The second prophetic book in the Old Testament's order of the Prophets.
Preview
Author
Authenticity
The Book of Jeremiah and the Septuagint
Background
Date
Origin and Destination
Purpose
Teaching
Outline and Content
Author
Most scholars agree that the prophet from Anathoth wrote the book of Jeremiah, but some questions remain about certain parts, especially Jeremiah 52. The use of the third person does not disprove Jeremiah's authorship. Jeremiah used the first, second, and third person in the same context. For example, Jeremiah 32:6–7 states: “Jeremiah replied [third person], “The word of the LORD came to me [first person]...the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you [second person].”
The passage of time strongly argues against Jeremiah writing Jeremiah 52. Jeremiah was born around 657 BC. Evil-merodach freed Jehoiachin (Jeremiah 52:31) about 95 years later. Jeremiah 52:33 describes events continuing beyond this period. The location issue also suggests Jeremiah did not write it, as Jeremiah lived in Egypt (Jeremiah 43:6–7) while Jehoiachin was in Babylon. Additionally, Jeremiah ends his writing with Jeremiah 51, making Jeremiah 52 an editorial addition. Since Jeremiah 52 is similar to 2 Kings 24:18–25:30, other parts of Jeremiah that resemble sections of 2 Kings might have been written by someone else.
The table below displays these sections and includes harmonic passages in 2 Chronicles. The first column shows the historical sequence in chronological order. The last column gives a brief summary of the content.
Baruch worked as Jeremiah's secretary. Their relationship lasted many years. The prophet encouraged and blessed his helper (Jeremiah 45:5). According to local customs, the scribe could write some of the prophet's messages in his own words. This would not deny divine inspiration.
Authenticity
Many references in biblical and nonbiblical sources confirm that Jeremiah lived and wrote most of the book with his name. Examples include Daniel 9, Ecclesiasticus 49, Josephus’s Antiquities 10, and the Talmud: Baba Bathra. Contemporary biblical books and secular histories from Babylon, Egypt, and Persia confirm the truth of Jeremiah's historical sections.
Some scholars tried to discredit the parts of Jeremiah that were not included in the Septuagint. They attributed some sections to later writers due to style differences, like Jeremiah 30–33, or spelling differences, as seen in Jeremiah 27–29. They also pointed to linguistic issues, such as Jeremiah 10:11, which is in Aramaic, possibly as an added note.
Critics also doubted Jeremiah's authorship because they believed some prophecies were written later than the context suggests. They thought predictive writing should only occur after events happen. However, these reasons are not enough to doubt its authenticity. The Hebrew text should be prioritized over the Septuagint. During this time, Jews commonly interacted with Aramaic (see Ezra 4–7; Daniel 2–7), explaining the Aramaic presence. A writer may use different styles due to various situations and purposes. Baruch might have written or edited parts of this book. For believers, predictions before events are not problematic.
The Book of Jeremiah and the Septuagint
The translation of Jeremiah in the Septuagint has unique issues that need attention. The translators of the Septuagint made mistakes. They left out about 2,300 Hebrew words. After Jeremiah 23, errors, omissions, and mixed order show confusion. However, the Dead Sea Scrolls have texts with both Hebrew and Septuagint orders, showing both are ancient. Both versions have suffered from scribes' errors and time. The Septuagint strays more from the original but offers valuable clues to solve some text issues. A major change in the Septuagint is the removal of Jeremiah 46–51 from the Hebrew order. These chapters are placed where 25:13b–14 was removed. They are renumbered 26–31 and are mixed and changed from the Hebrew Masoretic Text order.
Background
This is fully discussed in the previous entry.
Date
The order of Jeremiah's messages is a major problem that cannot be fully solved. However, the book was written during Jeremiah’s ministry, around 627 to 586 BC.
Origin and Destination
Jeremiah started his ministry in Anathoth and then moved to Jerusalem. He stayed there until he had to join the disobedient refugees in Egypt around 584 BC. Before King Jehoiachin's deportation in 597 BC, Jeremiah spoke to the king and the people in Judah. Later, he also addressed the captives in Babylon, as seen in Jeremiah 29. After moving to Egypt, he spoke to the Jews there.
Purpose
God's mission for Jeremiah outlined his role: "See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant" (Jeremiah 1:10). Jeremiah, as a "chief governor" over nations, was to challenge existing religious and social systems by preaching against moral and spiritual sins. The physical destruction by the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Babylonians supported the truth spoken by Jeremiah. He consistently condemned moral and religious wrongdoing, urged submission to God's punishment through Babylon, and promised blessings for those who obeyed. When Zedekiah sought advice (Jeremiah 38:14), Jeremiah's response was predictable. When the refugee leaders asked if they should go to Egypt, the answer was already clear (Jeremiah 42:3). The people often rejected God's message, pretending to seek His will but not intending to follow it.
