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Scripture very dialectically did not say that Before I made you in the womb I know you; for when the one “according to the image” was created, “God said: Let us make man according to our image and likeness,” he did not say: let us form, but when he took “dust from the earth,” he did not make man, but “formed the man” and “placed in paradise the man whom he had formed, to work it and keep it.” If you are able, see the difference between making and forming that the Lord speaking either to Jeremiah or to the Savior did not say: Before I made you in the womb I know you; for that which is made does not come to be in a womb, but that which is formed from the dust of the earth, this is created in a womb. “Before I formed you in the womb I know you.” If the Lord knew all—for it must be said in response to such a thing as “I do not know how to speak”—he would not have said to Jeremiah as something exceptional, “I know you.” Therefore God knows the excellent, God knows those worthy of his knowledge, and “the Lord knew those who are his,” but God does not know the unworthy, just as the Savior also says: “I never knew you.” We, being men, as we advance, judge certain things to be worthy of our knowing them; and some things we do not even wish to hear, so that we may not know or be aware of them, but some things we wish to know. What then? Does the God of all wish to know Pharaoh, does he wish to know the Egyptians? But they are not worthy of the knowledge of God; but Moses is worthy, and each of the prophets is of such a kind. You must accomplish many things, in order that God may begin to know you; for he knew Jeremiah “before he formed him in the womb,” but another he begins to know when he has become thirty years old, when he has become forty years old. These are ineffable words, not to be sought concerning the Savior, but concerning Jeremiah requiring the attention of “those who have ears.” 1.11 How does he say: “Before I formed you in the womb I know you, and before you came forth from the womb I have sanctified you”? God sanctifies some for himself; this one he did not wait to sanctify after he had come into being, but before he came forth from the womb he had already sanctified him. If you refer it to the Savior, it is not difficult to say that before he came forth from the womb he was sanctified; if you refer it to the Savior, not only before he came forth was he sanctified, but even before that he was sanctified; but this Jeremiah, before he came forth from the womb, was sanctified. 1.12 “I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Concerning Jeremiah, if you should investigate “I have appointed you a prophet to the nations,” observe in what follows that he is commanded to prophesy “over all the nations,” and there is a superscription: “What Jeremiah prophesied over all the nations” to “Elam,” “to Damascus,” “to Moab,” and we have it that he “prophesied over all the nations,” as relating to the saying that “I have appointed you a prophet to the nations” to him; but if for a higher meaning, if concerning Jeremiah, we have said before, but if concerning the Savior, what need is there even to speak? This one truly “prophesied over all the nations”; for just as he is countless other things, so also he is a prophet; as he is “high priest,” as he is savior, as he is physician, so also he is a prophet. Moses, at any rate, prophesying about him, not only called him a prophet, but also spoke exceptionally, saying: “A prophet from your brothers you the Lord God will raise up for you like me, him you shall hear. And it shall be, whoever does not hear that prophet will be utterly destroyed from his people.” This one, then, is he who is also a prophet appointed “to the nations” and received “grace” from God “poured out on his lips,” so that not only when he was present in the body, but also now, when he is present in power and in the spirit, he might prophesy “over all the nations,” so as to fulfill his prophecy from all the nations and draw men to salvation. 1.13 “And I said: O being master Lord, behold I do not know how to speak, for I am younger. And the Lord said to me: Do not say that I am younger, for to all to whom if I shall send you, you shall go.” We have often said that it is possible for the inner man to be a child, even if someone is of an old age in body; but sometimes it is possible for the outer man to be a child, but as for

