John Calvin Commentary Jeremiah 1:9-10

"Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth: see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." — Jeremiah 1:9-10 (ASV)

Here Jeremiah speaks again of his calling, so that his doctrine might not be despised as though it came from a private individual. He, therefore, testifies again that he did not come of his own accord but was sent from above and was invested with the authority of a prophet. For this purpose he says that God’s words were put in his mouth.

This passage should be carefully observed, for Jeremiah briefly describes how a true call may be ascertained when anyone undertakes the office of a teacher in the Church. It is ascertained by this: when he brings nothing of his own, as Peter says in his first canonical epistle,

Let him who speaks, speak as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11).

That is, let him not speak doubtfully, as if he were introducing his own interpretations, but let him boldly and without hesitation speak in the name of God. So also Jeremiah in this place, so that he might demand to be heard, plainly declares that the words of God were put in his mouth.

Let us then know that whatever proceeds from human ingenuity should be disregarded, for God wills this honor to be given to Him alone—as was stated yesterday—to be heard in His own Church. It therefore follows that no one should be acknowledged as God’s servants, and no prophets or teachers should be counted true and faithful, except those through whom God speaks—those who invent nothing themselves, who do not teach according to their own fancies, but faithfully deliver what God has committed to them.

A visible symbol was added for stronger confirmation, but there is no reason to make this a general rule, as if it were necessary that the tongues of all teachers should be touched by the hand of God. There are two things here: the thing itself, and the external sign.

As for the matter itself, a rule is prescribed for all God’s servants: that they do not bring their own inventions, but simply deliver, as if from hand to hand, what they have received from God. But it was a special case for Jeremiah that God, by stretching out His hand, touched his mouth; it was so that He might openly show that Jeremiah's mouth was consecrated to Himself.

Therefore, it is sufficient for ministers of the word that their tongues are consecrated to God, so that they do not mix any of their own fabrications with His pure doctrine. But it was God’s will, concerning Jeremiah, to also add the visible sign of the matter itself, by extending His hand and touching his mouth.

God, having now shown that Jeremiah’s mouth was consecrated to Himself and separated from common and profane use, proceeds to invest him with power: See, He says, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms. By these words, God shows how reverently He desires His word to be received, even when conveyed by frail mortals.

There is no one who does not pretend to desire to obey God, yet hardly one in a hundred truly receives His word. For as soon as He speaks, almost all raise a clamor; or if they dare not furiously and hostilely oppose it, we still see how some evade it, and others secretly oppose it. The authority, then, which God ascribes to His own word, should be noticed by us: Behold, I have set you over nations and kingdoms.

Furthermore, by saying, See, I have set you, He encourages the Prophet to be magnanimous in spirit. He was to remember his calling and not timidly or servilely flatter men, or show indulgence to their lusts and passions: See, He says. We may therefore perceive that teachers cannot firmly execute their office unless they have the majesty of God before their eyes, so that in comparison with Him they may disregard whatever splendor, pomp, or power there may be in humans.

Indeed, experience teaches us that the sight of people, whatever dignity they may possess, even the least, brings fear with it. Why are prophets and teachers sent? So that they may reduce the world to order. They are not to spare their hearers but freely reprove them whenever there may be need; they are also to use threats when they find people perverse.

But when there is any dignity connected with people, the teacher dares not offend; he is afraid of those invested with power, or who possess wealth, or a high reputation for prudence, or who are endowed with great honors. In such cases, there is no remedy except for teachers to set God before their eyes and regard Him to be the speaker Himself.

They may thus with courageous and elevated minds look down on whatever height and pre-eminence there may be among mortals. This, then, is the purpose of what God says here, See, I have set you over nations and kingdoms; for He shows that there is so much authority in His word that whatever is high and exalted on earth is made subject to it; even kings are not excepted.

But what God has joined together let no man separate (Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:9). God indeed extols His Prophets here above the whole world, and even above kings; but He has previously said, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. So whoever claims such a power must necessarily bring forth the word of God and truly prove that he is a prophet and that he introduces no fabrications of his own.

And from this we see how foolish is the boasting of the Pope and of his corrupt clergy, when they wickedly dare to appropriate to themselves what is said here. “We are,” they say, “above both kings and nations.” By what right? “God has thus spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah.”

But these two things are to be joined together: I have put My words in your mouth, and, I have set you over nations and kingdoms. Now let the Pope show that he is furnished with the word of God, that he claims for himself nothing that is his own or apart from God—in a word, that he introduces nothing of his own devices—and we shall willingly allow that he is pre-eminent above the whole world.

