Book Of Jeremiah

Morrish Bible Dictionary

This prophecy commenced in the thirteenth year of Josiah, B.C. 629, and extended beyond the destruction of Jerusalem. The great captivity was in B.C. 599, when Zedekiah was left in Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and Jerusalem was not destroyed until B.C. 588, eleven years after. Great efforts were made by the prophet to bring Zedekiah to the fear of the Lord. What especially marks the spirit of the prophet personally is sorrow . It was a grief to him to see Judah departing from Jehovah, and to be obliged to predict the judgement of God upon them, the people he loved; added to which he actually suffered from the hand of those whom he sought to help. A similar sorrow is seen in the Lord Jesus respecting Jerusalem, and in Paul respecting the church. In some instances Jeremiah's parables were acted , so as the more forcibly to impress the careless people. The prophecies are not arranged chronologically, but there is doubtless a divine reason why that order is not followed. In the LXX the order of the chapters differs widely from that in the Hebrew and the A.V., but it is not known what led to the difference. The LXX appears to have been made from a faulty copy, or the text was misunderstood by the translators, for there are many deviations from the Hebrew. The phrase 'the Lord saith' is omitted sixty-four times, with other omissions — in all about one-eighth of the whole.

 Jeremiah 1 . Jeremiah is established in his office, to which he had been sanctified from his birth as prophet to the nations, Israel having been set in the midst of the Gentiles as the direct centre of God's government in the earth. He was in great fear, but was assured of God's presence. He saw a rod of an almond tree (which is the first tree to blossom) signifying that God would hasten to perform what He said. The prophet also saw a seething pot, and its face towards the north, answering to Chaldea.

 Jeremiah 2 —   Jeremiah 6 This section is an appeal to Jerusalem, with exhortations to repentance, and warnings as to what had befallen Israel. It was given in the days of Josiah, when there had been a reformation, but they had not turned to God with the whole heart: backsliding Israel had justified herself more than treacherous Judah.   Jeremiah 3:6,11 .

 Jeremiah 7 —   Jeremiah 10 . This section is respecting the temple. The people boasted of possessing the temple, but there was insincerity and idolatry. Touching exhortations are made, and judgements declared.

 Jeremiah 11 —   Jeremiah 12 The responsibility of the people is pressed: they had entered into covenant with God, yet they had gone into idolatry, so that the Lord asks, "What hath my beloved [people] to do in mine house?" Judgement must follow; but here and there future blessings are spoken of. There is deep grief that judgements are needed.   Jeremiah 12:14 shows the prophet's office against the nations — "mine evil neighbours."

 Jeremiah 13 . The destruction of the pride of Jerusalem is foretold under the figure of a marred girdle which Jeremiah had buried, the great sorrow being that though as a girdle cleaves to the loins of a man, the Lord had caused all Israel to cleave to Him for His glory, yet they had left Him: compare  Luke 19:41 . [Some objectors consider it very improbable that Jeremiah would be told to go from Jerusalem to the Euphrates to hide the girdle, and then again to fetch it back. Some judge it to have been a vision only, and others that Ephrath (that is Bethlehem) is meant instead of the Euphrates. Jeremiah may however have gone but once, and it would have been a striking lesson of obedience to Jehovah to go such a long distance on such an errand.] The parable of the bottles of wine follows, with exhortations to repent of the abominations.

 Jeremiah 14 ,  Jeremiah 15 . A grievous famine occurred: the Lord would not be interceded with for them, yet Jeremiah takes up the sin of the people, and acknowledges it; but the answer ( Jeremiah 15 ) is terrible. The false prophets were no excuse: they were utterly rejected. Jeremiah, though he loved the people, was hated by them. He had stood before the people for the Lord, who now identified him with the remnant. It should be well with them. Meanwhile Jehovah's words were the joy of his heart. Jehovah would deliver him.

 Jeremiah 16 ,  Jeremiah 17 . The prophet is told to take no wife: the children of the place should only come to death: compare  Matthew 12:46,50 . God would drive them out of the land, but there was mercy in store for the future. The prophet was mocked by the people: he had to call them to the observance of the Sabbath.

 Jeremiah 18 —   Jeremiah 20 . God was the potter and the people were the clay: He could do as He pleased with them, or with any nation — either pull down or build up; but they determined to walk after their own devices. He would fulfil His word concerning them. The people laid plots against Jeremiah: he was put in the stocks, and smitten by Pashur, upon whom a doom was denounced. Jeremiah bemoaned his lot.

 Jeremiah 21 : —  Jeremiah 24 . When Nebuchadnezzar came against Jerusalem, Zedekiah sent to the prophet to know whether the Lord would appear for them. Jeremiah had to utter the dreadful news that God would Himself fight against them. To the people it was said that if they would surrender to the king of Babylon they should live; if not, they should die. They were exhorted to repentance, and the prophecies against Shallum, Jehoiakim, and Coniah are detailed. Woe to the shepherds, but there was a day of blessing coming, when the true Son of David, the righteous Branch and King, should reign and prosper. A lamentation was made against the false prophets. The people carried away with Jeconiah to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar are compared to good figs; but those left in the land under Zedekiah to bad ones.

 Jeremiah 25 gives a summary of God's judgements by Nebuchadnezzar, with a seventy years' captivity for Judah: then Babylon and all the nations that surrounded Palestine should come under God's judgements, but judgement begins with the city called by God's name.

