Jeremiah 1:10

(Verse 10) Behold, I have appointed you today over nations and over kingdoms, to uproot and to destroy, and to scatter, and to demolish, and to build, and to plant. This addition that we have made from Hebrew, 'and to scatter,' is not found in the Septuagint. And it must be considered that two joys follow four sorrows. For good things cannot be built unless evil things are destroyed: and the best things cannot be planted unless the worst things are uprooted. For every plantation that the heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted, and any building that does not have its foundation on the rock but is constructed on sand will be dug up and destroyed by the word of God. But that which Jesus will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the coming of His presence, namely all sacrilegious and perverse doctrine, He will utterly destroy forever. Moreover, He will dissipate and overthrow those things that are exalted against the knowledge of God and rely on their own wisdom, which is foolishness before God, so that humble things may be built up and in place of the high things that have been destroyed and uprooted, new things may be constructed and planted that are in accordance with the teachings of the Church. And let that which the Apostle says be fulfilled, 'You are God's building, you are God's field' (2 Corinthians 3:9). Here they understand this place as being above the person of Christ: for Jeremiah interprets high of the Lord, who destroyed the kingdoms of the devil, which he had shown to him on a high mountain: he will destroy the opposing powers, wiping out the handwriting of errors on the cross. Concerning which, in the Psalm, after the truth of the stories, he speaks tropically: Why do the nations rage, and the people meditate on vain things? The kings of the earth stand up, and the princes gather together in one (Psalm 2:1-2). […]

But you should know that we must work twice as hard to drive out vice as we do to acquire virtue. And this is not simply our own opinion, but we were instructed by the opinion of the One who alone knows the strength and the method of his work: "See," he says, "I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." He points out that four things are required for getting rid of poisonous elements: to root up, to pull down, to waste and to destroy. But in order to do good and acquire righteousness, all that is required is to build and to plant. It is perfectly evident that it is a harder thing to tear up and eradicate the ingrained passions of body and soul than to introduce and plant spiritual virtues.

The kingdoms - Having now received his commission, he is directed to whom he is to go; to the greatest, not only single persons, but whole nations, as the Babylonians, Persians, and Egyptians.

It is a strange commission that is here given him: See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms. This sounds very great, and yet Jeremiah is a poor despicable priest still; he is not set over the kingdoms as a prince to rule them by the sword, but as a prophet by the power of the word of God.

See, I have this day set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms,.... Not as a prince, but as a prophet over them, to prophesy things concerning them, whether good or evil, which should certainly come to pass as he predicted: to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down; that is, to foretell that such a kingdom and nation should be rooted out, as a tree or plant that is plucked up by the roots; and that such an one should be pulled, and thrown down, and destroyed, as a building is.

In Jer 31:28, God is said to do what Jeremiah here is represented as doing (compare Jer 18:7; Eze 43:3). root out-- (Mt 15:13). pull down--change of metaphor to architecture (2Co 10:4). There is a play on the similar sounds, linthosh, linthotz, in the Hebrew for "root out . . . pull down." build . . . plant--restore upon their repenting.

Jeremiah's call to the prophetical office. unto me--other manuscripts read "to him"; but English Version probably represents the true Hebrew text; this inscription was doubtless made by Jeremiah himself.

I have - set thee over the nations - God represents his messengers the prophets as doing what he commanded them to declare should be done. In this sense they rooted up, pulled down, and destroyed - declared God’s judgments, they builder up and planted - declared the promises of his mercy.

I have ... set thee over - literally, I have made thee Pakeed, i. e., deputy. This title is given only to these invested with high authority (e. g. Gen 41:34; 2Ch 24:11; Jer 20:1; Jer 29:26). From God’s side, the prophet is a mere messenger, speaking what he is told, doing what he is commanded. From man’s side, he is God’s vicegerent, with power “to root out, and to pull down.” Root out ... pull down - In the Hebrew, the verbs present an instance of the alliteration so common in the prophets, and agreeable to oriental taste. The former signifies the destruction of anything planted, the latter refers to buildings. To throw down - More exactly, to tear in pieces. There are four words of destruction, and but two words of restoration, as if the message were chiefly of evil. And such was Jeremiah’s message to his contemporaries. Yet are all God’s dealings finally for the good of His people. The Babylonian exile was, for the moment, a time of chastisement; it also became a time of national repentance (see Jer 24:5-7).