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JEREMIAH
God is very clear in His Word: neither Israel nor any other country can walk in unfaithfulness to God and go unpunished. (Ezekiel 14:12-20)
God’s heart is not judgment but is forgiveness if repentance is requested.
OUTLINE OF JEREMIAH
INTRODUCTION: END-TIME WORDS OF WARNING (1:1-19) Overview: After a short historical prologue (1:1-3), Jeremiah's commission sets forth the thrust of the book (1:4-19). He was known personally by God from before his birth, and God's word through him was to be certain. His appointment for building up and destroying nations (1:10) is related to the various themes used throughout the book. The book of Jeremiah describes Israel's downfall and restoration and concludes with a long section that shows God's ultimate rule over all the nations (46:1-51:64). The very end of the book reaffirms God's promises to build up Israel by the elevation of King Jehoiachin, the son of David, while still in exile.
The Times (1:1-3) Jeremiah, whose name means "Yahweh establishes," was of the priestly family residing at Anathoth (modern Anata), located about three miles north of Jerusalem. Although Jeremiah was the author, the "prophecies" were recorded by Baruch, the prophet's amanuensis (36:4, 32). The thirteenth year of Josiah (640-609 B.C.) was 627 B.C. Jeremiah continued his ministry in Jerusalem through the reigns of the last kings of Judah and until the exile to Babylon had begun in 586 B.C.
The Commission (1:4-19) In 1:4-10 two key thoughts dominated Jeremiah's commissioning as a prophet: (1) his divine appointment (1:5), and (2) the provision of God's word (1:7, 9). The word "young" (1:6) was used to denote a person from the age of infancy to early manhood. The words "I knew you" (1:5) speak of God's intimate awareness and purposeful affection. While yet in his mother's womb, Jeremiah was set apart by God for his prophetic ministry. Jeremiah's mission was described in terms of judgment and edification (1:10). The four synonyms used for destruction, in comparison to the two used for building up, indicate that the prophet's message was to be predominately one of warning about Judah's coming judgment.
In Israel, the almond tree is the first tree to blossom, and thus it announces the coming of spring (1:11-12). As spring always follows the blossoming of the almond, so prophetic fulfillment would follow Jeremiah's predictions. The boiling pot (1:13-16) was tilted from the north, the direction from which Babylon's invasion would come (3:18). Soon the scalding contents, the Babylonian invaders, would flow south over Israel.
Getting "dressed" involved tucking the end of a man's long outer robe into his belt in preparation for walking or working (1:17). The command signified a readiness for work, and for Jeremiah it meant the work of preaching. The prophet had to expect opposition (cf. John 15:18-25), but he would not be overcome by it (1:18-19; cf. Rom. 8:31-39).
ACCUSATION: COVENANT UNFAITHFULNESS (2:1-6:30) Overview: The section of Jeremiah 2:1-6:30 was God's initial confrontation with the nation. It progressed on the basis of the following themes: The Israelites loved God at the first, but they soon stopped loving him (2:2-3); God asked what wrong he had done to them (2:5). He then asked why they were on the roads to Assyria and Egypt (2:18). The implied answer was that, even though he had disciplined them in the past, they had not responded (2:30). The nations' leaders, pictured here as shepherds, were corrupt but would be replaced with others who would be men after God's own heart (3:15). And all Israelites needed a heart cleansing (4:4). Because of Israel's sin, God's future judgment was pictured as the earth returning to formlessness and void (4:23-26). But that would not be a complete destruction (5:18). Finally, the prophets and priests gave the people false words of peace and were condemned for their deceit (6:13-14; cf. 14:13-16). These condemnations and promises in the first chapters form a foundation for all the themes introduced and developed throughout the book.
The Initial Confrontation (2:1-37) God's love for Israel (2:1-37) contrasts with the apostasy of the nation. The figures of bride and bridegroom (2:2-3) depict the relationship between God and Israel during the nation's early life after the Exodus ("through the barren wilderness"). Although God had been faithful to Israel, the people were unfaithful to him (2:5-8). They forsook the Lord (2:5-6) and defiled the land (2:7). The leaders (priests, teachers, rulers, and prophets) led the way to apostasy. The result was that the Lord had a case against Israel for violating the Mosaic covenant (2:9). The words "bring my case" denoted the activity of making an accusation or a complaint. "Kedar" (2:10) referred to Arabia.
There are two kinds of water sources in Israel— springs with "living" or fresh water, and cisterns (small reservoirs) with stale or stagnant water. The metaphor of water sources (2:13) graphically illustrated Israel's apostasy. Jeremiah 2:15 apparently referred to the destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 B.C. by Assyria. Jeremiah 2:16 probably referred to the killing of Josiah by the Egyptians (cf. 2 Kings 23:29). Memphis (near modern Cairo) was the ancient capital of Lower Egypt. Tahpanhes was on the eastern border of the Nile Delta commanding the road to Israel.
