂרים 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, Jeremiah 17:25; Jeremiah 32:32, and frequently. אליך for עליך; so in Jeremiah 15:20, and often.