For God is not to be separated from His word. As His majesty shines eminently above the whole world, indeed, and above all the angels of heaven, so the same dignity belongs to His word. But as these swine and dogs are empty of all true doctrine and piety, what audacity it is, indeed, what stupidity, to boast that they have authority over kings and nations!

In short, we see from the context that people are not so much extolled here—even if they are true ministers of celestial truth—as the truth itself. For God ascribes the highest authority here to His own word, though its ministers were people of no repute, poor and despised, and having nothing splendid connected with them. I have already explained the purpose for which this was said; it was so that true prophets and teachers may take courage and thus boldly set themselves against kings and nations when armed with the power of celestial truth.

He then adds, To root up, to destroy, to pull down, to lay waste. God seems here to have deliberately made His own word and the Prophet's ministry odious. For the word of God in Jeremiah's mouth could not have been acceptable to the Jews unless they perceived that it was for their safety and welfare; but God speaks here of ruin and destruction, of cutting down and desolation.

But He subjoins, to build and to plant. God then ascribes two effects to His word: that on the one hand it destroys, pulls down, lays waste, cuts off; and that on the other it plants and builds.

However, it may rightly be asked, why does God at first speak of ruin and extermination? The order would have seemed better if He had first said, I set you to build and to plant, according to what Paul says, who declares that vengeance was prepared by him and the other teachers against all despisers and against all the height of the world, when your obedience, he says, shall be completed (2 Corinthians 10:5–6).

Paul then intimates that the doctrine of the gospel is properly, and in the first place, designed for this purpose: to call people to the service of God. But Jeremiah here puts ruin and destruction before building and planting. It then seems, as I have said, that he acts inconsistently.

But we must always bear in mind what the state of the people was, for impiety, perverseness, and hardened iniquity had prevailed for so long a time that it was necessary to begin with ruin and eradication. Jeremiah could not have planted or built the temple of God unless he had first destroyed, pulled down, laid waste, and cut off.

How so? Because the Devil had erected his palace there. For as true religion had been despised for many years, the Devil was placed there, as it were, on his high throne and reigned uncontrolled in Jerusalem and throughout the whole land of Judea.

How, then, could Jeremiah have built a temple there for God, in which He might be purely worshipped, unless ruin and destruction had preceded? For the Devil had corrupted the whole land.

Indeed, we know that all kinds of wickedness then prevailed everywhere, as though the land had been filled with thorns and briers. Jeremiah then could not have planted or sown his heavenly doctrine until the land had been cleansed from so many vices and pollutions. This is undoubtedly the reason why, in the first place, he speaks of cutting off and ruin, of exterminating and eradicating, and afterwards adds planting and building.

The accumulation of words employed shows how deeply impiety and the contempt of God had fixed their roots. God might have said only, I have set you to pull down and to destroy; He might have been content with two words, as in the latter instance—to plant and to build.

But as the Jews had been obstinate in their wickedness, as their insolence had been so great, they could not be corrected immediately, nor in one day, nor by a slight effort. Therefore, God accumulated words and thus encouraged His Prophet to proceed with unwearied zeal in the work of clearing away the filth that had polluted the whole land. We now then understand what is said here and the purpose of using so many words.

But he speaks again of kingdoms and nations. For though Jeremiah was given as a Prophet especially to his own nation, he was also a Prophet to Gentile nations, as they say, incidentally, according to what we shall see later.

And it seems that God deliberately mentioned nations and kingdoms in order to humble the pride of that people who thought themselves exempt from all reproof. Therefore, He says that He gave authority to His servant, not only over Judea, but also over the whole world, as though He had said, “You are but a small portion of mankind; do not then raise your horns against My servant, as you will do this without effect. For he shall exercise power not only over Judea, but also over all nations, and even over kings, as the doctrine which I have deposited with him is of such force and power that it will stand eminent above all mortals, much more above one single nation.”

At the same time, we see that though human treachery constrains God to use severity, He never forgets His own nature and kindly invites to repentance those who are not wholly past remedy, offering them the hope of pardon and salvation; and this is what celestial truth always includes.

For though it is the aroma of death leading to death for those who perish, it is yet the aroma of life leading to life for the elect of God. Indeed, it often happens that the greater part turn the doctrine of salvation to their ruin; yet God never allows all to perish. He therefore makes the truth the incorruptible seed of life to His elect and builds them up as His temples.

This is what we must bear in mind. And so there is no reason why the truth of God should be disliked by us, though it is the occasion of perdition to many; for it always brings salvation to the elect. It so plants them that they strike roots into the hope of a blessed immortality, and then it builds them as holy temples for God.