“Now the word of Yahweh
Came to me saying.
‘Before I formed you in the womb,
I knew you.
Before you were born,
I consecrated you.
I appointed you
A prophet to the nations.’”
The word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah. Yahweh told him that he was predestined to be a prophet before he was even formed in the womb. Yahweh knew him already. Before he was born, he was consecrated as a prophet. Yahweh has appointed him to be a prophet for all the nations.
“Listen to me!
O coastlands!
Pay attention!
You people from far away!
Yahweh called me
Before I was born.
While I was in my mother’s womb,
He named me.
He made my mouth
Like a sharp sword.
In the shadow of his hand,
He hid me.
He made me a polished arrow.
In his quiver,
He hid me away.”
In this second chant of the servant of Yahweh, Second Isaiah has this servant speak about how he was called to be a prophet while still in the womb. Once again, the main theme was to listen up and pay attention, but this time the intended listeners are the coastline towns of the Mediterranean Sea, and those far away. Perhaps this alludes to the calling of the prophet Isaiah, but he is not explicitly named here. Nevertheless, this servant was named while still in the womb. He had been given a sharp tongue for his mouth, while he was hidden in the shadow of Yahweh’s hand. He was like a polished arrow hidden in the quiver of the other arrows.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 