The Book of Jeremiah is another significant prophetic work in the Old Testament, chronicling the ministry and messages of the prophet Jeremiah, who served during the reigns of the last five kings of Judah in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE. Jeremiah's prophetic career spanned the tumultuous years leading up to the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the subsequent exile.
The book is known for its powerful and often emotional messages of judgment and lament, as Jeremiah warns the people of Judah about the consequences of their persistent disobedience and idolatry. He calls the nation to repentance and renewed covenant faithfulness, urging them to turn back to God before it is too late.
Despite his unpopular message and the opposition he faces from false prophets and political leaders, Jeremiah remains steadfast in his commitment to God's word. The book also includes deeply personal passages, such as Jeremiah's "confessions," which reveal the prophet's own struggles, doubts, and trust in God.
Alongside the messages of judgment, Jeremiah also offers hope for the future. He prophesies about a new covenant that God will make with His people, one that will be written on their hearts and will enable them to know and follow God faithfully. He also speaks of a future restoration, when God will gather His people from exile and establish them once again in their land.
The Book of Jeremiah is notable for its complex structure, blending poetic oracles, prose narratives, and biographical accounts of the prophet's life and struggles. It also includes a substantial collection of prophecies concerning foreign nations and their fates.
Gary Yates, The "Weeping Prophet" and "Pouting Prophet" in Dialogue: Intertextual Connections between Jeremiah and Jonah, JETS 59/2 (2016), 223-39.
— Narrative Parallelism and the "Jehoiakim Frame": A Reading Strategy for Jeremiah 26-45, JETS 48/2 (Jun. 2005), 263-81.
Paul House, Investing in the Ruins: Jeremiah and Theological Vocation, JETS 56/1 (2015), 5-15.
Gary Yates, Dr. Gary Yates, Jeremiah (30 lectures).