For 2:21, see the vineyard imagery in Isaiah 5:1-7 and Psalm 80:8-13. The apostate nation was likened to a wild donkey in heat whose desire was so great that any mate that wanted her could have her without effort (2:2.4). Judah should not have expected to find help through an alliance with Egypt (2:36). The reference to "Assyria" recalled Ahaz's attempt to secure help from Assyria when the nation was threatened by Pekah (2 Kings 16:5-18).
God's Desire for Repentance and Reason for Discipline (3:1-6:30) RETURNING ADULTERESS (3:1-5) Deuteronomy 24:1-4 provides the legal background for 3:1. The law prohibited a man from remarrying his former wife if in the meantime she had been married to another man. This law was referred to in order to illustrate defiled Israel's condition resulting from apostasy (3:2-3).
REPENTANCE AND DESTRUCTION (3:6-6:30) Israel's punishment should have caused Judah to repent, but she didn't (3:10). The comment in 3:10 sheds light on the Lord's view of Josiah's reform (3:6), which appears to have been superficial. In 3:12-4:4 God addressed the northern kingdom ("Israel," 3:12) in exile in order to set forth a warning for Judah, the southern kingdom, to repent. Jeremiah spoke of a future day when both kingdoms would be regathered to the land by the Shepherd after God's own heart (3:15-18). In that future kingdom, the believing nation would not miss the ark of the covenant because her attention would be focused on the "throne of the Lord" (3:17). Israel's repentance and confession of sin were an example for Judah (3:22-25). But God demanded that the repentance had to be sincere (4:1-2). He looked for evidence of repentance, which can be found in the fruit of true faith. The application was made for Judah and Jerusalem (4:3-4). Only genuine repentance could avert judgment. The sign of circumcision was an outward witness of an inward, spiritual reality. The command "Cleanse your minds and hearts" (4:4) spoke figuratively of the need to separate oneself from sin and reconsecrate oneself to God.
Jeremiah announced coming destruction from the north (4:5-31). Babylon was likened to a "lion" seeking prey (4:7), a "burning wind" (4:11), and a threatening "storm wind" (4:13). The words "empty and formless" (4:23) were used in Genesis 1:2 to describe the earth before the six days of God's creative work. The strong metaphor suggested that the earth would be reduced to its state before the Creation (4:24-26).
Jeremiah 5 gives the reason for God's judgment on Judah. The essence of the answer is found in 5:18-19. The people had forsaken God and had served other gods. Jeremiah was instructed to search the streets of Jerusalem for one righteous man because God promised to pardon Judah if just one such person could be found (5:1; cf. Gen. 18:22-23). However, a complete destruction of Judah was decreed (Jer. 5:10). For the imagery of the vine (5:10), see Isaiah 5:1-7 and John 15:1-11. In spite of Israel's apostasy, God promised not to destroy the nation completely (Jer. 5:18). The basis of this encouragement was God's unconditional commitment to keeping his promise (Gen. 12:1-3; 2 Sam. 7:12-16). Both "Israel" (the northern kingdom) and "Judah" (the southern kingdom) were exceedingly wicked and deserving of divine discipline (5:20-31).
In Jeremiah 6 the prophet predicted the inevitable and imminent destruction of unrepentant Jerusalem (6:6), a prophecy fulfilled in the 586 B.C. destruction of the city by the Babylonians. The "people of Benjamin" (6:1) were exhorted to flee from Jerusalem because of its impending judgment. Tekoa (6:1) was situated on the edge of the Judean wilderness, twelve miles south of Jerusalem. Bethhakkerem (6:1) has been identified with Ramat Rahel, located two miles south of Jerusalem.
The phrase "enemy shepherds" (6:3) was used figuratively to refer to the enemy kings and flocks of invaders (cf. 12:10) coming to feed on Judah. The "watchmen" were the prophets (6:17; cf. Ezek. 3:17), who were supposed to rebuke the nation's sins and warn the people of coming disaster. Costly but superficial sacrifices could not please God (6:20). Ancient "Sheba" (6:20) was located in the southern Arabian Peninsula in the vicinity of modern Yemen. To arouse the nation from its apathy, the approaching Babylonian enemy was described in terrifying terms (6:22-26). A "tester" (6:27) tested the quality of a metal to determine its value.
COVENANT RENEWAL AND CHASTISEMENTS (7:1-19:13) Overview: The people were to understand why they were going to be disciplined so severely (7:1-10:25). From the temple's gates (7:2) Jeremiah criticized Israel's false hope in the temple building (7:4). He urged them to remember what had happened at Shiloh and why it had happened (7:8-15). He drove them to search for true heart-level service to God rather than depend on the false security of an external and legalistic religion (9:23-24). He is God the Creator, not a false god of human imagination (Jer. 10). The command for heart-level obedience would be fulfilled in the new covenant mentioned in Jeremiah 31. The punishment of the nation was done in full light of the future promises of blessing and restoration.
