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1:5 I formed you . . . knew you. God’s creation and election of Jeremiah belong together (for the verb “know” in the sense of “choose,” see Gen. 18:19; Amos 3:2). This setting apart before birth is the ground of Jeremiah’s prophetic standing. Compare also Moses, whose birth narrative (Ex. 2) has the same meaning, and Paul (Gal. 1:15).
to the nations. Jeremiah’s message is chiefly for Judah, but he has words of judgment for other nations as well (25:8–37; 46–51).