Jeremiah 1:5

§ 1 The text

§ 2 The argument

God addresses Jeremiah as a known, set-apart, purposed individual before birth and even before formation in the womb. Personal identity and calling precede birth; the unborn is a 'whom,' not a 'what.'

§ 3 Context & notes

Supplement. Often paired with Psalm 139 and Luke 1. While the verse speaks of God's foreknowledge and calling of a prophet, abolitionists use it to show that Scripture consistently treats the prenatal human as a personal 'you.'

§ 4 Themes

personhood God's foreknowledge calling identity before birth

§ 5 Discussion questions

1. God says 'I knew you' before the womb. Can you know a thing, or only a someone?
2. How does Scripture's habit of addressing the unborn as 'you' shape how we should speak of them?

§ 6 Related