introduction

Jeremiah the prophet is probably what we are calling today between the Devil and the deep blue sea. Though that The Lord has chosen him before he was even born to be a prophet, Jeremiah was a prophet from the village (Anatot), not from the mainstream; his prophecies was in most of the time evil things that supposed to come to the people of Israel-a divine punishment from the almighty. Therefore, Jeremiah is called by a lot of commentators the prophet of the confrontation .Today we are going to speak about the beginning of his journey as a prophet, approximately in 627 B.C.E.

The revelation of The Lord to Jeremiah

As we mentioned before, Jeremiah was chosen to be a prophet before he was born , as written in the scriptures (Jeremiah 1:5)

“בְּטֶרֶם אֶצָּרְךָ בַבֶּטֶן יְדַעְתִּיךָ, וּבְטֶרֶם תֵּצֵא מֵרֶחֶם הִקְדַּשְׁתִּיךָ:  נָבִיא לַגּוֹיִם, נְתַתִּיךָ”

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations”

After Jeremiah hesitated and said that he is only a child that can’t speak and he should not be a prophet, The Lord touched his mouth in his hand and gave him the power to speak and be a prophet as written:

“וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוָה אֶת-יָדוֹ, וַיַּגַּע עַל-פִּי; וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלַי, הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי דְבָרַי בְּפִיךָ”

“Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth; and the LORD said unto me: Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth”

The first sight and the importance of Hebrew

When Jeremiah accepted The Lord missions, The Almighty showed him a tree, and the miracle is that Jeremiah figured out that this is a rod of an almond tree. Then The Lord said to him that he saw the sight and then explained that he is going to see what The Lord Is going to The People of Israel. The amazing thing that happened in the Hebrew words disappeared in the English translation.

Let us see the Hebrew words for this sight as written in the scriptures:

“ וַיְהִי דְבַר-יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר, מָה-אַתָּה רֹאֶה יִרְמְיָהוּ; וָאֹמַר, מַקֵּל שָׁקֵד אֲנִי רֹאֶה.

    וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלַי, הֵיטַבְתָּ לִרְאוֹת:  כִּי-שֹׁקֵד אֲנִי עַל-דְּבָרִי, לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ” 

” Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: ‘Jeremiah, what seest thou?’ And I said: ‘I see a rod of an almond-tree.’ Then said the LORD unto me: ‘Thou hast well seen; for I watch over My word to perform it.”

The English reader can not see the relationship between the almond tree (šāqēd) to the performance of The Lord (šoqēd). This is not just a relationship between the sounds or what we are calling alliteration – this is one more reason to learn the biblical Hebrew and understand precisely the words of The Lord to us, his believers!!!

main phrases of the post + transcription + translation

  Eli@eteachergroup.com