The nation's sins were so great that God told Jeremiah not to pray for the people's deliverance (7:16; 11:14; 14:11). The potential still remained for international blessing for the nations who learned the ways of God through the ways of his people (12:14-17). The prophecy foretelling the Babylonian captivity (Jer. 13) was followed by a list of sins and judgments (14:1-19:13), including drought (14:1-15:21), military judgment, and Sabbath breaking (17:1-27). This section ended with the mention of the potter's rights (18:1-23) over the pot's destruction (19:1-13).
Understanding in Chastisement (7:1-10:25) UNDERSTAND SHILOH'S JUDGMENT (7:1-34) In Jeremiah's "temple sermon," which he delivered at the gate of the temple, he warned that the people could not expect to be delivered from attack simply because of the presence of the temple in Jerusalem (7:4). They were reminded of God's past judgment on Shiloh (7:12), where the tabernacle had been set up. What had happened at Shiloh could also happen to Jerusalem. The theme of Jeremiah's temple sermon was presented in 7:3. Jesus quoted 7:11 in Mark 11:17; cf. Luke 19:46. Shiloh (7:12), located about twenty miles north of Jerusalem, was the location of the tabernacle in the time of the judges (Josh. 18:1). The city was destroyed by the Philistines around 1050 B.C. The "Queen of Heaven" (Jer. 7:18) referred to the heathen fertility goddess Astarte, known in Babylon as Ishtar (cf. 44:17).
With stinging sarcasm, God rebuked the people whose sacrifices meant nothing as expressions of genuine worship (7:21-22). Obedience, not ritual, had been God's overriding concern when he instituted the sacrifices at Sinai (1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6). "Topheth" (Jer. 7:31) probably meant "fireplace." "Hinnom" (7:31) referred to the L-shaped valley situated west and south of Jerusalem where the heathen custom of child sacrifice was practiced (cf. 2 Kings 16:3; 21:6).
UNDERSTAND WISDOM VERSUS FOOLISHNESS (8:1-10:25) The desecration of graves was practiced as a supreme insult to the dead (Jer. 8:1-2; cf. Deut. 21:22-23). The Lord warned that Judah's stubborn apostasy was the sure way to national ruin (Jer. 8:4-17). Jeremiah lamented the iniquity of Zion (8:18-9:22). The "medicine" (8:22) referred to a resin used for healing purposes. Gilead (8:22), a region east of the Jordan River, was famous for its balm from early times (cf. Gen. 37:25). Jeremiah 9:16 was the prophet's first mention of Judah's dispersion from the land. It was the ultimate judgment on the nation for violating the stipulations of the covenant (cf. Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64). The "mourners" (Jer. 9:17) were professional and hired mourners (cf. Matt. 9:23).
Jeremiah 10 set forth the greatness of God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, contrasted with impotent idols. For "Tarshish" (10:9), see the note on Jonah 1:3. The location of "Uphaz" (10:9) is unknown. Jeremiah 10:11 was written in Aramaic, a Semitic language similar to Hebrew and the common language of the people in exile. The Lord instructed the people, "pack your bag" for the trip into exile (10:17). The land was likened to a tent that had been pulled down and destroyed (10:20). The "shepherds" (10:21) is a figurative reference to the leaders of the nation.
Covenant Recall (11:1-19:13) THE CALL TO OBEDIENCE (11:1-13:27)
Impending Curses (11:1-23) In 11:1-5 the prophet called the people into remembrance of the Mosaic covenant, which God had instituted with his people at Sinai. The covenant promised blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Deut. 28-30). Because the Israelites had violated the covenant, they would receive the judgments that God had promised (11:10-11). A plot against Jeremiah's life by the men of his hometown, Anathoth, was reflected in 11:18-23. They wanted to kill him and thus silence his message (11:19).
Times of Judgment and Compassion (12:1-17) Reflecting on his own sufferings, Jeremiah wrestled with the age-old question of why the wicked prosper (12:6). God responded, "The worst is yet to come!" The Lord described the judgment coming on Judah with such certainty that he spoke as if it had already occurred (12:7-13). The "evil nations" (12:14) were nations neighboring Judah (Aram, Moab, and Ammon) that would share her fate of exile from the land.
Waistband: Obedience (13:1-27) The "linen belt" was used in ancient times to brace a man's hip joints for prolonged periods of exertion and to hold up his robe for greater freedom in walking and work. The Euphrates River is 350 to 400 miles northeast of the land of Judah (13:4). Some scholars suggest that the text refers not to the Euphrates but to the village of Parah, located about three miles from Jeremiah's hometown. The two names are almost identical in the Hebrew. Just as the waistband was ruined by the waters of the Euphrates, in the same way the Lord would also destroy Jerusalem and Judah because of their sin (13:7).
