The Church Fathers on this verse

Jeremiah 1:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And the word of the Lord came to me a second time saying: What seest thou? And I said: I see a boiling caldron, and the face thereof from the face of the north.

Douay-Rheims

וַיְהִ֨י דְבַר־יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלַי֙ שֵׁנִ֣ית לֵאמֹ֔ר מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה וָאֹמַ֗ר סִ֤יר נָפ֙וּחַ֙ אֲנִ֣י רֹאֶ֔ה וּפָנָ֖יו מִפְּנֵ֥י צָפֽוֹנָה׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

5 Church Fathers comment on this verse

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

The vision presented itself, particularly at the location of the conob, which symbolizes Jerusalem and denotes calamity. The reference from the north signifies the oncoming invasion by the Babylonians. This is where the vision was revealed and from which it was directed. The term "konoba" conveys feelings of anxiety, confusion, grief, distress, and suffering. It serves as a potent remedy for those who are spiritually weak, primarily by instilling fear, providing instruction, and guiding individuals along the righteous path through clear warnings about what lies ahead. It allows for the opportunity of repentance while maintaining a sense of dread.

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I did not bring misfortune immediately, so as not to extinguish the fruits of repentance; neither did I completely withdraw my presence, lest I erase the fear necessary for turning back. Thus, one must observe each remedy in balance, understanding that true healing can require opposing forces, much like a physician's art. Should I refrain from delivering calamities altogether? Yet this might lead to complacency. If I were to impose suffering right away, they would gain nothing. Therefore, He restrains Himself and uses visions to rouse their minds, revealing the living Word to them.

Ephraem the Syrian

4th centuryChurch Father

The phrase "Conob being set on fire" signifies intense anger, similar to a blazing inferno. The expression "his face from the north" refers to Chaldea, which is situated to the north of the territory of Judah.

Jerome of Stridon

4th centuryChurch Father

The sufferings experienced by sinners occur progressively, allowing them to gradually move toward redemption. Those who refuse to heed correction through discipline are cast into a fiery and relentless abyss, as detailed more extensively in Ezekiel and ignited from the north, signifying the Babylonian king and the city of Jerusalem. It is poignantly stated that calamities will arise from the north upon all the dwellers of the earth or the land of Judah, as referenced in the Revelation, where it is foretold, Woe to those who inhabit the earth.

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For the saints are not residents of this world but rather sojourners and pilgrims, as one declares: ‘I am a stranger before You, and so were all my ancestors’ and another states: ‘My days are limited and filled with sorrow, as I journey through the earth.’ Therefore, Peter addresses a universal letter to the sojourners in Pontus, Galatia, and Cappadocia. In a deeper sense, Solomon remarks on ‘a north wind that brings forth violence,’ and those who are chilled by its severity call it favorable, having lost the warmth of their faith.

Theodoret of Cyrus

5th centuryChurch Father

God reveals to the prophet a fiery oven, facing northward. He refers to Jerusalem as ‘the oven’ and the king of Babylon as fire. This is because Babylon lies to the north of Jerusalem. The insightful Ezekiel designates Jerusalem as ‘an oven’ and its people as ‘meat’ (Ezekiel 41:3).

Roshdestwenski W.G.

Teacher of the Church

The cauldron bubbling with heat represented intense conflict among the eastern nations. Jeremiah warned Judah about the impending attack from the Chaldeans; although Babylon lay to the east of Judah, the Chaldeans entered Judah by making their way through the Arabian desert, circumventing Syria from the north.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.