Part of Jeremiah’s purpose is to look to the distant future when the new covenant will replace the old (Jeremiah 31:31–37). At that time, a changed people focused on obedience, not sin, will receive God’s promised kingdom.
Teaching
When a nation sins, it faces punishment. This truth is very clear. Both non-Jews and Jews face the same judgment because God is not only the God of Israel.
Individuals are not ignored in divine judgments on nations. God shows each person the path of life and death (Jeremiah 21:8) and urges each to choose life (27:13).
Jeremiah shows human sinfulness by asking if people can change their skin color or leopards their spots (Jeremiah 13:23). Human sinfulness is too deep to measure (Jeremiah 17:9–10). People even love lies (Jeremiah 5:30–31). Yet God promises to change those who call on him (Jeremiah 33:3) by giving them a "heart" (24:7; 32:38–41) as part of the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:33–35). The Messiah, who completes the saving work, is called The LORD Our Righteousness, the King, a righteous Branch, David a righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:5–6; 33:15–16).
A future nation will consist of people who accept this salvation. After enduring a difficult period, the Jews will recognize their Messiah's true identity. They will believe, accept him with sincere regret, be cleansed, and be gathered from all countries by the all-powerful God.
Outline and Content
Many people do not see a clear order, but a careful reading of Jeremiah shows a grouping by content. The following outline suggests this:
Introduction (1)
Prophecies against the Jews (2–25)
History—Events and Hardships of Jeremiah before the Siege (26–29)
The Book of Hope, written during the Siege (30–33)
History—Events and Hardships of Jeremiah after the Siege (34–45)
Prophecies Against the Nations (46–51)
Conclusion (52)
The prophet begins his ministry by speaking against the sins of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 2:1–3:5). He continues with similar messages (through Jeremiah 4) and ends with words of judgment (Jeremiah 5–6). The message at the temple gate (Jeremiah 7–10) leads to a proclamation against those who break the covenant (Jeremiah 11–13). The lament over the drought (Jeremiah 14) and the following hardships (Jeremiah 15) are similar to many other expressions of grief. Jeremiah, like other prophets, uses object lessons. Some examples include:
The rotted linen waistband (Jeremiah 13)
The broken jug (Jeremiah 19)
Figs (Jeremiah 24)
An ox yoke (Jeremiah 27–28)
Human object lessons (Jeremiah 35)
The prophet himself
Jeremiah's celibacy (Jeremiah 16:124), refusal of sympathy (16:5–7), and avoidance of feasts (16:8–9) all illustrate and support his message.
Jeremiah chose specific places to deliver his messages to make his point clear. He stood at the public gate, where kings entered and exited, to announce that judgment, symbolized by fire, would come through the gate (Jeremiah 17:19, 27; 39:3). He then visited the potter's house (Jeremiah 18) and later went to Hinnom or Topath, which would later be called the Valley of Slaughter (Jeremiah 19).
Jeremiah faced persecution, first mentioned in Jeremiah 1:8 and predicted in 1:19. It began in his home village (Jeremiah 11:19–23). His relatives joined the opposition (Jeremiah 12:6). Public opposition led to beatings and imprisonment in stocks (Jeremiah 20:2–3). Jeremiah wanted to stay silent to avoid suffering (Jeremiah 20:9), but he felt compelled to speak. As a result, those he knew insulted, mocked, terrorized, and accused him, even seeking his death (Jeremiah 20:7–18). He escaped death from priests, prophets, and people because of a few loyal friends (Jeremiah 26:8–24).
When his prophecies began to come true, hatred increased. He was beaten and jailed for many days on false charges (Jeremiah 37:14–17). A brief respite at the guardhouse (Jeremiah 37:21) lasted only a few days. Officials demanded his death again (Jeremiah 38:4) and put him in a cistern, where he sank into the mud (38:6). His rescue (Jeremiah 38:10) saved his life, but he remained imprisoned at the guardhouse (Jeremiah 38:28). His writings were destroyed (Jeremiah 36:23), and his words were denied and rejected (Jeremiah 43:1–7; 44:16).
The "Book of Hope" (Jeremiah 30–33) includes some words of judgment (32:28–35). Other parts of the prophecy have a few positive moments (Jeremiah 3:11–18; 16:14–16; 23:2–8; 29:10–14). In an otherwise dark volume, these four chapters offer welcome relief. The peak of hope, also highlighted in the longest New Testament quote from Jeremiah (see Hebrews 8:8–12), predicts a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–40). Other prophecies also describe the end of the Mosaic law and rituals (for example, Jeremiah 3:16) and the new covenant (Jeremiah 32:40; 33:19–26).
We know little about Jeremiah’s actions or messages from around 594 to 589 BC. Zedekiah’s advisors secretly planned to break free from Babylon by forming alliances with neighboring nations. A traitor, possibly from Edom, might have informed Babylon about the conspiracy. After Babylon attacked, Zedekiah asked Jeremiah for a hopeful message but did not receive one.
