The word of Hashem comes to the young priest of Anathoth: 'Before I formed you in the belly I knew you... I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.' The rod of the almond-tree and the seething pot facing north; 'be not dismayed at them.'
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
THE WORDS of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,
verse value 2792
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Hilkiah" (בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּ֑הוּ, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "son·of·Hilkiah" (בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּ֑הוּ), "from·the·priests" (מִן־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "words·of" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah); "in·land·of" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root דבר ("words·of") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root ירמיהו ("Jeremiah") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'son·of·Hilkiah', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: דִּבְרֵ֥י [words·of] (216) + יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ [Jeremiah] (271) + בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּ֑הוּ [son·of·Hilkiah] (211) + מִן־הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ [from·the·priests] (220) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + בַּעֲנָת֔וֹת [in·Anathoth] (928) + בְּאֶ֖רֶץ [in·land·of] (293) + בִּנְיָמִֽן [Benjamin] (152) = 2792.
Rashi
The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, etc. Let the son of the blemished one, whose deeds are proper, come and rebuke the son of the proper one, whose deeds are corrupt: Jeremiah, who came from Rahab the harlot, comes to rebuke the one who corrupts his deeds. This refers to Israel, who corrupted their deeds, even though they came from a proper (kosher) lineage.
Radak
The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah. My master and father, of blessed memory, wrote that this Hilkiah is Hilkiah son of Shaphan the priest, who found the Book of the Torah in the House of the Lord in the days of Josiah. And Jeremiah, his son, prophesied in the days of Josiah, and the beginning of his prophecy was in the thirteenth year of his reign. Yet Josiah and Judah had not yet returned from their evil until the eighteenth year of his reign, when the Book of the Torah was found.
From the priests. Jonathan's Targum translates: "From the heads of the priestly divisions, from the officers (amarkalin) who were in Jerusalem, a man who received his inheritance in Anathoth."
Anathoth. It is a city among the cities of the priests, as it is written in the Book of Joshua. And the reason it opens with "the words of" is that this book includes all the words of prophecy that he prophesied concerning Israel and concerning the nations, as well as his own words about what happened to him in his dealings with Israel. And the Midrash teaches: there are three prophets whose prophecy consisted of words of rebuke, and therefore their prophecy was attributed to themselves; and these are: "the words of Kohelet," "the words of Amos," "the words of Jeremiah" — that is to say, [attributed] to themselves, in that they spoke of their own affairs. Like Solomon, who said, "I, Kohelet, was king," and the whole matter that he told about himself. And likewise Amos told in his own words, "Amos has conspired against you," and the whole matter, as it is written. And likewise Jeremiah told at the beginning of his book, in his own words, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you," and the whole matter. And likewise within his book, what he told of the evils that were done to him.
Metzudat David
The words of Jeremiah. These are the words of Jeremiah, etc.
“Who dwelt in Anathoth.” This refers to one who dwelt in Anathoth, which was located in the territory of Benjamin.
Malbim
The words of Jeremiah: The first three verses are intended to delimit the essence of the book in all its details, for every book among the books of wisdom is delimited: 1. From the aspect of its form and the matters spoken therein—for example, whether it is a book of reproof, or song, or wisdom, and so on; and whether it is stated in the manner of discourse or narrative, and so on. And regarding this it says "words," indicating that it includes several types of matters: visions, prophecies, narratives, reproofs, and so on are found in it. 2. From the aspect of the author who spoke the words: it states that he was Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, who was a prophet and of distinguished lineage because his father was High Priest and prophet. And it is clear that he was also wealthy, for his father was certainly wealthy, as it is written, "the priest that is greater than his brothers"—[meaning that] his brothers would enrich him from their own [wealth]. 3. From the aspect of his place, where the prophet dwelt: it states that he was among the priests who were in Anathoth, who were distinguished in the fear of God, and from the land of Benjamin, not from the inhabitants of Jerusalem. For the one who reproves, being from another city, will not show partiality nor conceal faults out of love for his native city, and his words are heard all the more. 4. From which source he drew his words: whether from intellect, or analysis, or from the mouth of scribes and books. It says: "The word of the Lord came to him," that he drew his words from the source of living waters, from prophecy. 5. From the aspect of the time in which he prophesied: it states that he prophesied in three different times, in which the status of the people and their kingship changed. For the beginning of his prophecy was in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, who and his generation were righteous, and he began in the thirteenth year of his reign, when, having reached the age of understanding, he began to serve God.
to whom the word of Hashem came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
verse value 3151
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 57 letters. The shortest word is "that" (אֲשֶׁ֨ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·thirteen" (בִּשְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה, 8 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "in·thirteen" (בִּשְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה). The root מלך appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "king" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root היה ("was") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root יהוה ("the·word·of·Hashem") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֲשֶׁ֨ר [that] (501) + הָיָ֤ה [was] (20) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֵלָ֔יו [to·him] (47) + בִּימֵ֛י [in·days·of] (62) + יֹאשִׁיָּ֥הוּ [Josiah] (332) + בֶן־אָמ֖וֹן [son·of·Amon] (149) + מֶ֣לֶךְ [king] (90) + יְהוּדָ֑ה [Judah] (30) + בִּשְׁלֹשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה [in·thirteen] (1207) + שָׁנָ֖ה [year] (355) + לְמׇלְכֽוֹ [king] (126) = 3151.
Rashi
“Whom the word of the Lord came to him, etc.”: That the Divine Presence began to rest upon him at that time.
Metzudat David
"Which was" etc. In the days of Josiah: The beginning of the word of God being with him was in the days of Josiah, etc.
It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, to the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
verse value 5537
Insights
Verse structure: 18 words, 91 letters. The shortest word is "king" (מֶ֣לֶךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "son·of·Josiah" (בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּ֙הוּ֙, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 384: son·of·Josiah, son·of·Josiah. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "until·heap" (עַד־גְּל֥וֹת). The root בין appears 2 times in this verse. 15 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "king" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "and·it·was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah); "son·of·Josiah" (root בין, 146x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root יהויקים ("Jehoiakim") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root עד ("until·perfect") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Judah', dividing the verse into phrases of 14 and 4 words.
Rashi
And it was in the days of Jehoiakim. And he was a prophet all the remaining days of Josiah, and the days of Jehoiakim his son, and the days of Zedekiah his son, until the completion of eleven years; this is the year of the exile of Jerusalem, in the fifth month.