The filled wine jugs symbolized the fact that God would fill the people with confusion, as when men are drunk (13:12-14). Their drunkenness would lead to their destruction. The prophet was instructed to address King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, Nehushta (13:18; cf. 2 Kings 24:8). Those "marching down from the north" were the Babylonians (13:20). The stark metaphor of 13:26 was taken from the public shaming of a harlot. The "adultery" (13:27) referred to the peoples' idolatrous worship that frequently involved cultic prostitution.
THE LIST OF CURSES (14:1-19:13)
Drought (14:1-15:21) The drought that came upon Judah was one of the curses of disobedience spoken of in the Mosaic covenant (14:1-6; cf. Deut. 28:24; Lev. 26:19). Jeremiah prayed twice (Jer. 14:7-9, 19-22) that the Lord would spare Judah the promised judgment, but twice he was told that the prayers for the nation were futile (14:10-12; 15:1-9). Nothing could alter the judgment for which the nation was destined. Jeremiah also appealed to God's covenant promise (Gen. 12:1-3) as a theological basis for his sparing the nation (Jer. 14:21).
Moses (15:1; cf. Exod. 32:11-14) and Samuel (1 Sam. 7:5-9; 12:19-25) were noted as great prayer warriors who had prayed in behalf of the nation. For Manasseh's sin (Jer. 15:4), see 2 Kings 23:26; 24:3. The winnowing process was a means of separating wheat from chaff (Jer. 15:7). Grain was tossed into the air, and the wind blew the lighter chaff away while the grain's kernels fell at the feet of the winnower.
Jeremiah experienced both despair and strengthening by the Lord (15:10-21). In Jeremiah's day the hardest iron came from regions in the north (15:12). Certainly Judah's "iron" had no chance to break the stronger "iron" of Babylonia. In the depths of his despair, Jeremiah charged God with deception (15:18). Like a brook that dries up in the summer when it is most needed, so God had seemingly failed him.
Military Judgment and Restoration (16:1-21) The life of Jeremiah was to illustrate his message to Judah of her coming judgment. He was prohibited from marrying (16:1-4), mourning (16:5-7), and feasting (16:8-9). The expression "offer a meal" (16:7) referred to the custom of providing a meal for mourners after the funeral (2 Sam. 3:35). The "cup of wine to console" may have referred to a similar custom. Although God would exile the people, he promised to restore them later to their homeland (16:13-15; cf. Deut. 30:1-10). The thought of 16:13 regarding the captivity was continued in 16:16. Like "fishermen" and "hunters," the Babylonians would capture and destroy the Judeans.
Sabbath Breaking (17:1-27) The sin of the nation and the consequent judgment were once again highlighted. Indelible sin meant inevitable judgment. The "Asherah" (17:2) referred to the Canaanite fertility goddess whose image was set up on hills and in sacred groves of trees. Compare Psalm 1 with Jeremiah 17:7-8. Jeremiah saw the Sabbath as a test case for obedience (17:19-27). The observance of the Sabbath was the prerequisite for the return of national glory and prosperity. The "Negev" (17:26) is the dry region located just south of Judah, centering around Beersheba.
The Land as a Reproach (18:1-19:13) Just as the potter had control over the clay on his wheel, the Lord was sovereign over the nations of the earth—to build them up or to destroy them. The potter's "wheel" (18:3) consisted of two flat, circular stones connected by a vertical axis. The potter turned the lower stone with his feet, which caused the upper "wheel" to revolve. The rhetorical questions in 18:14 sought a negative answer. The point was that while nature pursues its God-directed course unchanged, the nation had unnaturally changed its course by turning from God. In response to his enemies' plot against his life, Jeremiah prayed that God would bring upon them the curses of the covenant (18:18-23; cf. Deut. 28:15-68). The theological basis for this prayer is found in God's promise in Genesis 12:3.
In Jeremiah 19 the breaking of the potter's jar illustrated the calamity that was soon to come upon Judah and Jerusalem (19:3). The "valley of the son of Hinnom" (19:2) is identical with the valley of Ben (the son) Hinnom. See the note on 7:31. The "blood of innocent children" (19:4) referred to the children who were sacrificed in heathen ceremonies in the Hinnom Valley. The "drink offerings" (19:13) were sacrifices or offerings of wine (cf. Num. 15:4-5).