The Recabites' faithfulness to the Nazarite vow (Jeremiah 35) began during Jehoiakim's time, but it serves as a lesson during the siege. The Recabites obeyed a human command, while the Jews rejected a divine command. The Recabites will be blessed (Jeremiah 35:18–19), but Judah will be judged (Jeremiah 35:15–17). Jehoiakim's reading of the scroll and his scornful rejection of it (Jeremiah 36) shows the prophetic claim (35:15) that destruction comes after rejecting God's message through the prophets.
Jeremiah 37 highlights the siege with another question from Zedekiah. Jeremiah 35–36 are out of order and serve as an example. Jeremiah 37:11 describes the time when the siege lifted in 589 BC, as Nebuchadnezzar forced Pharaoh Hophra’s army back to Egypt. During this break, Jeremiah tried to attend a family meeting near Anathoth to resolve family issues. This trip might have been to start a land purchase made two years later (Jeremiah 32:6–15). However, as he left the city, authorities arrested him for allegedly deserting to the Babylonians and jailed him in a dungeon until Zedekiah gave him special prisoner status.
The king's officers had a strong reason to accuse Jeremiah of rebellion. Jeremiah had encouraged soldiers to leave the army (Jeremiah 21:9; 38:2). They believed traitors deserved death, so they believed Jeremiah deserved death as well (Jeremiah 38:4–5). The violence of that time led the officers to choose a cruel execution method: letting Jeremiah starve and sink in the mud at the bottom of an old cistern. A kind Ethiopian named Ebed-melech rescued him. Soon after, Jeremiah spoke his prophecies of judgment again, including a message to the king that mirrored his own recent ordeal: “They misled you and overcame you—those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you” (Jeremiah 38:22).
Jeremiah 39:1–43:7 describes events from the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC to the escape to Egypt. It includes:
The release of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 39)
The appointment and murder of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 40–41)
A warning from God not to go to Egypt (Jeremiah 42)
The stubborn disobedience of the people (Jeremiah 43:1–7)
The latest writings of Jeremiah are in Jeremiah 44. The audience included idolatrous Jews (Jeremiah 44:4–6) from various parts of Egypt, reaching as far as Aswan (Pathros). Jeremiah repeated the appeal of earlier prophets to reject false gods and choose Jehovah, but the people did not listen (Jeremiah 44:15–16).
The message to Baruch (Jeremiah 45), written around 605 BC, is included here to complete the main part of the book. This section starts with the task to "tear down" and "uproot" (Jeremiah 1:10) and ends with the same Hebrew words (45:4). If Baruch wanted to gain status in the Judean court like his brother Seraiah (Jeremiah 51:59), he was advised it would be pointless because disaster was coming, as the earlier chapters show.
The oracles against the nations (Jeremiah 46–51), introduced by a title superscription (46:1), form a unique style similar to Isaiah 13–23, Ezekiel 25–32, and Amos 1:3–2:16.
Some prophecies against foreign nations in Jeremiah have dates. These dates show they were written at different times during his ministry but were later collected for the book.
The prophecy against Egypt begins with a vivid description of Egypt's expulsion from Carchemish in 605 BC after a brief occupation (Jeremiah 46:1–12). The second message (Jeremiah 46:13–26) might describe
Τhe attack on Egypt in 601 BC when Neco stopped Nebuchadnezzar at the border
Or, most likely:
The invasion of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar in 568 BC, when Babylon exploited Egypt's weakness to take control
At that time, Nebuchadnezzar established his judgment throne as predicted (Jeremiah 43:10) and issued death sentences to all rebels, including Jews involved in anti-Babylonian plots. The conclusion of the Egypt oracle echoes part of the Book of Hope (Jeremiah 46:27–28, see also 30:10–11).
The messages against Edom, Arabia, the Phoenician cities, and Ammon generally condemn pride, cruelty, and idolatry. The oracle against Elam is unique. No other prophet speaks of judgment against these people, who lived east of Babylon and had rare contact with Judah. Jeremiah predicted that Elam would face doom but then be restored. Ezekiel includes Elamites among the inhabitants of Sheol (the place the dead go) (Ezekiel 32:24).
The final judgment shows the prophet's fair attitude. His messages earned him respect and kindness from the Babylonians, unlike their cruelty to other Jews. However, when God spoke against Babylon, Jeremiah delivered God's words despite his own comfort, just as he had spoken against Egypt when staying silent would have been safer.
Jeremiah 51 ends "the words of Jeremiah."
Jeremiah 52 repeats historical facts that Jeremiah had previously stated as prophecy. These facts are also partially recorded as history in Jeremiah 39 (see also 2 Kings 25 and 2 Chronicles 36). The editor of Jeremiah wanted to end the book with a historical confirmation of Jeremiah's prophecy. However, he included additional facts not found elsewhere.