Radak
"And it came to pass in the days of." The word of God that was with him was also in the days of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, and likewise in the days of Zedekiah, until the end of his reign. He reigned eleven years; in the eleventh year he fell into the hand of the king of Babylon, and the exile of Jerusalem [occurred] in the fifth month, as it is written in the Book of Kings.
Metzudat David
"And it was in the days of Jehoiakim." He also prophesied in the days of Jehoiakim his son, and his prophecy continued until the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, etc. And to add clarification, he said "until the exile of Jerusalem," which was in the fifth month, which is the month of Av.
Metzudat Zion
The matter is concluded. The concept of "completion" is akin to [the verse] "If the money is exhausted" (Genesis 47:18).
Malbim
"And it came to pass"—and so his prophecy continued during the days of Jehoiakim, when the generation was righteous and the king was wicked, as our Sages of blessed memory stated: "Until the completion of the eleventh year of Zedekiah." At that time, the status of the people changed, and they became wicked, whereas the king was righteous. The meaning is that these prophecies continued throughout all these periods until the exile of Jerusalem, at which time all his prophecies were fulfilled.
Verse structure: 4 words, 18 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 7 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·it·was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root אמר ("saying") in Jeremiah. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֥י [and·it·was] (31) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֵלַ֥י [to·me] (41) + לֵאמֹֽר [saying] (271) = 575.
Metzudat David
“And the word of the Lord came.” This is what Jeremiah said to Israel:
Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, And before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.
verse value 4363
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 56 letters. The shortest word is "you·shall·go·out" (תֵּצֵ֥א, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·sanctified·you" (הִקְדַּשְׁתִּ֑יךָ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 63: in·the·belly, prophet. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·will·bind·you" (אֶצׇּרְךָ֤), "in·the·belly" (בַבֶּ֙טֶן֙), "I·have·known·you" (יְדַעְתִּ֔יךָ). The root טרם appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·have·made·you" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah); "prophet" (root נביא, 93x in Jeremiah); "to·the·nations" (root גוי, 81x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root טרם ("before") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root יצר ("I·will·bind·you") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·sanctified·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words.
Rashi
“Before I formed you in the womb, etc.” From the days of the first man, the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Adam each generation and its prophets.
"I formed you" – a term denoting form.
"I knew you." In the vernacular, this is expressed as "kaniyushtavi," similar to "I was not known to them" (Exodus 6:3).
"I have sanctified you." I have appointed you for this purpose:
"A prophet to the nations." To Israel who were conducting themselves like idolaters, this is expounded in the Sifrei: "A prophet from among your brethren" (Deuteronomy 18:15) — "I will raise up for you" and not for those who deny the Torah. If so, how do I fulfill "a prophet to the nations"? [It refers to the prophet] whom I placed among the children of Israel who were conducting themselves like idolaters. Another interpretation: "Before I brought you forth from the womb, I sanctified you." Concerning you I said to Moses: "A prophet like you I will raise up for them" (Deuteronomy 18:18). This one [Moses] admonished them, and this one [Jeremiah] admonished them. This one prophesied for forty years, and this one prophesied for forty years.
Radak
"Before I formed you." Thus it is written with a vav, and the qeri reads the tzadi with a chataf qamats, as is its rule with the pronominal suffixes, without the vav, and the meaning is one and the same. And regarding the meaning of "Before I formed you," my father and master wrote: When He created the four elements, they were known through natural potential, and afterward He brought them into actuality. And so Isaiah said, "From the time of its being, I was there" [Isaiah 48:16]: by the power of the elements I existed from the time that time itself came to be in the world, and now He has brought me forth from potentiality into actuality and sent me with His spirit. Or he explained "I knew you" like "I knew you by name," which He said to Moses, and this indicates it: and "before you came out of the womb I sanctified you" is language of holiness, while "I knew you" is language of greatness. And according to the first explanation one might ask: were not all the prophets and the righteous, and likewise the wicked, known and recognized by Him before they were created? But this indicates that his father and mother were careful with holiness and purity at the time of conception, so that the prophet would be sanctified. And the great scholar Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, of blessed memory, wrote that this applies to every prophet: none can attain prophecy without a natural preparation at the very root of his formation, so that he is fit for prophecy along with training. And according to his view one might ask: why did He not say this to any other prophet but only to Jeremiah? We may answer that since God, blessed be He, knew Jeremiah would refuse the divine mission, He informed him that he was prepared for prophecy from the womb, so as to strengthen his resolve to go on God's mission. And should you say: but did not Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, also refuse the divine mission, yet He did not say this to him? He showed him a great sign to strengthen his heart, namely the sign of the burning bush and the other signs which He empowered him to perform before Pharaoh. We may also say that Moses our teacher already knew this on his own, for he was a great sage and knew that at the root of man's formation there is a natural preparation for prophecy for whoever is destined to prophesy — and not this alone, but every wisdom and every disposition that predominates in a person has some preparation for it at the root of his formation, which will grow stronger through training. And Jonathan translated the verse thus: "Before I created you, etc." as above.
Metzudat David
Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; that you would be worthy and prepared for prophecy.
"I have sanctified you." I sanctified you, and then He explains further, saying that by this He sanctified you, in that He made you a prophet to prophesy against all the nations.
Metzudat Zion
"I created you." A term of creation:
"I knew you." The matter is one of recognition, as it says, "And Samuel did not yet know the Lord" (1 Samuel 3:7).
"I have sanctified you." From the language of holiness:
"I have made you." The matter concerns appointment and commission, as it is written: "I have made you a god to Pharaoh" (Exodus 7:1).
Malbim
Regarding the word "before" (beterem): A prophet requires two conditions to precede his prophecy. First, natural preparation, whereby he is naturally predisposed to prophecy through having a temperament inclined toward moral excellence, as well as through the perfection of his imaginative and intellectual faculties and the other psychic powers. Second, voluntary preparation, whereby he prepares himself for prophecy through good deeds, holiness, and asceticism. This natural preparation occurs in a person immediately when the form of the fetus is conceived in his mother’s womb, for this preparation is received from his parents; this is as stated in the Mishnah in Eduyot: "A father can endow his son with beauty, with strength, etc." However, voluntary preparation does not begin until he is born and starts to utilize his natural and psychic faculties.