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γραφὴ πάνυ διαλεκτικώτατα οὐκ εἶπεν ὅτι πρὸ τοῦ με ποιῆσαί σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπίσταμαί σε· ὅτε μὲν γὰρ ὁ «κατ' εἰκόνα» ἐκτί ζετο, «εἶπεν ὁ θεός· ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν», οὐκ εἶπεν· πλάσωμεν, ὅτε δὲ ἔλαβε «χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς», οὐ πεποίηκε τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλ' «ἔπλασε τὸν ἄνθρωπον» καὶ «ἔθετο ἐν τῷ παρα δείσῳ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὃν ἔπλασεν, ἐργάζεσθαι αὐτὸν καὶ φυλάσσειν». Εἰ δύνασαι, ὅρα διαφορὰν ποιήσεως <καὶ πλά σεως> ὅτι ὁ λέγων κύριος εἴτε πρὸς τὸν Ἱερεμίαν εἴτε πρὸς τὸν σωτῆρα οὐκ εἶπεν· πρὸ τοῦ με ποιῆσαί σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπίσταμαί σε· τὸ γὰρ ποιούμενον οὐκ ἐν κοιλίᾳ γίγνεται, ἀλλὰ τὸ πλασσόμενον ἀπὸ τοῦ χοῦ τῆς γῆς τοῦτο ἐν κοιλίᾳ κτίζεται. «Πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπίσταμαί σε.» Εἰ πάντας ἠπίστατο ὁ κύριος-λεκτέον γὰρ πρὸς τὸ <τοιοῦτον τὸ> «οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι λαλεῖν»-, οὐκ ἂν ὡς ἐξαίρετον ἔλεγε τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ τὸ καὶ «ἐπίσταμαί σε». Οὐκοῦν τοὺς διαφέροντας ἐπίσταται ὁ θεός, τοὺς ἀξίους τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοῦ ἐπίσταται ὁ θεός, καὶ «ἔγνω κύριος τοὺς ὄντας αὐτοῦ», τοὺς δὲ ἀναξίους οὐκ ἐπίστα ται ὁ θεός, ὡς οὐδὲ ὁ σωτὴρ λέγων· «Οὐδέποτε ἔγνων ὑμᾶς». Ἡμεῖς ἄνθρωποι ὄντες, ὅσον προκόπτομεν, κρίνομέν τινα ἄξια ὄντα τοῦ ἐπίστασθαι ἡμᾶς αὐτά· καί τινα οὐδὲ ἀκούειν θέλομεν, ἵνα μὴ αὐτὰ ἐπιστώμεθα μηδὲ εἰδῶμεν, τινὰ δὲ θέλομεν ἐπίστασθαι. Τί δέ; ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεὸς θέλει ἐπίστασθαι τὸν Φαραώ, θέλει ἐπίστασθαι τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους, οὐκ εἰσὶ δὲ ἄξιοι τῆς ἐπιστήμης τοῦ θεοῦ· Μωσῆς δὲ ἄξιος, καὶ ἕκαστος τῶν προφητῶν τηλικοῦτος. Πολλά σε δεῖ κατορθῶσαι, ἵνα ὁ θεὸς ἄρξηταί σε ἐπίστα σθαι· τὸν μὲν γὰρ Ἱερεμίαν «πρὸ τοῦ πλάσαι ἐν κοιλίᾳ» ἠπίστατο, ἄλλον δὲ ἄρχεται ἐπίστασθαι τριάκοντα ἔτη γεγονότα, τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη γεγονότα. Λόγοι εἰσὶν ἀπόρρητοι, περὶ μὲν οὖν τοῦ σωτῆρος οὐ ζητούμενοι, περὶ δὲ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου «τοῖς ὦτα ἔχουσιν» 1.11 ἐπιστάσεως δεόμενοι. Πῶς λέγει· «Πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπίσταμαί σε, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ σε ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας ἡγίακά σε»; Ὁ θεὸς ἑαυτῷ ἁγιάζει τινάς· τοῦτον οὐ περιέμεινεν, ἵνα ἐλθόντα εἰς γένεσιν ἁγιάσῃ, ἀλλὰ πρὶν ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας ἤδη ἡγίασεν. Ἐὰν ἐπὶ τὸν σωτῆρα ἀναφέρῃς, οὐ χαλεπὸν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι πρὶν ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας ἡγίασται· ἐπὶ τὸν σωτῆρα ἐὰν ἀναφέρῃς, οὐ μόνον πρὶν ἐξελθεῖν ἡγίασται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔτι πρότερον ἡγίασται· οὗτος δὲ ὁ Ἱερεμίας πρὶν ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας ἡγίασται. 1.12 «Προφήτην εἰς ἔθνη τέθεικά σε.» Ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου ἐὰν ἀναζητήσῃς τὸ «προφήτην εἰς ἔθνη τέθεικά σε», τήρησον ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς, ὅτι κελεύεται προφητεῦσαι «ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη», καὶ ἔστι προγραφή· «Ἃ προεφήτευσεν Ἱερεμίας ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη» τῇ «Αἰλὰμ», «τῇ ∆α μασκῷ», «τῇ Μωάβ», καὶ ἔχομεν, ὅτι «προεφή τευσεν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη», ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν ὅτι «προ φήτην εἰς ἔθνη τέθεικά σε» πρὸς ἐκεῖνον· ἐὰν δὲ πρὸς ἀναγωγήν, ἐὰν μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου, προειρήκαμεν, ἐὰν δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος, τί δεῖ καὶ λέγειν; Οὗτος ἀληθῶς «ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη προεφήτευσεν»· ἔστι γὰρ ὥσπερ ἄλλα μυρία οὕτως καὶ προφήτης· ὥς ἐστιν «ἀρχιερεύς», ὥς ἐστι σωτήρ, ὥς ἐστιν ἰατρός, οὕτως καὶ προφήτης. Μωσῆς γοῦν προφητεύων περὶ αὐτοῦ οὐχὶ προφήτην μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξαιρέτως εἶπεν εἰπών· «Προφήτην ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν <ὑμῶν> ἀναστήσει ὑμῖν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὡς ἐμέ, αὐτοῦ ἀκούσετε. Καὶ ἔσται, ὃς ἂν μὴ ἀκούσῃ τοῦ προφήτου ἐκείνου ἐξολο θρευθήσεται ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ.» Οὗτος οὖν ἐστιν ὁ καὶ προφήτης «εἰς ἔθνη» τεθειμένος καὶ ἔλαβε «χάριν» ἀπὸ θεοῦ «ἐκχυθεῖσαν ἐν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ», ἵνα μὴ μόνον, ὅτε παρῆν τῷ σώματι, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν, ὅτε πάρεστι δυνάμει καὶ τῷ πνεύματι, προφητεύῃ «ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη», ὥστε ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀνύειν αὐτοῦ τὴν προφητείαν καὶ ἕλκειν ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ σωτηρίαν. 1.13 «Καὶ εἶπα· ὁ ὢν δέσποτα κύριε, ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι λαλεῖν, ὅτι νεώτερος ἐγώ εἰμι. Καὶ εἶπε κύριος πρός με· μὴ λέγε ὅτι νεώτερος ἐγώ εἰμι, ὅτι πρὸς πάντας οὓς <ἐὰν> ἐξαποστείλω σε πορεύσῃ.» Πολλάκις εἴπομεν, ὅτι ἔστι κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον εἶναι παιδίον, κἂν ἐν γεροντικῇ τις ᾖ ἡλικίᾳ σώματος· ἔστι δέ ποτε κατὰ τὸν ἔξω ἄνθρωπον εἶναι παιδίον, κατὰ δὲ