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Jeremiah 1

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Tanakh · chapter reading guide

Jeremiah Chapter 1

Jeremiah Chapter 1 presents 19 verses in a searchable Hebrew text unit. This original reading guide identifies observable themes and a practical path through the chapter without adding an unverified interpretation.

Rashi's commentary

Verse 6
I (Jeremiah) am not worthy of rebuking them (B'nei Yisrael)! Moshe rebuked B'nei Yisrael close to his death while he was already revered in their eyes, with the many miracles that he did for them: took them out of Egypt, split the sea for them, brought down the Manna, brought them the slav (some say this is a quail), gave them the Torah, and brought up the well. And here, I am going to rebuke them at the beginning of my mission?!
Verse 12
You have seen well — This almond tree hastens to blossom before all other trees. I, too, hasten to perform My word. And the Midrash Aggadah (Ecc. Rabbah 12:8) explains: An almond tree takes twenty-one days from its blossoming until it is completely ripe, as the number of days between the seventeenth of Tammuz, when the city was broken into, until the ninth of Ab, when the Temple was burnt

Edition: Sefaria Community Translation. License: CC0. Sefaria.

Malbim's commentary

Verse 1
words of jeremiah — The first three pesukim bring out the boundaries of the essence of the book in all its details, because all books are limited. They are limited in terms of its form and what it talks about. For example if it a book of rebuke or a poem or a work of knowledge or the like, or if it was said in a riddle form or a story or the like, and on this it says, Divrei the words, to show that it (sefer Yirmiyahu) includes many types of things. In it you can find Visions, nevuas, stories, rebuke, and the like. The second way a book is limited is from the standpoint of the author who said what is in the book. Yirmiyahu ben Chilkiyahu he wrote sefer yirmiyahu and he was a navi who was special that his father was the kohen gadol and navi. And he was also rich. He (Yirmiyahu) was from the kohanim who were in Anatot (name of a town). They (the kohanim in Anatot) were special in their fear of Hashem. Yirmiyahu was from Eretz Binyamin, not from the people who lived in Yerushaliayim. The person who rebukes who is from a different city, the people he is talking to won't recognize him and he wont hold back from giving them rebuke because of his love of the city, and his words will be heard better. Where does he (Yirmiyahu) draw his words from, is it from his mind, or his studies, or from books? it says That is the words of Hashem to him, that he (Yirmiyahu) drew his words from the source of living water (a reference to Hashem's words). From the standpoint of the time that he gave nevuah, it says that he had nevuah in three changing time periods that the stance of the nation and kings were changing (in terms of following Hashem or not). Because he started nevuah during the time Yoshiyahu ben Amon, that he and his generation were tzadikim, and he started to have nevuah in the thirteenth year of his kingship (yoshiyahu's kingship), that when he (yirmiyahu) was mature he started serving Hashem.
Verse 3
And he continued his nevuah IN the days of Yehoyakim, during which the generation were tzadikim and the king was a rasha Until the end of the eleventh year of Tzidkiyahu, during which the nation changed to reshaim and the king was good. And It is telling us that these nevuot (the nevuahs of yirmiyahu) were constant during this whole time. Until the galut of yerushalayim, because all of the nevuahs were fulfilled.
Verse 6
I cannot speak, for I am a child — This was for three reasons: 1. That the child (Jeremiah) did not have confidence in himself in front of greater people, 2. That the child did not know how to order his words in the correct way (meaning he did not know how to speak well in front of the congregation), and 3. That maybe the nation will become angry with what he says and come upon him and kill him.

Edition: Sefaria Community Translation. License: CC0. Sefaria.

Original text

Verse 1

דִּבְרֵ֥י יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּ֑הוּ מִן־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּעֲנָת֔וֹת בְּאֶ֖רֶץ בִּנְיָמִֽן׃

The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.

Verse 2

אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו בִּימֵ֛י יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־אָמ֖וֹן מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה בִּשְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֖ה לְמׇלְכֽוֹ׃

The word of G OD came to him in the days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,

Verse 3

וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵ֨י יְהוֹיָקִ֤ים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֙הוּ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֔ה עַד־תֹּם֙ עַשְׁתֵּ֣י עֶשְׂרֵ֣ה שָׁנָ֔ה לְצִדְקִיָּ֥הוּ בֶן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֖הוּ מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה עַד־גְּל֥וֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ֖͏ִם בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִֽׁי׃ {פ}

and throughout the days of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of King Zedekiah son of Josiah of Judah, when Jerusalem went into exile in the fifth month.

Verse 4

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

The word of G OD came to me:

Verse 5

בְּטֶ֨רֶם (אצורך) [אֶצׇּרְךָ֤] בַבֶּ֙טֶן֙ יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָ וּבְטֶ֛רֶם תֵּצֵ֥א מֵרֶ֖חֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֑יךָ נָבִ֥יא לַגּוֹיִ֖ם נְתַתִּֽיךָ׃

Before I created you in the womb, I selected you; Before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet concerning the nations.