Nevertheless, there is a distinction in this matter among the prophets, for these conditions are obligatory only for a prophet who comes to perfect himself, upon whom the emanation of prophecy descends for his own sake, to perfect him in the knowledge of God and in supreme apprehensions. This will not occur unless he is prepared for it by virtue of his nature and his choice. It is not so with a prophet sent by the Lord to discipline nations and to admonish peoples. In such a case, when the Lord needs to send a general envoy to the people and finds no one who is prepared for this on his own initiative, He will choose one man who is good in His eyes and prepare him for prophecy by altering his nature and assisting his choice, so that He may achieve the desired end through him. (In this, you will find the answer to most of the difficulties raised against Maimonides, who ruled in the Guide of the Perplexed that prophecy occurs only for those prepared for it. They questioned him based on the prophecies of Gideon, Manoah, and their like, for this was not due to the merit of the recipient, but rather due to the need of the One who emanates [the prophecy].)
This is what is stated regarding the natural preparation that occurs when the fetus is formed in the womb: "I knew you before I formed you in the womb," meaning that I preceded you with this preparation of My own accord. And similarly, regarding the voluntary preparation that occurs when he exits the womb and begins to choose good deeds: "I consecrated you for prophecy before you exited the womb." This means that your prophecy does not require natural and voluntary preparation like that of other prophets, for "I have made you a prophet to the nations." You are not a prophet for your own sake, but for the sake of the community; not for a private mission, but for a general mission to all the nations, and your prophecy is for My needs.
Then said I: ‘Ah, Lord Hashem! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child.’
verse value 1571
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יֱהֹוִ֔ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "alas!" (אֲהָהּ֙, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·I·know" (לֹֽא־יָדַ֖עְתִּי, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "not·I·know" (לֹֽא־יָדַ֖עְתִּי), "for·a boy" (כִּי־נַ֖עַר). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·I·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "speak" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root אהה ("alas!") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root אדון ("my·lord") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'speak', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 2 words. Full calculation: וָאֹמַ֗ר [and·I·said] (247) + אֲהָהּ֙ [alas!] (11) + אֲדֹנָ֣י [my·lord] (65) + יֱהֹוִ֔ה [Hashem] (26) + הִנֵּ֥ה [they] (60) + לֹֽא־יָדַ֖עְתִּי [not·I·know] (525) + דַּבֵּ֑ר [speak] (206) + כִּי־נַ֖עַר [for·a boy] (350) + אָנֹֽכִי [I] (81) = 1571.
Rashi
Ahah. A term for "lamenting"; in the language of the gentiles, "complain."
“For I am but a youth.” I am not worthy to reprove them. Moses reproved them close to the time of his death, for he was already regarded in their eyes as one who had performed many miracles for them: he brought them out of Egypt, split the sea for them, brought down the manna, provided the quail, gave them the Torah, and brought up the well. But I am at the beginning of my mission; I come to reprove them.
Radak
"And I said, 'Ahah.'" This is language of exclamation over distress and anxiety. And what he said, "I do not know [how] to speak," means: words of reproof — for I am a youth, and how can I reprove a nation? And there is no wonder if prophecy came to him while he was a youth, for behold, Samuel too was a youth at the beginning of his prophecy, as it is written, "and the spirit of prophecy made them wise," even though they were youths. And it is possible that "youth" means attendant, and even though one is advanced in years he is called a youth, as it is written, "and his attendant Joshua son of Nun, a youth" — he was the attendant of a certain prophet who lived in his days. Or [it may mean] "wise": that is, [this mission] ought to be sent by the hand of one greater than me, not by my own hand — as Moses our teacher said, "Send, please, by the hand of whomever You will send." And the commentators explained that he was young in years when he prophesied, and so too were Samuel and Zechariah son of Iddo. And the Targum [Yonatan] likewise renders: "And I said, accept my plea, etc." As above.
Metzudat David
And I said, etc. I said, "Alas, O Lord! Woe is me, because of the impediment and the nullifier found within me, which prevents me from arranging the words of prophecy in clear language, for I am still young in years and have not become accustomed to this."
Metzudat Zion
Ahah. The matter of the language of lamentation is like, "And I said, Ahah, O Lord!" (Ezekiel 4).
Malbim
"And I said" — he replied, [meaning] that even though prophecy could influence him even if he lacked the perfections which are conditions for prophecy, since he is a prophet for a general mission, nevertheless, if so, there is another deficiency, and it is that the sent prophet must not be a youth but an old and experienced man, so that he can speak and rebuke many nations. And this is what it says, "Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth." And this is from three aspects: 1. That the youth will not set his heart to approach before great men; 2. That the youth does not know how to arrange his words in eloquence and pure language, for which great experience is needed; 3. From the side of the people to whom he is sent, that they will not give honor to a young youth and will rise against him and kill him.
But Hashem said to me: Say not: I am a child; For to whomsoever I shall send you you shall go, And whatsoever I shall command you you shall speak.
verse value 4568
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 58 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֠י, 2 letters) and the longest is "upon·all·that" (עַֽל־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "not·you·shall·say" (אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר), "boy" (נַ֣עַר), "I·will·send·you" (אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙). The root אשר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "upon·all·that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root איל ("not·you·shall·say") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root כי ("for") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 8 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֵלַ֔י [to·me] (41) + אַל־תֹּאמַ֖ר [not·you·shall·say] (672) + נַ֣עַר [boy] (320) + אָנֹ֑כִי [I] (81) + כִּ֠י [for] (30) + עַֽל־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר [upon·all·that] (651) + אֶֽשְׁלָחֲךָ֙ [I·will·send·you] (359) + תֵּלֵ֔ךְ [you·shall·go] (450) + וְאֵ֛ת [and] (407) + כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר [all·that] (551) + אֲצַוְּךָ֖ [I·shall·command·you] (117) + תְּדַבֵּֽר [you·shall·speak] (606) = 4568.
Rashi
"Concerning all that I shall send you" – to the nations.
"And all that I command you." To Israel you shall speak:
Radak
"For to all that I send you." "Al" (על) is used in place of "el" (אל, "to"); similarly, "and Elkanah went to Ramah, to (al) his house" [1 Samuel 2:11] uses "al" to mean "to (el) his house." And what is meant by "I send you, you shall go" is that since the prophecy first came to him in Anathoth, God wished to send him to Jerusalem, the seat of the monarchy, to admonish the king and his people. And He assured him that He would strengthen his heart to go to a place he was not accustomed to, and He would refine his words in his mouth so that he would know how to speak words of reproof without fear.
