1 Jeremiah Historical Background Josiah became king (640-609) in waning days of Assyria's power, esp. after death of Ashurbanipal (ca. 626, perhaps 631) brief period of political independence (no longer a vassal of Assyria) from 626 to 609 allowed Judahite expansion of territory into N Israel Josianic reform (ca. 621) based on discovery of "book of the law" in temple, probably portion of Deuteronomy reform based on Deuteronomic emphases, including: centralization of worship in Jerusalem destruction of high places emphasis on words of prophets as norm of social behavior view of vicissitudes history as dependent on Israel's faithfulness/unfaithfulness to God understanding of Israel's relationship to God in terms of covenant, with blessings & curses (Deut 27-28) Josiah's death in battle against Pharaoh Necho (609) ended brief period of independence & brought Judah under Egyptian sway Necho replaced Jehoahaz, who had succeeded Josiah, with Jehoiakim Fall of Nineveh (612) & Harran (609) followed by Battle of Carchemish (605), in which last remnants of Assyrian army, aided by Egypt, defeated by Babylonians, Scythians, & Medes same year that Jehoiakim burned Jeremiah's first scroll after revolt against increasing Babylonian influence in 597, Jehoiakim died & was replaced by Jehoiachin, who was promptly taken into Babylonian exile by Nebuchadnezzar replaced by Zedekiah Zedekiah's revolt in 587 crushed by Nebuchadnezzar, & Zedekiah & leading citizens deported to Babylonia Jerusalem destroyed & temple burned Jews remaining in Judah revolted against governor Gedaliah ca. 582 & fled from Babylonian wrath to Egypt, along with Jeremiah & Baruch Theological Emphases word of Yahweh--source of Jeremiah's message, & that which distinguished him from the false prophets--word of Yahweh had great power on the recipient as well as on the hearer knowledge of God--God knows the thoughts of humans before they think them--people should know God--implies relationship--implicit in New Covenant
2 Mosaic covenant fundamental in Jeremiah's message, reflected in concepts of obedience, law, commandments, love--emphasis on relationship individual retribution--each one responsible for his or her own sin (Jer 31:29-30) sovereignty of God--God is the creator & thus has right to use his creation as he sees fit--free to change his mind concerning the calamities he has pronounced against a nation (18:1-10) rejection of the inviolability of Zion & even certainty of Davidic covenant (22:24-30) necessity of repentance--forms of bw#$ used 48x in Jeremiah with various meanings: change one's loyalty, return to God (repent), turn back from evil, withdraw from following God, turn back from good, return to Israel (subj. God), withdraw from Israel (subj. God) restoration of the remnant & establishment of New Covenant--new relationship Yahweh will establish with his people--engraved on hearts, not stone--involves new Torah & new king (messiah) Outline 1. Oracles concerning Judah and Jerusalem (Jer 1-25) 2. Jeremiah's controversy with the false prophets (Jer 26-29) 3. New Covenant (Book of Consolation) (Jer 30-31) 4. Other oracles of Jeremiah (Jer 32-39) 5. Jeremiah's experiences after the fall of Jerusalem (Jer 40-45) 6. Oracles against foreign nations (Jer 46-51) 7. Appendix: The Fall of Jerusalem (Jer 52) Call of Jeremiah & Two Visions (Jer 1) probably redactional composition by Dtn authors 1:4-10--the call of Jeremiah & the two visions--1:10--role of Jeremiah: prophecy to nations, to uproot & pull down, to destroy & demolish, to build & plant (cf. 12:17; 18:7, 9; 24:6; 31:38, 40; 42:10; 45:4) 1:11-12--first vision: almond rod (paranomasia) 1:13-16--second vision: boiling pot & foe from the north Divine Passion
3 4:19-22 who is the speaker who is experiencing such anguish? Jeremiah, Jerusalem, Yahweh? anticipates destruction of Jerusalem 4:22 is voice of Yahweh people are "skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good" 8:18-9:1 "daughter of my people" (or "my daughter/people", NRSV: "my poor people") in 8:19, 21, 22; 9:1 is speaker Jeremiah or Yahweh? Yahweh's response in 9:2-3 suggests continuity of speaker Jeremiah believes that Yahweh feels his pain, or better, that he is expressing Yahweh's pain Complaints (Confessions) of Jeremiah Confessions of Jeremiah (11:18-23; 12:1-6; 15:10-21; 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20:7-13, 14-18) 11:18-23; 18:18-23--plots to kill Jeremiah 12:1-6--prosperity of the wicked 15:10-21--rejection of Jeremiah & his message 17:14-18--ridicule of Jeremiah & his message 20:7-13--the divine compulsion--"like a burning fire shut up in my bones" (20:9) 20:14-18--curse on the day of his birth 18:18-23 cry for Yahweh to deliver Jeremiah & punish his enemies 18:23: "Do not forgive their iniquity, do not blot out their sin from your sight" how does this attitude compare with that taught by Jesus? 20:7-12 Yahweh compels Jeremiah to preach violence & destruction is the fire in Jeremiah's bones (20:9) a positive thing or a negative thing? 20:10: "Terror all around" a nickname for Jeremiah? 20:10: "all my close friends are watching for me to stumble": accurate evaluation, exaggeration, or paranoia? 20:14-18 Jeremiah curses the day of his birth (cf. Job) 20:18: "why did I come forth from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame?" cf. Eccl 2:18-23, Buddhism Book of Consolation (30-31) combination of poetry & prose, so probably mixture of Jeremiah & later interpretation portions assigned to Jeremiah probably between first & second deportation (597 to 587) Poetry: rescue (30:7) return from exile (30:10-11; 31:16-17)