Verse 6

וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה הִנֵּ֥ה לֹֽא־יָדַ֖עְתִּי דַּבֵּ֑ר כִּי־נַ֖עַר אָנֹֽכִי׃ {ס}

I replied: Ah, my Sovereign G OD ! I don’t know how to speak, For I am still a boy.

Verse 7

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר נַ֣עַר אָנֹ֑כִי כִּ֠י עַֽל־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ תֵּלֵ֔ךְ וְאֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוְּךָ֖ תְּדַבֵּֽר׃

And G OD said to me: Do not say, “I am still a boy,” But go wherever I send you And speak whatever I command you.

Verse 8

אַל־תִּירָ֖א מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י לְהַצִּלֶ֖ךָ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃

Have no fear of them, For I am with you to deliver you —declares G OD .

Verse 9

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ וַיַּגַּ֖ע עַל־פִּ֑י וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י הִנֵּ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי דְבָרַ֖י בְּפִֽיךָ׃

G OD reached out and touched my mouth, and G OD said to me: Herewith I put My words into your mouth.

Verse 10

רְאֵ֞ה הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָ׀ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֗ה עַל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ וּלְהַאֲבִ֣יד וְלַהֲר֑וֹס לִבְנ֖וֹת וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ׃ {פ}

See, I appoint you this day Over nations and kingdoms: To uproot and to pull down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.

Verse 11

וַיְהִ֤י דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֔ר מָה־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ וָאֹמַ֕ר מַקֵּ֥ל שָׁקֵ֖ד אֲנִ֥י רֹאֶֽה׃

The word of G OD came to me: What do you see, Jeremiah? I replied: I see a branch of an almond tree..

Verse 12

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֵלַ֖י הֵיטַ֣בְתָּ לִרְא֑וֹת כִּֽי־שֹׁקֵ֥ד אֲנִ֛י עַל־דְּבָרִ֖י לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃ {ס}

G OD said to me: You have seen right, For I am watchful . to bring My word to pass.

Verse 13

וַיְהִ֨י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֤ה׀אֵלַי֙ שֵׁנִ֣ית לֵאמֹ֔ר מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה וָאֹמַ֗ר סִ֤יר נָפ֙וּחַ֙ אֲנִ֣י רֹאֶ֔ה וּפָנָ֖יו מִפְּנֵ֥י צָפֽוֹנָה׃

And the word of G OD came to me a second time: What do you see? I replied: I see a steaming pot, Tipped away from the north.

Verse 14

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י מִצָּפוֹן֙ תִּפָּתַ֣ח הָרָעָ֔ה עַ֥ל כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֖י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

And G OD said to me: From the north shall disaster break loose Upon all the inhabitants of the land!

Verse 15

כִּ֣י׀ הִנְנִ֣י קֹרֵ֗א לְכׇֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת מַמְלְכ֥וֹת צָפ֖וֹנָה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֑ה וּבָ֡אוּ וְֽנָתְנוּ֩ אִ֨ישׁ כִּסְא֜וֹ פֶּ֣תַח׀ שַׁעֲרֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם וְעַ֤ל כׇּל־חוֹמֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ סָבִ֔יב וְעַ֖ל כׇּל־עָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃

For I am summoning all the peoples Of the kingdoms of the north —declares G OD . They shall come, and shall each set up a throne Before the gates of Jerusalem, Against its walls round about, And against all the towns of Judah.

Verse 16

וְדִבַּרְתִּ֤י מִשְׁפָּטַי֙ אוֹתָ֔ם עַ֖ל כׇּל־רָעָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲזָב֗וּנִי וַֽיְקַטְּרוּ֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לְמַעֲשֵׂ֥י יְדֵיהֶֽם׃

And I will argue My case against them For all their wickedness: They have forsaken Me And sacrificed to other gods And worshiped the works of their hands.

Verse 17

וְאַתָּה֙ תֶּאְזֹ֣ר מׇתְנֶ֔יךָ וְקַמְתָּ֙ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י אֲצַוֶּ֑ךָּ אַל־תֵּחַת֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם פֶּֽן־אֲחִתְּךָ֖ לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

So you, gird up your loins, Arise and speak to them All that I command you. Do not break down before them, Lest I break you before them.

Verse 18

וַאֲנִ֞י הִנֵּ֧ה נְתַתִּ֣יךָ הַיּ֗וֹם לְעִ֨יר מִבְצָ֜ר וּלְעַמּ֥וּד בַּרְזֶ֛ל וּלְחֹמ֥וֹת נְחֹ֖שֶׁת עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמַלְכֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂרֶ֔יהָ לְכֹהֲנֶ֖יהָ וּלְעַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃

I make you this day A fortified city, And an iron pillar, And bronze walls Against the whole land— Against Judah’s kings and officers, And against its priests and citizens.

Verse 19

וְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹא־י֣וּכְלוּ לָ֑ךְ כִּי־אִתְּךָ֥ אֲנִ֛י נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֖ה לְהַצִּילֶֽךָ׃ {פ}

They will attack you, But they shall not overcome you; For I am with you—declares G OD —to save you.

English translation: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition · CC-BY-NC

Jeremiah 1

Jeremiah Chapter 1

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