Metzudat David
Do not say. This means: Do not refuse the matter on account of [your] youth.
“Ki al kol.” Rather, “Concerning all the matters that I shall send you, you shall go and speak all that I command you.”
Malbim
And God said: Since this statement encompasses three concerns—two from his side and one from the people's side—God answered him: Do not raise this objection on the grounds that you are a youth. For regarding your concern that your heart might falter when approaching great men, behold, "to all whom I send you, you shall go." One who goes as an emissary of a great king does not feel ashamed to go anywhere he is sent, knowing the stature of his sender, even if he himself is young and despised. And regarding your concern that you will not know how to arrange the words with good reasoning, "all that I command you, you shall speak." You will not speak any word of your own, only what I command you, and I will put the words in your mouth.
Be not afraid of them; For I am with you to deliver you, Says Hashem.
verse value 1671
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "I" (אֲנִ֛י, 3 letters) and the longest is "says·Hashem" (נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·deliver·you" (לְהַצִּלֶ֖ךָ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for·with·you" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "not·you·shall·fear" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root פנים ("from·their·face") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root אני ("I") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·their·face', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַל־תִּירָ֖א [not·you·shall·fear] (642) + מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם [from·their·face] (225) + כִּֽי־אִתְּךָ֥ [for·with·you] (451) + אֲנִ֛י [I] (61) + לְהַצִּלֶ֖ךָ [to·deliver·you] (175) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה [says·Hashem] (117) = 1671.
Radak
"To save you." It comes with a tarcha [accent], with a segol under the lamed, because it has a pausal position, and sometimes it follows the rule of the pause. He did not promise him that they would not touch him; rather, they would touch him and strike him, and He would save him from their hand so that they would not kill him, even though it was their intention to kill him, as it is written: "And when they came to kill him," and regarding Baruch it says: "And the Lord hid them."
Metzudat David
"Do not fear. Do not be afraid of those to whom I am sending you, lest you stumble in your speech and they become angry with you; for I am with you to save you from the hands of those who come to harm you."
Malbim
"Do not fear; and regarding that which you fear—that they will kill you—do not fear them, for I will deliver you from their hands."
Then Hashem put forth His hand, and touched my mouth; and Hashem said to me: Behold, I have put My words in your mouth;
verse value 2652
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֙) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2652 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֔י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·he·sent" (וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 26: Hashem, Hashem. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·touched" (וַיַּגַּ֖ע), "upon·peh" (עַל־פִּ֑י). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "upon·peh" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root נגע ("and·touched") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root על ("upon·peh") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·peh', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 7 words. Full calculation: וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח [and·he·sent] (354) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֶת־יָד֔וֹ [hand] (421) + וַיַּגַּ֖ע [and·touched] (89) + עַל־פִּ֑י [upon·peh] (190) + וַיֹּ֤אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָה֙ [Hashem] (26) + אֵלַ֔י [to·me] (41) + הִנֵּ֛ה [they] (60) + נָתַ֥תִּי [I·gave] (860) + דְבָרַ֖י [my·words] (216) + בְּפִֽיךָ [in·your·mouth] (112) = 2652.
Rashi
"And the Lord stretched out His hand." Any mission that is expressed in terms of "hand" implies the meaning of "extended." Another interpretation: as the Targum translates, "And the Lord sent forth the words of His prophecy."
Radak
"And the Lord sent forth His hand." This refers to the angel who appeared to him and spoke to him in the name of God, and is called by His Name. He appeared to him in a vision of prophecy, as though He had stretched out His hand to him and the words reached his mouth, and it appeared to him as if He had placed in his mouth a tangible object to repair [his speech], even though the actual reception of the matter was only through the ear and not through the mouth. In the vision of prophecy, it appeared to him as if He had placed in his mouth a tangible object with which to repair his mouth, so that he would speak with a clear tongue, without fear. And similarly it is said in Isaiah: "And he touched my mouth," [meaning] that the glowing coal (retzafah) touched his mouth — for both [instances of] "vayiga" (touched) have a patach under the yod, [being] from the Hiphil construction. And Targum [Yonatan] renders the verse figuratively: "And the Lord sent forth the words of His prophecy," etc., as it stands in the column.
Metzudat David
"And he sent." Through prophecy, it appeared to him as though the Omnipresent extended His hand and touched his mouth, as if placing the prophecy into his mouth.
"Behold, I have given." By this, that I have placed My hand upon your mouth, I have placed the words of prophecy in your mouth.
Metzudat Zion
"And he sent." The meaning is "he stretched out," just as it is written, "Stretch out your hand and take hold" (Exodus 4:4).
Malbim
"And the Lord stretched out His hand" – the sending of a hand mentioned in connection with the arrival of prophecy refers to the transmission of the active power to act and to bring about, according to his prophecy, a renewal in existence. For "the hand of the Lord" signifies the active power engaged in the coming-into-being of things, or in their persistence, their completion, and their changes. And when prophecy comes with the strength of the hand, He grants him this active power, so that along with the prophetic utterance he will also be an agent to uproot and to plant, to tear down and to build. And this is what it says: "See, I have put My words in your mouth." And with this very utterance: "See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms" — whether to destroy them: to uproot the nations and to destroy them, and likewise to break down the kingdoms and demolish them; or to build up what was destroyed, namely the kingdoms, and to plant the nations (see the Beur HaMilot [Explanation of the Words]). However, even the destruction is for the sake of building, and this is what it says: "to uproot and to tear down" so that thereby you will be able to build and to plant. For so too does the Upper Hand act: it tears down in order to build, for absence precedes existence, and death [precedes] life.
See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, And to destroy and to overthrow; To build, and to plant.
verse value 4106
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 69 letters. The shortest word is "see" (רְאֵ֞ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·over·the·kingdoms" (וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת, 10 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "I·have·set·you" (הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָ), "and·over·the·kingdoms" (וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת), "and·to·tear·down" (וְלַהֲר֑וֹס). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "day" (root יום, 133x in Jeremiah); "this" (root זה, 123x in Jeremiah); "over·the·nations" (root גוי, 81x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root ראה ("see") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root פקד ("I·have·set·you") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·to·tear·down', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 2 words. Full calculation: רְאֵ֞ה [see] (206) + הִפְקַדְתִּ֣יךָ [I·have·set·you] (619) + הַיּ֣וֹם [day] (61) + הַזֶּ֗ה [this] (17) + עַל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ [over·the·nations] (164) + וְעַל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת [and·over·the·kingdoms] (647) + לִנְת֥וֹשׁ [to·pull·up] (786) + וְלִנְת֖וֹץ [and·to·pull·down] (582) + וּלְהַאֲבִ֣יד [and·to·destroy] (58) + וְלַהֲר֑וֹס [and·to·tear·down] (307) + לִבְנ֖וֹת [to·build] (488) + וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ [and·to·plant] (171) = 4106.