GOING OVER THE LEADERS' HEADS TO THE PEOPLE (19:14-29:32) Overview: Jeremiah was beaten and imprisoned by the priests (Jer. 19:14-20:18). He then reproached King Zedekiah for his sinful leadership (21:1-24:10). The shepherd theme (12:10; 23:1) reappeared. At this point in the book, the time shifts backward to the fourth year of Jehoiakim and his twenty-three-year rebellion against God (25:1-38; cf. 25:3-4, 12-14). Moving back farther to events during the first year of Jehoiakim's reign (26:1-24), the author records Jeremiah's escape from the king's death sentence. The next scene moves ahead to the fourth year of Zedekiah (28:1). There, Zedekiah was warned to submit to Nebuchadnezzar (27:1-22), and Hananiah received a death sentence from Jeremiah for his false prophecy (28:1-17). But prophets also were lying to the Israelite exiles in Babylon, promising a quick release. In response, Jeremiah wrote his famous letter to the exiles in which he clearly told them to settle in for a seventy-year stay (29:1-32).
Priestly Opposition (19:14-20:18) Jeremiah 20 records the response of the religious establishment to Jeremiah's message of coming judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. "Pashhur" (20:1) ranked next to the high priest in authority and had charge of the temple area. His position may have been identical with the "captain of the Temple guard" (Acts 4:1). Jeremiah gave Pashhur a new name, "The Man Who Lives in Terror" (Hebrew "Magor-missabib," meaning "terror on every side"), symbolic of the coming judgment on Jerusalem by the Babylonians. In 20:7-18 is found one of Jeremiah's most revealing confessions. His prayer illustrates the personal cost of faithfully declaring God's word (20:8).
Kingly Reproach (21:1-22:30) The prophecy recorded in Jeremiah 21 took place in the reign of Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.), the last king of Judah. He was urged to submit to Nebuchadnezzar in light of the certainty of Jerusalem's fall (21:10). The words "we are safe on our mountain" (21:13) were a reference to Jerusalem's inhabitants.
There are two possible interpretations of Jeremiah 22: (1) It is a prophecy concerning judgment on Shallum, Jehoiakim, and Coniah (or Jehoiachin); or (2) it is a prophecy of judgment on Zedekiah (21:1, 3; 22:1, 6, 10, 30), illustrated by the divine judgment that fell on his three predecessors. According to the second view, there was no curse on the line of Coniah (22:24-30) because Jeremiah was referring to Zedekiah. The fact that Matthew did not recognize a curse on Jehoiachin (Matt. 1:11) lends support to this interpretation.
In Jeremiah 22:1-9 the prophet addressed Zedekiah, the reigning "king of Judah" (22:1). Shallum (or Jehoahaz) took the throne after Josiah's death but reigned only three months (2 Kings 23:31-34). In 22:13-23 Jehoiakim (609-597 B.C.) succeeded Shallum. This wicked king received a donkey's burial, which actually was no burial at all (Jer. 22:18-19; 2 Kings 24:6). Coniah (Jer. 22:24-28), also called Jehoiachin and Jeconiah, reigned only three months before Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in 597 B.C. and exiled ten thousand Judeans (2 Kings 24:8-16). Coniah was imprisoned in Babylon but later released (2 Kings 25:27-30). The book of Jeremiah ends by recounting the event of Coniah's release (52:28-34).
In 22:29-30 Jeremiah concluded his oracle with an application that went back to Jehoiachin ("this man, Jehoiachin" 22:30), the addressee of Jeremiah 22:24-30. The word "childless" referred to the fart that Jehoiachin's sons were slain by Nebuchadnezzar before he was exiled to Babylon. None of his children sat on the throne of David.
Prophetic Hostility (23:1-29:32)
THE RESULTANT REPROACH (23:1-40) Jeremiah describes the coming of the Messiah, the righteous King. The "shepherds" referred to the wicked rulers of Judah (10:21). The term "Branch" (23:5) is a messianic title (cf. Isa. 11:1; Zech. 3:8; 6:12) and indicated that the Messiah would be a fresh sprout from the stump of a felled tree, that is, the seemingly dead line of David. The religious leaders, that is, the false prophets and apostate priests, were condemned (Jer. 23:9-40). The Hebrew term translated "prophecy" (23:33) was a standard term for a message received by divine revelation. The misuse of this term by the false prophets and apostate priests brought it into disrepute (23:36).
THE REPROACH OF ZEDEKIAH AND HIS OFFICIALS (24:1-10) Jeremiah's vision of 24:1-10 took place after the captivity of Jehoiachin in 597 B.C. The "good figs" were Judeans removed from the land, whereas the "bad figs" were those, like Zedekiah, who remained.
THE FOURTH YEAR OF JEHOIAKIM (25:1-38) The duration of the Babylonian captivity was revealed. The "fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign" was 605 B.C. The "seventy" years (25:12) can be calculated from either 605 B.C. or 586 B.C. It is probably best to figure the period from 605 B.C., since that was the date of the prophecy. The conclusion of the period was 536 B.C. (including both 605 and 586 B.C. in the seventy years), when the returned Jewish exiles began rebuilding the Jerusalem temple (Ezra 3:1-6). Judgments would come on apostate Israel and the nations that had oppressed God's people (Jer. 25:15-38). The universal extent of that judgment (25:30-31) suggests that the verses referred all the way ahead to the future end-time tribulation events.
