Jeremiah 1:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He extended His hand. The prophet required this tangible imagery, and for that reason, Christ acted similarly: I will blow upon them, even though there was no necessity for Him to do so. The physical representations are combined to reinforce the message more powerfully.

It is important to note that in this passage, the hand of the Lord reaches out to touch the lips of the prophet, declaring to him that His words have been placed in his mouth. In Isaiah, we read, "And one of the seraphim was sent unto me, and had a coal in his hand, which he took with pliers out of the altar, and touched my mouth, and said, Behold, he hath touched thy mouth, and shall take away thy iniquities, and shall cleanse thy sins" (Is. 6:6-7). Here, the prophet, being mature and honest in acknowledging his unclean lips and those of his people, receives a seraph sent not with a hand but with tongs and a burning coal to purify him of his iniquities.

The message validates the action, as it is stated, ‘He extended His hand and touched my lips, and the Lord communicated to me, saying, ‘My words are now in your mouth.’