Rashi
"I have appointed you." Your commission is over the nations:
To uproot and to tear down. Despecir in the vernacular:
Radak
"Behold, I have appointed you." I have set you as an overseer and guardian over them, for good and for evil; for as you shall prophesy against them, so shall it come upon them. The doubling of the expressions — of uprooting ["to uproot" and "to tear down"] and of overthrow ["to destroy" and "to overthrow"] — is because he spoke much evil concerning Israel and the nations, whereas the good was little concerning the nations, as he said regarding the children of Ammon, "and afterward I will restore the captivity of the children of Ammon"; and he said concerning Elam, "and it shall be in the latter days that I will restore the captivity of Elam." And he said "to build" corresponding to "to uproot," and "to plant" corresponding to "to tear down." And Jonathan divided the verse: the evil [portions] to the nations, and the good to Israel, as he translated: "See, I have appointed you this day over the peoples and over the kingdoms, to uproot, to tear down, and to destroy, and to overthrow; and over the House of Israel, to build and to establish."
Metzudat David
"I have appointed you today." By this, I have designated you as a prophet to pronounce upon them destruction and tranquility, according to whatever I command you.
Metzudat Zion
"I have appointed you." From the root of "appointment" and "designation," like "and the officers of the armies shall appoint" (Deuteronomy 20:9).
"To uproot." The meaning is uprooting, as in "and I will plant you, and I will not uproot you" (below, 42:10):
And to break it. The meaning of "to crush" and "to break" is as in the verse: "an oven and a hearth shall be broken" (Leviticus 11:35).
And to demolish. From the language of demolition and destruction:
To build. From the language of building:
Moreover the word of Hashem came to me, saying: ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?’ And I said: ‘I see a rod of an almond-tree.’
verse value 2591
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 48 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 271: saying, Jeremiah. The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·it·was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root אתה ("what?·you") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root מקל ("rod") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Jeremiah', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 5 words. Full calculation: וַיְהִ֤י [and·it·was] (31) + דְבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ [the·word·of·Hashem] (232) + אֵלַ֣י [to·me] (41) + לֵאמֹ֔ר [saying] (271) + מָה־אַתָּ֥ה [what?·you] (451) + רֹאֶ֖ה [seeing] (206) + יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ [Jeremiah] (271) + וָאֹמַ֕ר [and·I·said] (247) + מַקֵּ֥ל [rod] (170) + שָׁקֵ֖ד [almond tree] (404) + אֲנִ֥י [I] (61) + רֹאֶֽה [seeing] (206) = 2591.
Rashi
“An almond rod.” This is “mandolier” in the vernacular, and Jonathan rendered “an almond rod” as “a king who hastens to do evil.”
Radak
"And the word of the Lord came to him." This occurred in the first vision, for initially He told him to go wherever He would send him, and afterward, in that very same vision, He showed him in the prophetic vision an almond branch, as it says, "I see an almond branch." It appears that he saw the branch without leaves and without blossoms, and he gazed at it in the prophetic vision and recognized that it was from an almond tree. Therefore, He said to him, "You have seen well." For had he seen it with leaves and blossoms, what would have been the excellence of the vision? It is easy to recognize [the tree] in that state. Rather, God showed him an almond branch to serve as an allegory for the calamity destined to befall Israel: that it will come upon them swiftly, just as the almond tree hastens to blossom more than the other trees. Therefore, it is called "shaked" (almond), for "shkidah" (alacrity) pertains to swiftness and diligence. Similarly, it is said, "For I am watchful over My word to perform it," and it is said, "Let him watch at my doors day by day." And Jonathan translated "a branch of almond" as "a king who hastens to bring evil, I see."
Metzudat David
What do you see in the vision of prophecy:
“An almond rod.” A staff from a tree upon which almonds grow.
Metzudat Zion
“Staff.” A walking stick.
Shaked. The name of the fruit, almonds, as in: “and it bore almonds” (Numbers 17:23):
Malbim
What do you see? The hand that was sent to him and touched his mouth was depicted in his imagination in some image and parable relating to the matter of prophecy and to the allegorical meaning (nimshal) intended by the touch of the hand — in the manner of "and by the hand of the prophets I use similitude" [Hosea 12:11]. And He asked him what he saw in his imagination, and he answered that the image of an almond branch was grasped in his imagination, as though this image were the depiction of the vision of the hand that had touched him.
Then said Hashem to me: ‘You have well seen; for I watch over My word to perform it.’
verse value 3004
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 41 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֛ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (אֵלַ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·speech" (עַל־דְּבָרִ֖י, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "you·did·well" (הֵיטַ֣בְתָּ), "for·almond tree" (כִּֽי־שֹׁקֵ֥ד), "to·do·it" (לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "upon·speech" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root יטב ("you·did·well") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root עשה ("to·do·it") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·see', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֧אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָ֛ה [Hashem] (26) + אֵלַ֖י [to·me] (41) + הֵיטַ֣בְתָּ [you·did·well] (426) + לִרְא֑וֹת [to·see] (637) + כִּֽי־שֹׁקֵ֥ד [for·almond tree] (434) + אֲנִ֛י [I] (61) + עַל־דְּבָרִ֖י [upon·speech] (316) + לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ [to·do·it] (806) = 3004.
Rashi
You have seen well. This almond tree hastens to bring forth its blossom before all the trees; so too I hasten to carry out My words. And in the aggadic midrash: From the time of its budding until the completion of its ripening, this almond tree takes twenty-one days, corresponding to the number of days between the seventeenth of Tammuz, on which the city was breached, and the ninth of Av, on which the Temple was burned.
Metzudat David
"You have done well to observe. This means that you have perceived something appropriate to the time, for I am diligent in fulfilling My words. If so, you have perceived a matter that alludes by hint to what is destined to be, for you have seen the word 'shaked' (almond), and I am 'shoked' (diligent) in My words, and they are one in language."