THE FIRST YEAR OF JEHOIAKIM (26:1-24) Jeremiah 26 records the circumstances surrounding Jeremiah's preaching of the temple sermon (7:1-8:3). For "Shiloh" (26:6), see the note on 7:12. Micah's prophecy of judgment against Jerusalem and the temple (Mic. 3:12) was recalled as evidence against putting Jeremiah to death (Jer. 26:8, 18). But the ultimate reason that Jeremiah was spared death was because of God's promise (26:24; cf. 1:18-19).
THE FOURTH YEAR OF ZEDEKIAH (27:1-28:17)
Submission to Nebuchadnezzar (27:1-22) Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.) was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar and was the last king of Judah. Although at first Zedekiah submitted to Babylonian rule, he later conspired with neighboring kings to overthrow Babylon. Jeremiah sought to correct the notion that such an overthrow was possible (27:12), urging submission rather than rebellion. The "yoke" and "leather thongs" (27:2) were symbolic of Judah's certain subjection by Babylon. The "gold utensils taken from my Temple" (27:16) had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar when he sacked Jerusalem in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:13). Usually a conqueror took a defeated nation's idols as a symbolic gesture of victory. But since the Jewish faith tolerated no idols, the temple vessels were taken instead. The promise of Jeremiah 27:22 was fulfilled in 537 B.C. when Sheshbazzar led the first group of exiles back to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:7-11).
False Hananiah (28:1-17) Hananiah, a false prophet, broke Jeremiah's "yoke" (Jer. 27:2) and predicted that Babylon would fall and the exiles would return within two years (cf. 25:11). In 28:1 it seems unusual to call the fourth year of Zedekiah the "early" part of his reign. But according to Jewish practice, the reign was divided into halves—the beginning and the end. The beginning was simply the first half of his reign. The word "Amen!" (28:6) means "may it be confirmed." Jeremiah wished such a prophecy could be true. About two months elapsed between Hananiah's false prophecy and his death (cf. 28:1).
FALSE PROPHETS IN BABYLON (29:1-32) Jeremiah 29 records Jeremiah's letter written to the Judean exiles who had been taken to Babylon in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:10-17). Once again (29:10; cf. 25:11), a seventy-year captivity was anticipated. But a return to the land of Israel was also promised (cf. Deut. 30:1-5). The punishment of Zedekiah and Ahab was like that experienced by Daniel's three friends (Dan. 3:20). Only, for these two false prophets, there was no deliverance. Instead, they became an object lesson of the Lord's wrath (Jer. 29:23). Jeremiah's letter (29:24-28) provoked opposition from Shemaiah, a Judean leader in Babylon who called for the Jerusalem temple's authorities ("Zephaniah" the priest, and "other priests") to rebuke Jeremiah for his prophecies.
NEW COVENANT RESTORATION (30:1-33:22) Overview: The section of 30:1-33:22 is the central section on the restoration of God's people (30:3). It begins with the certainty of God's promise to David (30:9) and ends with an explosion of covenant promises that will be as certain as the covenant for day and night (33:25): the covenants with David (33:15-17, 26), Moses (33:18), and Abraham (33:26). God explained that Israel would understand his discipline and his loving-kindness in the latter days (30:24). Jeremiah 31 elaborates on the time of restoration and understanding. The shepherd theme reappears (31:10), but unlike the hostile shepherds of the past, this Shepherd will be the Lord himself. Note the appearance of the section divider, "The time will come" (31:27, 31, 38; 33:14). Jeremiah 32, in the tenth year of Zedekiah, describes not only the downfall of Jerusalem but also the promise of restoration.
Promise of Discernment in the End (30:1-31:40) RESTORED FORTUNES: LAND (30:1-31:26) If Jeremiah 30-31 was written at the same time as Jeremiah 32-33, then the year was 587 B.C., and Jerusalem was under Nebuchadnezzar's siege (32:1). Jeremiah was in prison while famine and pestilence raged in Jerusalem and the Babylonians were at the city's gates. This was Judah's darkest hour, and the people were in need of hope and comfort. Jeremiah announced that the nation of Israel would be preserved, restored, and given a new covenant. The "time of trouble for my people Israel" (30:7) refers to the coming tribulation during which the people of Israel will suffer intense persecution (Matt. 24:9-22). "That day" (Jer. 30:8) is the day of the Messiah's return to judge his enemies and deliver the believing remnant of Israel from the antichrist's persecution (cf. Zech. 14:1-4).