 Jeremiah 26 . In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, Jeremiah exhorted to repentance, but the priests and prophets demanded his death. The princes however protected him, and the elders reminded the people that Hezekiah did not put Micah to death. To this it was apparently responded that Jehoiakim had putthe prophet Urijah to death. Ahikam however shielded Jeremiah.

 Jeremiah 27 . Most probably the name Jehoiakim in  Jeremiah 27:1 should be Zedekiah; but it may be that the prophecy was given to Jeremiah in the daysof Jehoiakim though not related till the days of Zedekiah. The king is exhorted to submit to the king of Babylon.

 Jeremiah 28 . Hananiah prophesies falsely, and is opposed by Jeremiah, who foretells his death.

 Jeremiah 29 . Jeremiah wrote to the captives in Babylon, urging them to make themselves homes there, and God would bring them back at the end of the seventy years. The false prophets are condemned.

 Jeremiah 30 ,  Jeremiah 31 . The captives should surely return; but these chapters apply to the future, and this restoration will be after the 'time of Jacob's trouble,' a tribulation such as has never been cf.  Matthew 24;  Mark 13 . The new covenant blessings concern both Judah and Israel. God will appear for them, and the restoration will be full and complete with universal blessing.

 Jeremiah 32 ,  Jeremiah 33 . Jeremiah was put in prison by Zedekiah,but he bought a field in token of his assurance of the captives' return. In  Jeremiah 33 the prophecy goes on to the future, when the Lord Jesus will appear as the Branch of righteousness, and the successor of David.   Jeremiah 33:15 .

 Jeremiah 34 . All who had Hebrew bondservants had made a covenant with Zedekiah, and had set them free, but afterwards they again made bondmen of them. This is denounced by Jeremiah and its punishment foretold.

 Jeremiah 35 . The faithfulness of the Rechabites is held up as a worthy example: God would bless them and their posterity.

 Jeremiah 36 . Jeremiah caused Baruch to write his prophecy against Jerusalem in a roll. On this being read to king Jehoiakim he burnt it, and sought to arrest the prophet and Baruch; but God hid them. Another roll was obtained and the prophecies re-written.

 Jeremiah 37 —   Jeremiah 39 . The taking of Jerusalem was at hand. Jeremiah was about to leave the city, but was arrested, beaten, and put into prison. Zedekiah gave him some relief; but on foretelling the fall of the city he was put into a dungeon, where he sank in the mire. He was delivered by Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian, on whom a blessing was pronounced. The city was taken. Zedekiah was captured by the Chaldeans; his sons were slain before his eyes, and he himself was blinded and taken to Babylon. Jeremiah was protected by Nebuchadnezzar.

 Jeremiah 40 —   Jeremiah 45 . These chapters give the history of the remnant left in the land under Gedaliah, Jeremiah being with them. Gedaliah was murdered by Ishmael, sent by the king of the Ammonites, and the people were carried away. They were however rescued by Johanan, and Jeremiah was requested to inquire of God for them, the people promising obedience. God bade them abide in the land; but they, refusing to obey, went into Egypt, carrying Jeremiah with them. There they persistently practised idolatry, though warned by Jeremiah. The end of Jeremiah is not recorded.

 Jeremiah 46 —   Jeremiah 51 . Judgements are pronounced against the various nations that had been in contact with Israel. God had used some of them as His instruments; but their pride, malice, and cruelty had afterwards to be punished. Judgements were to fall upon Egypt, the Philistines, Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Elam, and Babylon. The prophecy against Babylon was written in a book, and given to Seraiah, 'a quiet prince,' to carry to Babylon, to be read there; then he was to bind a stone to the book and cast it into the Euphrates. Babylon was to be desolate for ever.

Babylon has a special place in the prophecy of Jeremiah: Israel and Judah had been unfaithful, and the government of the world was entrusted to Babylon; but Babylon failed and its destruction was the setting free of Judah to return to their land. This was a sort of type of the judgement of the last empire in a future day when Israel will be fully restored and blessed. This is foreshadowed in some places, as in  Jeremiah 50:17-20 , which speaks of both Judah and Israel being pardoned.  Jeremiah 51 : closes with "Thus far are the words of Jeremiah."

 Jeremiah 52 is historical and nearly the same as   2 Kings 24:18 -   2 Kings 25:30 .

The prophet's name occurs in the N.T. in  Matthew 2:17; Matt.16:14; Matt.27:9 under the forms of Jeremias and JEREMY.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

ch. 45.

In Egypt, after an interval, Jeremiah is supposed to have added three sections, viz., ch. 37-39; 40-43; and 44.

The principal Messianic prophecies are found in 23:1-8; 31:31-40; and 33:14-26.

Jeremiah's prophecies are noted for the frequent repetitions found in them of the same words and phrases and imagery. They cover the period of about 30 years. They are not recorded in the order of time. When and under what circumstances this book assumed its present form we know not.

The LXX. Version of this book is, in its arrangement and in other particulars, singularly at variance with the original. The LXX. omits 10:6-8; 27:19-22; 29:16-20; 33:14-26; 39:4-13; 52:2,3,15,28-30, etc. About 2,700 words in all of the original are omitted. These omissions, etc., are capricious and arbitrary, and render the version unreliable.

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Jeremiah, Book of'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/j/jeremiah-book-of.html. 1897.