Metzudat Zion
Shoked. The meaning is swiftness, as in: "And the Lord hastened" (Daniel 9:14).
Malbim
And the Lord said, "You have seen well": this image is directed toward the intent of the prophecy in every respect. First, because he grasped the vision under the name "rod" (makel) and not "staff" (matteh), for the matteh sometimes alludes to a support or to dominion/office, whereas the makel signifies striking; the matteh is for honor to the one who bears it, not the makel. Likewise, the Chaldeans are in the hand of the Lord like a smiting rod to chastise sinners, and not like a staff for honor or support. Second, in that he saw it as an almond (shaked), meaning that it produces its fruit at that very moment — this indicates the great speed with which it brings forth its blossom, its flower, and its fruit in an instant, matching the time in which almond trees bring forth their fruit, within twenty-one days; and so too there were twenty-one days from the seventeenth of Tammuz until the ninth of Av, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. Third, this agrees with the name of the fruit: for "shaked" indicates "shekidah" (watchfulness) and exertion, that the Lord will be watchful concerning the evil and bring it upon us. And regarding this it says, "for I am watchful over My word to perform it" — as if the exertion to bring it into effect were joined to the utterance itself, with speed, just as at the sight of the rod it brought forth its blossom and its fruit. (And according to the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, this speed was for the good: He advanced it two years earlier so that "and you shall have grown old [in the land]" would not be fulfilled, and "you shall perish quickly" would come only once their measure was completely filled. And by this He said, in the homiletical sense, "you have seen well" — meaning that this watchfulness is for the good of Israel and their salvation.)
And the word of Hashem came to me the second time, saying: ‘What do you see?’ And I said: ‘I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is from the north.’
verse value 3483
Insights
Verse structure: 16 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "what?" (מָ֥ה, 2 letters) and the longest is "the·word·of·Hashem" (דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֤ה, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 206: seeing, seeing. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "pot" (סִ֤יר), "blown" (נָפ֙וּחַ֙), "and·his·face" (וּפָנָ֖יו). The root אמר appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·word·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "saying" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "and·it·was" (root היה, 250x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root שני ("second") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root מה ("what?") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'seeing', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 8 words.
Rashi
A swollen pot. Boiling, “boillant” in the vernacular:
And its face. Its bubblings; “asishond” in the vernacular.
Radak
"And the word of the Lord came to me the second time." Why does it say "the second time"? Because both visions were of one matter. Even though the things that appeared to him changed, it states that in this matter it appeared to him a second time. He also asked him what he was seeing, and the parable within the vision was also explained to him. It does not mean that he came to recount the number of times it appeared to him, for he did not recount [any] but this one. Similarly, "And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time," because He spoke with him regarding Nineveh on two occasions; therefore it says "the second time." This is not according to the words of the master of the homiletic exposition, who said: He spoke with him a second time, but a third time He did not speak with him.
"A blown-upon pot." "Blown-upon" is a description, and its meaning is "boiling"; and the pot, when it is boiling, emits steam, like one who blows into a fire, who expels breath from his mouth at the time of blowing.
"And its face was toward the north." The side of the pot from which they poured out [its contents] is called "face."
"Mippenei tzafonah" [From the face of the north]. He should have said "el penei tzafonah" [toward the face of the north]; but by saying it with a mem, he explained two things: that "penei tzafonah" [face of the north] indicates that the face of the pot was turned toward the north, and he said it with a mem to indicate that those who were heating it were from the land of the north, which is Babylonia, which is northeast of the Land of Israel. And my father and master, of blessed memory, explained that "u-fanav" ["and its face"] refers to the face of the shefatayim (the two hearth-stones on which a pot rests), or of the hearth (kirah) on which the pot is set. He said that the face of the hearth-stones, from which the fire is fed in beneath the pot, was toward the north — indicating that the one who kindles the fire beneath the pot will come from the north, and the pot is Jerusalem, just as he likewise likened them to a pot in the prophecy of Ezekiel, where it says, "Set on the pot, set it" [Ezekiel 24:3], and the whole matter — and there the matter is explained. And Targum Yonatan renders "sir nafuach" [a steaming pot] as: "A king who boils like a pot do I see, and the array of his camps, being led on, coming from the north."
Metzudat David
"A second time." This means that he asked me a second time:
What do you see in the vision of prophecy:
A blown pot. A stewpot rising to a boil:
And its face. The face of the seething; the place from which it brings up much seething is on the north side.
Metzudat Zion
SIR. A cooking pot. And likewise, “upon the pot of meat” (Exodus 16:3):
Nefuch. This means that it brings up a boiling [substance] upon it, so that it appears as if it were swollen and blistered. And similarly, "As a pot that is boiled over" and "a cauldron" (Job 41:12).
Malbim
And it was: The words of the prophet came arranged in three utterances. First, the Lord appointed him to the mission and informed him of the nature of the mission, which is to uproot and to break down. Afterwards, He designated for him two additional utterances: [Utterance A] to inform him of the time of the fulfillment of the prophecy, as stated here, "For I am watchful over My words"; [Utterance B] to inform him of the place from which the punishment will come. And since the spiritual utterance is not bound to time and place, which are merely conditions of the tangible world, He depicted this for him through a vision and an analogy: a boiling pot. This analogy is very suitable for the impression intended, for they used to liken Jerusalem to a pot and its people to meat (Ezekiel 12 and 24), just as the pot protects what is inside it from the fire, so that it does not dominate it, so too the city and the fortress will protect them from the enemy. He likened Jerusalem to a boiling pot that rises with agitation. This will be at a time when the fire increases and when the pot is not covered from above. This analogy refers to the increase of the enemy's fire beyond the strength of the pot, and to the fact that the pot is not covered from above by the providence of the God of their strength. Then, the surrounding protection of the fortress will no longer benefit them, for the covering of Judah is removed from above, as it is written (Isaiah 5:5): "Remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; break down its wall, and it shall be trampled underfoot"—see there in the commentary. And the way of a boiling pot is that when it boils, the agitation rises from the side of the fire, until it appears as if the water in the pot is rising to ascend and flee to the other side, as if pushed away by the fire. Nevertheless, in the end, it will empty out on the side where the fire is. So too is the analogy: "Its face is toward the north"—the place where it bubbles is called its face, and these faces will be toward the north, where the fire is. Nevertheless, there they will empty out. The analogy is that through the siege and the sword of the enemy, the people will rise from the pot and think to flee from the fortress to the other side. Nevertheless, they will be captured by the Chaldeans and exiled to Babylon (as stated below, 52:8).