After the Tribulation (30:12-17), God will bring healing to the seemingly incurable wounds received by Israel as the result of her sin and God's divine judgment. The healing will be both physical (restoration to prosperity) and spiritual (restoration of blessing). In the Messiah's kingdom, Jerusalem will be reestablished as the center of rightful rule and true worship. The "ruler" (30:21) is the Messiah. The often-repeated phrase of 30:22 (cf. Exod. 6:7; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 36:28; Hos. 2:23; Zech. 13:9) expresses God's covenantal intention for his people.
During a time of future blessing the faithful of both Israel (Jer. 31:1-22) and Judah (31:23-26) will be gathered from their dispersion into the Land of Promise. Ramah (31:15), the home of Samuel (1 Sam. 7:17), was located about five miles north of Jerusalem, it was there that the captives were gathered before being taken to Babylon (40:1). In this poetic figure, Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, is portrayed as weeping for her descendants going into exile. Matthew saw fulfillment of this verse in Herod's slaughter of the children in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:17-18). The meaning of the prophecy "Israel will embrace her God" (31:22) points to Israel's return to God; Israel will encompass or cling to the Lord.
BUILD AND PLANT: INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY (31:27-30) The words of Jeremiah 31:28 are based on the commission given to Jeremiah in 1:10.
THE NEW COVENANT (31:31-37) The section of 31:31-37 is the central Old Testament passage on the new covenant (quoted in Heb. 8:6-13). Because Israel had failed to keep the old covenant (the contractual obligation begun at Mount Sinai), God promised that he would institute a new and better one. This promise amplified and confirmed the blessing promise of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:3). It was unconditional ("I will"), everlasting (Ezek. 37:6), and promised regeneration and the forgiveness of sin (31:33-34) through faith in Christ, based on his sacrificial death for sins (1 Cor. 11:25; Heb. 7:22; 8:6-13).
The repeated words "says the Lord" (31:31-34) divide the promise into its major sections. The first section, "The day will come" (31:31), makes the promise certain for a future time. The second section (31:31-32) stresses that the new covenant will not be like the old covenant that people broke. The implication is that something will happen to keep people from breaking the new covenant. The third section (31:33) announces the new covenant. The fourth section (31:33-34) shows in what way the covenant is new. It puts the law of God in a new place—the heart (cf. 24:7; 29:13; 32:40). That results in a universal relationship with and knowledge of God. The fifth section (31:34) gives the reason ("for") why the new covenant can happen. The iniquity and sin of God's people will be forgiven and forgotten.
The new covenant was a renewed covenant that replaced the shadow of the Mosaic covenant with the substance of Christ's sacrifice and heavenly mediation. It was made with the same people of God, the children of Abraham by faith. It contained the same law of God (cf. Deut. 6:6-7; 10:12; 30:6) but placed it in the heart. It promised a saving relationship with the same God (cf. Exod. 34:6-7 and 2 Cor. 6:16). And it offered complete forgiveness (cf. Exod. 34:6-7; Lev. 4:20; Num. 14:18; Deut. 5:9-10). The new covenant took up the elements of the Mosaic covenant but expanded and deepened them into fulfillment. The permanence of the cycles of nature (31:35-36) illustrated the certainty of God's preservation of the Hebrew people.
THE CITY IS REBUILT (31:38-40) The "Tower of Hananel" was located along the north wall of ancient Jerusalem. The "Corner Gate" was probably situated at the northwest corner of the wall. The locations of "Gareb" and "Goah" are unknown. The "graveyard and ash dump in the valley" referred to the Hinnom (7:31). The brook "Kidron" separated the temple mount from the Mount of Olives. The "Horse Gate" was in the east wall of the city.
A Picture of Restoration (32:1-44) Jeremiah's purchase of a field near Jerusalem demonstrated the prophet's faith in God's promise of restoration. The "tenth" year of Zedekiah (32:1) was 587 B.C. Jerusalem was under siege and Jeremiah was in prison, having been incarcerated by Zedekiah for prophesying the fall of Jerusalem. The transaction in 32:7 was based on the law of redemption (cf. Lev. 25:25, 32-34).
Jeremiah's purchase of the field (32:10) took on greater significance when it was realized that it had already fallen to the Babylonians. The purchase was Jeremiah's expression of faith that God would one day restore Israel to the land as he had promised (32:15). Baruch (32:13) was Jeremiah's scribe, or secretary, who wrote much of the book under the prophet's direction (cf. 36:27-28). The "siege ramps" (32:24) were earthen ramps built against the city walls by the invaders. The ramps provided access to the weaker, upper sections of the walls. The L-shaped Ben Hinnom Valley lies west and south of Jerusalem. Molech was the god of the Ammonites whose worship included child sacrifice.
Certainty of Restoration (33:1-26) Jeremiah 33 continues the theme of restoration that was introduced in Jeremiah 30. Here Jeremiah predicted restoration to the land (33:1-9), restoration to prosperity (33:10-13), and restoration of the Davidic throne (33:14-26). These prophecies related to Israel's future. The "Branch on King David's throne" is a messianic title (23:5-6; cf. Isa. 4:2; 11:1-5; Zech. 3:8; 6:12). Jesus, the Messiah, will sit on David's throne and rule his kingdom (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Luke 1:32-33). "My covenant with David" (Jer. 33:21) referred to God's promise in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. It was as certain as the ordinances of heaven.