4 Prose: punishment of enemies (30:16) rebuilding of Jerusalem (30:18) home rule (30:21) restoration of settlers to northern sites as well as southern (31:5-6, 9, 15, 18-20) perpetual existence of Israel (31:35-37) return from exile (30:3) restoration of Davidic monarchy (30:8-9) but cf. 22:28-30 (poetry) & 22:24-27 (prose) restoration of Judah (31:23-24) fruitfulness of the restored land (31:27-28) individual retribution (31:29-30) new covenant (31:31-34) different from Mosaic covenant (cf. broken covenant in 11:1-17--possibly early in reign of Jehoiakim--violation of the Mosaic covenant (stubbornness, refusal to listen, false gods) will result in sure judgment--vows & sacrifices no substitute for obedience (11:15)) law written on hearts, not stone teaching people within community to know Yahweh now meaningless, since everyone under the covenant will know him Jerusalem to be enlarged (31:38-40a) Jerusalem will never again be overthrown (31:40b) Dramatic Prophecies/Prophetic Acts, Oracles, Parables Dramatic Prophecies (13:1-11; 16:1-13; 19:1-20:6) 13:1-11--linen loincloth--israel's destruction is this a parable? does answering this question affect how we interpret it? 16:1-13--Jeremiah's symbolic lifestyle--no marriage, mourning, celebration 19:1-20:6--broken jar--represents irreparably broken nation
5 27-28 wooden yoke & Hananiah--people going into captivity, assured by Hananiah's death problem of false prophecy: how can it be identified? (LXX uses term "false prophets" frequently in this section, & elsewhere in Jeremiah, & 1x in Zech) 43:8-13 stone platform for Nebuchadnezzar's throne in Egypt A Misinterpreted Symbol of Hope (32:1-15)--Jeremiah's purchase of land a plan for the future, showing certainty of return after exile--misinterpreted as treason oracle of good & bad figs (24:1-10) moral superiority (or simply God's sovereign choice) of exiles over those who remained in Judah later evaluation by Dtn authors, who favored exiles(?) if original to Jeremiah, why did he remain behind with the "bad figs"& even purchase land? parable of potter (18:1-12) sovereignty of God parable/example of the Rechabites (35:1-19) lesson in dedication obedience to traditions of distant ancestor lesson for Judah as whole Other Prose Selections "The decisive issue for these writers was the theological interpretation of the fall of Judah. At stake was not merely an intellectual debate over a point of theology, but the identity of the people as a religious community." (Ward:162) Temple Sermon (7:1-15; cf. 26:4-6) call for repentance, denunciation of principle of inviolability of Zion sins: injustice toward those in covenant community; oppression of alien, orphan, widow; shedding of innocent blood; idolatry; violation of 10C; Baal worship God will destroy Jerusalem just as certainly as God destroyed Shiloh 31:40b again proclaims inviolability of Zion why does this tradition persist (e.g., Isa 31:4-5 vs. Isa 1:7-9; cf. Mic 3:12)? synopsis of Temple Sermon in 26:4-6, followed by reaction of temple & palace leaders Jeremiah's life threatened: "This man deserves the sentence of death because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears" (26:11) problem of nationalism/patriotism Jeremiah commanded not to pray for people (7:16-20) Jeremiah's Scroll (36:1-32)--scroll written, read (3x), destroyed, rewritten--message of judgment & call to repentance, but rejected outright by Jehoiakim--symbolizes total rejection of Jeremiah's message by people letter to the exiles (29:1-14) settle in, seek the welfare of Babylonia, pray for Babylonia God's presence with the people not dependent upon any particular political situation Treatment of Hebrew Slaves (34:8-22)--Hebrew slaves supposed to be released after seven years
6 (Dt 15:12-18), but people of Judah ignoring this--even after initial release in order to curry God's favor, took slaves back when siege of city lifted Surrender to Babylonians (21:1-10)--Zedekiah's inquiry & Jeremiah's reply: surrender End of Promise to Davidic Line (22:24-30)--no descendant of Jehoiachin to sit on throne Messianic Hope (23:1-8)--characteristics of "Branch": wisdom, justice, fairness--name "Yahweh is our righteousness" play on name of Zedekiah Murder of Gedaliah (41:1-3)--killed by Ishmael in retaliation for Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem & Judah Flight to Egypt (43:1-7)--people flee to Egypt, take Jeremiah & Baruch Source of Jeremiah's Message (23:25-40)--sharp contrast between Jeremiah's source (the word of Yahweh) & false prophets' source (dreams)--because "burden of Yahweh" used of prophets' own words, they have become a "burden" themselves, and are commanded to stop using the terminology of a true prophet