Then Hashem said to me: ‘Out of the north the evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
verse value 2526
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֖ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "upon" (עַ֥ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·dwellers·of" (כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֖י, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "will·be·opened" (תִּפָּתַ֣ח). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "and·said" (root אמר, 476x in Jeremiah); "upon" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root פתח ("will·be·opened") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root רע ("the·evil") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 6 words. Full calculation: וַיֹּ֥אמֶר [and·said] (257) + יְהֹוָ֖ה [Hashem] (26) + אֵלָ֑י [to·me] (41) + מִצָּפוֹן֙ [north] (266) + תִּפָּתַ֣ח [will·be·opened] (888) + הָרָעָ֔ה [the·evil] (280) + עַ֥ל [upon] (100) + כׇּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֖י [all·dwellers·of] (372) + הָאָֽרֶץ [earth] (296) = 2526.
Rashi
“Out of the north shall the evil break forth.” Babylon is to the north of the Land of Israel.
Radak
"Tiftach" [It shall be let loose]. The meaning is that of hatarah (release), like [the verse] "and he ungirded the camels" (Genesis 24:32), as if it had been bound until now, and now it shall be set loose to come upon Israel. And in this manner did Jonathan render it: "tishrei bishta" [the evil shall be released], just as Onkelos rendered "vayeftach et ha-gemalim" as "va-ashrei yat gamalaya" (and he released the camels). And it is also possible that the meaning is that of "opening" (petichah), for the two meanings are close to one another.
Metzudat David
"Out of the north calamity shall break forth." This alludes to the fact that from Babylonia, which is situated in the north, calamity shall break forth. Until now, it was as though the calamity was bound so that it would not come, but now the bond has been loosened, and the calamity will come upon the inhabitants of the Land of Israel. The verse employs a simile of a cooking pot to say: just as a cooking pot gathers pieces of meat into it, and afterwards boils them, so too, all of them will enter the siege of the city, and the enemy will wage war against it. And similarly it is stated: "Set on the pot, set it on... gather its pieces into it... boil its boilings" (Ezekiel 24:4).
Metzudat Zion
"Tiftach." The meaning is the loosening of the knot, as in "He loosed my cord" (ibid. 30):
Malbim
And the Lord said: He informed him of the parable's meaning — that from the north shall evil break forth.
For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says Hashem; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
verse value 5988
Insights
Verse structure: 20 words, 93 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·all·families·of" (לְכׇֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 106: and·against, and·against. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·all·families·of" (לְכׇֽל־מִשְׁפְּח֛וֹת), "all·her·walls" (כׇּל־חוֹמֹתֶ֙יהָ֙). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 18 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "and·against" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root קרא ("calling") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root כל ("to·all·families·of") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'says·Hashem', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 13 words.
Radak
"For behold, I am calling." It is as if I am calling them to come; that is to say, I will place it in their hearts to come.
"Families from the kingdoms of the north": "Families" refers to the people, and "kingdoms" refers to the kings, the heads of the kingdoms, who are called "kingdoms" after their names. And this refers to the kings of the land of Babylon, and the great king was Nebuchadnezzar. And regarding the "kingdoms" it said, "And they shall come and set each his throne," meaning: when they besiege Jerusalem; and they were Nergal-sar-etzer, the Rav-Mag, and all the nobles of the king of Babylon mentioned below, when Jerusalem was captured.
Metzudat David
"I am calling." This means: I will awaken the hearts of all the families of the northern kingdoms, namely Babylonia and all the lands under the dominion of Babylonia, to come against Jerusalem.
"And every man shall place his seat." Each one shall place his seat opposite the gates and upon the walls, to besiege it from all sides.
Malbim
"Behold, I will call": He specifies in His language as if the Name has a dispute and legal case against Israel for having sinned against Him, and He will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north to serve as judges between Him and His vineyard. They will come and each will place his throne at the gates of Jerusalem, like judges sitting on the bench of judgment to hear the claims of the litigants. These judges will sit on thrones for judgment everywhere, whether at the gates of Jerusalem, along all its walls, or in all the cities of Judah, as if they were divided into several courts: the Great Sanhedrin and the lesser courts.
And I will utter My judgments against them touching all their wickedness; in that they have forsaken me, and have offered to other gods, and worshipped the work of their own hands.
verse value 4975
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 66 letters. The shortest word is "upon" (עַ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·bowed·down" (וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·I·will·speak" (וְדִבַּרְתִּ֤י), "my·ordinances" (מִשְׁפָּטַי֙), "and·they·offered" (וַֽיְקַטְּרוּ֙). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "upon" (root על, 276x in Jeremiah); "and·I·will·speak" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root משפט ("my·ordinances") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root עזב ("they·have·forsaken·Me") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·their·wickedness', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 8 words. Full calculation: וְדִבַּרְתִּ֤י [and·I·will·speak] (622) + מִשְׁפָּטַי֙ [my·ordinances] (439) + אוֹתָ֔ם [them] (447) + עַ֖ל [upon] (100) + כׇּל־רָעָתָ֑ם [all·their·wickedness] (760) + אֲשֶׁ֣ר [that] (501) + עֲזָב֗וּנִי [they·have·forsaken·Me] (145) + וַֽיְקַטְּרוּ֙ [and·they·offered] (331) + לֵאלֹהִ֣ים [for·God] (116) + אֲחֵרִ֔ים [another] (259) + וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ [and·they·bowed·down] (736) + לְמַעֲשֵׂ֥י [to·works·of] (450) + יְדֵיהֶֽם [their·hands] (69) = 4975.
Rashi
"And I will plead My case with them." I will argue with them, with Judah and Jerusalem:
Radak
"And I will speak." The speech of God with them is what brought the kings upon them. And so Elihu said, "For in one way God speaks..." and so on, and it says, "and seals their instruction" [Job 33:14, 16] — and this is the speech that He will speak with them, to bring afflictions upon them in order to reprove them.
“to the works of their hands.” With a yod, and there are manuscripts in which it is written “to the work” with a he; this is an error, and according to the Masorah we know this.
Metzudat David
"And I will speak." Then I will speak with them in judgment. This means: I will bring upon them the judgment of retribution for their evil.
