Dates in Jeremiah

645 Birth of Jeremiah 640 Josiah becomes

king--at age 8! 632 and 628 reforms?

(2 Chr 34:3) 627/6 Call of Jeremiah

1:4-10 625 Nabopolassar came

to power in Babylon 622 Great Reform;

Deuteronomy

Relative silence about Josiah’s reform

Jeremiah 3:6-11 Jeremiah preached in days of Josiah that Judah was repeating the cultic adultery that had doomed the north

8:8 How can you say we are wise, and the law of Yahweh is with us, when in fact the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie?

11:1-8 Jeremiah curses anyone who abandons the Sinai covenant

Temple address in chs. 7 and 26—downplays the central sanctuary!

Ashurbanipal pours outdrink offering over lions hehas killed

Dates Continued 609 Death of Josiah; then kings Jehoahaz,

Jehoiakim 609-598; Temple address (chaps 7, 26)

605 Nebuchadnezzar defeats Egypt at Carchemish; first scroll written and burned (36:2)

601 Jehoiakim revolted against Babylon (2 Kgs 24:1)

597 Exile of Jehoiachin; Zedekiah 597-586 594/3 Revolt of western states; Ezekiel begins 587/586 destruction of Jerusalem 582 Third deportation; Jeremiah goes to Egypt

The Septuagint and Jeremiah

One of every 8 words in Hebrew lacking in LXX

Total of 2700 words missing 4QJer b and LXX omit Jer 10:6, 8-10 Doublets (6:13-15//8:10b-12; latter

lacking in LXX. In 30:10-11//46:27-28 and 48:40b, 41b//49:22 the first passage is missing from LXX)

The Septuagint and Jeremiah (continued)

Nebuchadnezzar (27:6-29:3 7 of 8 cases missing in LXX) Nebuchadrezzar?

Divine names: Original “Thus says Yahweh” became “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel” (or the like)

Oracles against foreign nations--at 46-51 in MT or after 25:13 in LXX; individual oracles also in different order.

Interpreting the Shortness of the LXX

Is shortness abbreviation or original?

Which words come from Jeremiah? The short version or the long version?

Which version is canonical? Short or long?

Which is the inspired text?

Literary Critical Issues

A words = poetry B words = biography C words = prose sermons Alternate interpretation: First edition: The Historical

Jeremiah Second edition: The

Deuteronomistic Redaction

The Ending of the Book

45 An oracle addressed to Baruch: one individual survives when all others fall

46-51 MT Oracles against foreign nations: the evil empire, Babylon, which destroyed Jerusalem, will finally be destroyed itself

52 (= 2 Kings 25): a different view of Zedekiah (cf. 34:1-5; chs. 37-38) and a different view of Jehoiachin--he’s free (cf. 22:24-30 where he is a despised, broken pot)

The Call of Jeremiah

Chosen before birth. Cf. Samson, “servant” in Second Isaiah, John the Baptist, Paul

“Prophet to the nations” Objection--I am only a youth Reassurance--I am with you To pluck up, tear down, destroy,

overthrow To build and to plant--God’s

final word

Now I have put mywords in your mouth

Sequels to Jeremiah’s Call

Vision of almond branch in vv. 11-12: I am watching over my word to fulfill it dqv

Vision in vv. 13-15 Boiling pot from the “north”

VV. 16-19 Jeremiah’s lonely and impregnable position--they will fight against you; but they will not prevail against you.

The Enemy from the North

I am bringing evil from the north against Jerusalem (4:6; 6:1, 22)

Scythians? Babylon? Who lives in the north? (Ps 48:2 Mount

Zion, in the far north) At the end of the book: A people is

coming from the north; a mighty nation and many kings..against you, O Babylon (50:3, 41-43)

Symbolic Actions

13:1-11 Linen waistcloth: ruined by Babylonian invasion or by Babylonian influence? Trip to Euphrates? trp 400 miles; to Parah 4 miles

away or does Parah symbolize Euphrates? I made them cling to me…but they would not listen; I

will ruin pride of Judah

13:12-14 “Every jug should be full of wine” every inhabitant will be full of drunkenness; they will lose ability

to act responsibly; I will smash them like the jugs they joke about

More symbolic actions

16:1-4 Jeremiah not allowed to have a wife or children Not a time to have children since

they will all die

18:1-11 At the Potter’s House Just as pots are reshaped by a

potter, so a judged nation can be saved and vice versa

Turn, Jerusalem, from your wicked ways

More symbolic actions

19:1-2, 10-13 You, Jeremiah, shall break the jug. Yahweh: I will break this people as one breaks a potter’s vessel

24:1-10 Good and Bad Figs Good figs = exiles in

Babylon; I will build them up, plant them. Those who surrender to Chaldeans shall live 21:8-10

Bad figs = Zedekiah and the remnant left in Jerusalem

Another symbolic action

25:15-29 acted parable Jeremiah offers a “cup of

wrath” to various nations: Jerusalem, towns of Judah drink it first

Pharaoh, kings of the Philistines, Edom, Moab, Ammonites etc.

After them, the king of Sheshach v. 26 sh-sh-k = b b l $vv = lbb

Another symbolic action

27:2-28:17 yoke bars and Hananiah Jeremiah: Anyone who submits to

Babylon will be spared Hananiah (28:2): God has broken the

yoke of the king of Babylon; Hananiah breaks the yoke

– Hananiah’s credentials: Name = “Yahweh is gracious”; “Thus says Yahweh”; Yahweh did not send him; criterion for truth = word happens Deut 18:22

Jeremiah shows up with iron yoke

Critique of False Prophets

23:9-40 They strengthen the hands of evildoers by prophesying “peace”

False prophets have not stood in divine council to see and hear the word of Yahweh v. 18, 22; they steal words from one another 30 and prophesy lying dreams 32

Another symbolic action

32:6-15 Buying property when Jerusalem was under a siege Hanamel, Jeremiah’s cousin, tells him to buy

his field at Anathoth Signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses,

and paid money Filed deed with Baruch Houses and fields and vineyards shall again

be bought in this land.

Jeremiah’s “Confessions” in 11-20

You, Yahweh, are like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail 15:18

If you, Jeremiah, repent, I’ll restore you to serve me once more 15:19

They have dug a pit for my life; deliver their children to famine; deal with them, God, while you are still angry 18:18-23

Another Confession

20:7-12 Accuses God of violating him. Yahweh forces him to prophesy. All my close friends want me to fail. Yahweh is with me like a dread warrior!

20:13 Sing to the Lord: he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers

20:14-18 Damn the day on which I was born!