Malbim
"And I will plead My cause with them," and the Lord will arrange His judgment and His arguments before these judges concerning His people, regarding all their evil, to seek justice from them, who have forsaken Me. That is to say, their evil is threefold: First, that they have forsaken Me. Second, if they had forsaken Me but had not served other gods, there would have been a merit in their favor, in that they did so out of their own desire for freedom. But they offered incense to other gods. Although this service is more severe, if they had exchanged their honor in order to attain benefit or the like, the sin would not have been so great. But they, thirdly, bowed down to the work of their own hands, which they made themselves, and they know that it has no reality.
You therefore gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you; be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.
verse value 5772
Insights
Verse structure: 14 words, 65 letters. Notable word values: "to·them" (אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 5772 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·you" (וְאַתָּה֙, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·their·face" (מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "gird" (תֶּאְזֹ֣ר), "your·loins" (מׇתְנֶ֔יךָ), "and·you·shall·arise" (וְקַמְתָּ֙). The root פנים appears 2 times in this verse. 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·that" (root אשר, 459x in Jeremiah); "to·the under part" (root איל, 293x in Jeremiah); "and·you·shall·speak" (root דבר, 270x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root מתן ("your·loins") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root קום ("and·you·shall·arise") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·command·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 4 words.
Rashi
“Gird your loins.” This is a term of exhortation, like that of a man of valor.
Radak
"And you shall gird your loins." This teaches that one should go with swiftness, as it is said of Elijah: "and he girded his loins and ran before Ahab."
"Lest I break you." If you do not fear them and instead trust in Me, I will deliver you from their hands; but if you fear them, I will break you and cast you down before them.
Metzudat David
“Gird your loins.” This is a matter of urging, for one who is girded at his loins is one who is spurred to action.
“Do not be afraid of their faces.” Do not be afraid of them from saying to them all My words:
“Lest I break you.” For when you will fear, I will break you before them, and they will prevail over you to harm you. Therefore, do not fear and trust in Me, and then they will not prevail over you.
Metzudat Zion
“T’azor.” From the language of “azor” and “chagorah” (belt):
"Tachat, achatcha." The meaning is fear and breaking, as it is written, "Do not be terrified, nor be dismayed" (Joshua 1:9).
Malbim
And you—yet before I seat these cruel judges, I will first warn them through you, as one gives notice to the litigant through an agent of the court. Therefore, gird your loins and do not wait until they come to you; rather, arise and go to them. Do not skip any word of My words, but speak all that I command you without omitting anything. And do not shrink from their faces to flatter them, for then I will break you before them—but not if you are bold in their presence.
For, behold, I have made you 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, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
verse value 5066
Insights
Verse structure: 17 words, 81 letters. The shortest word is "they" (הִנֵּ֧ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·all·the·earth" (עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "and·to·pillar·of" (וּלְעַמּ֥וּד), "and·to·walls·of" (וּלְחֹמ֥וֹת), "upon·all·the·earth" (עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ). The root ארץ appears 2 times in this verse. 16 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·the·kings·of" (root מלך, 253x in Jeremiah); "upon·all·the·earth" (root ארץ, 245x in Jeremiah); "I·have·made·you" (root נתן, 141x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root עיר ("to·city·of") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root מבצר ("fortification") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'upon·all·the·earth', dividing the verse into phrases of 11 and 6 words.
Rashi
To the kings of Judah. Against the kings of Judah:
Radak
"Over all the land." And afterwards, he explains: "To the kings of Judah," saying, "You shall be against them like a fortified city, so that they will not be able to overpower you, just as a person cannot conquer a fortified city; all the more so if it has walls of bronze." And what is meant by "a pillar of iron" is that a person will not be able to bend it or break it. And Targum Yonatan renders "over all the land" as: "to give to drink the cup of cursing to all the inhabitants of the land."
Metzudat David
"I have given you this day." "I have given" means that I have placed strength in your hand, so that you may be strong like a fortified city, etc., to overcome the entire land. And it returns to explain this regarding the kings of Judah, the officials of Judah, their priests, and all the common people from the rest of the nation.
Malbim
And I, do not say that they will not pay attention to you to stand against you, for I have appointed you today that you will be in their eyes like a fortified city, and afterwards like an iron pillar, and afterwards like walls of bronze, until they will fight against you like warriors with strength to conquer a fortified city of their enemies. And so you will be in the eyes of all the land, also to the kings of Judah, and not only to their kings, who out of their arrogance hate reproof for the most part, but also to their officials and also to their priests, upon whom it is incumbent to give instruction, and even to all the common people, and in this manner. And all the factions will fight against you, and you will not find help from any person, and despite all this, they will not be able to prevail against you, for I am with you, and I will deliver you.
And they shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you; For I am with you, says Hashem, to deliver you.’
verse value 1174
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 41 letters. The shortest word is "against·you" (לָ֑ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·not·they·shall·prevail" (וְלֹא־י֣וּכְלוּ, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: against·you, I. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Jeremiah. Unique to this verse in Jeremiah (hapax): "to·deliver·you" (לְהַצִּילֶֽךָ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "says·Hashem" (root יהוה, 725x in Jeremiah); "for·with·you" (root כי, 318x in Jeremiah); "against·you" (root אל, 204x in Jeremiah). First appearance of the root לחם ("and·they·will·fight") in Jeremiah. First appearance of the root יכל ("and·not·they·shall·prevail") in Jeremiah. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'against·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְנִלְחֲמ֥וּ [and·they·will·fight] (140) + אֵלֶ֖יךָ [against·you] (61) + וְלֹא־י֣וּכְלוּ [and·not·they·shall·prevail] (109) + לָ֑ךְ [against·you] (50) + כִּי־אִתְּךָ֥ [for·with·you] (451) + אֲנִ֛י [I] (61) + נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֖ה [says·Hashem] (117) + לְהַצִּילֶֽךָ [to·deliver·you] (185) = 1174.
Rashi
“And they will fight against you.” And there will be judges and warriors against you, to suppress the words of your prophecy.
Radak
"And they will fight against you." Just as Jonathan [ben Uzziel] rendered: "And there will be contention and warring against you, to suppress the words of your prophecy."
To save you. So that they should not kill you:
Metzudat David
"And they shall fight against you." All of them shall fight with you, yet they shall not be able to prevail over you, for I am with you to save you from their hands.
Metzudat Zion
They will be able. From the language of ability and overcoming:
Rashi
Radak
Metzudat David
Malbim