COVENANT CHASTISEMENT CONFIRMED: SUBMIT OR DIE! (34:1-45:5) Overview: The section of Jeremiah 34:1-45:5 is a section of contrasts. The Babylonian captivity mirrored the nation's captivity of its own people in slavery (34:1-22). The Rechabites' obedience to their ancestral father stood in stark contrast to Israel's disobedience to her heavenly Father (35:1-19). God commanded that a scroll be written so that its hearers might repent and release God's forgiveness (36:3). But the king's officials feared the king, and the king did not fear God. Instead, he burned the scroll that was designed to avert destruction and bring about God's blessing (36:1-32).
The section of 37:1-45:5 revolved around Israel's hope in Egypt versus her hope in God. Zedekiah received no help from Egypt (38:1-28) or from trying to escape from Jerusalem (39:1-18). The Jews who remained after the downfall of Jerusalem were commanded to stay in Israel (40:1-16) and definitely not go down to Egypt (42:1-22). But they murdered Gedaliah (41:1-18) and chose flight into Egypt (42:1-22). From Egypt, Jeremiah predicted destruction by Babylon (43:1-13) due to the Jews' idolatry (44:1-30). There was painful irony to see Israel returning to Egypt, the place of her original bondage and redemption. A short prophecy of Jeremiah 45 serves as a summary of Jeremiah's prophecies and concludes the broad section of Jeremiah 1-45.
Siege: Submit to Babylon (34:1-22) The events of Jeremiah 34 illustrate the depths to which the king and people of Jeremiah's day had plunged. While Jerusalem was under attack (34:6-7), Jeremiah delivered a message from God to King Zedekiah (34:1-2) and the people (34:8-22). The fate of Zedekiah (34:4) was recorded in 2 Kings 25:5-7. Lachish (34:7) was a fortress city located twenty-three miles southwest of Jerusalem. Azekah (34:7) was located eleven miles north of Lachish (see introductory map). Both cities are well known from the "Lachish Letters," which were written in Hebrew at the time of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Judah and discovered in 1935. Letter IV reads, "We are watching for the signals of Lachish . . . for we no longer can see the signals of Azekah."
Perhaps to gain God's favor, Zedekiah induced the people to promise to emancipate their Hebrew slaves, who according to the law were supposed to be given their freedom after six years (34:8-10; cf. Exod. 21:1-6; Deut. 15:12-18). When the Babylonian siege lifted temporarily due to the approach of the Egyptian army (Jer. 37:6-11), the pledge was broken and the slaves were returned to servitude. When ancient covenants were ratified, an animal was sacrificed, and those participating in the agreement walked between the parts (34:18). By this they were saying, "So may I be [that is, dead] if I break this covenant" (cf. Gen. 15:9-17).
Kingly Lack of Submission (35:1-36:32) RECHABITE OBEDIENCE (35:1-19) The Rechabites were descendants of a nomadic tribe of Kenites who had joined with the Israelites when the Babylonians invaded the land (Jer. 35:11). They were followers of Jehonadab, the son of Recab (2 Kings 10:15-16, 23), who sought to maintain the desert ideal by avoiding the "corruptions" of city life, such as farming, wine, and houses. The Rechabites were obedient to their dead ancestor in contrast to the Judeans who had disobeyed their living God.
DISOBEDIENCE IN THE DAVIDIC LINE (36:1-32) Jeremiah 36 recorded the contempt of Jehoiakim for the word of God. The "scroll" (36:2), which was made of papyrus or vellum, would be used to record Jeremiah's prophecies from 627 B.C. until the "fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king" (36:1), or 605 B.C. For "Baruch" (36:4), see the note on 32:12. The date was December 604 B.C. The probable reason for the "fasting" (36:9) was the increased threat of a Babylonian invasion of Judah. The "winterized part of the palace" (36:22) may have referred to a warmer, more sheltered room of the palace. No historical record was provided about the details of Jehoiakim's death (36:30; cf. 2 Kings 24:6). This judgment was one of the curses of disobedience specified in the covenant (Deut. 28:26).
Zedekiah's End (37:1-39:10) NO HELP FROM PHARAOH (37:1-21) During a brief lifting of the Babylonian siege due to the advance of the Egyptians (Jer. 37:5), Jeremiah sought to leave Jerusalem to attend to some family property (37:12). Apparently he was charged with desertion (37:13) and imprisoned underground (37:15-16). The "dungeon cell" (37:16) was probably an empty cistern, an underground water reservoir. Pharaoh Hophra (44:30), ruler of Egypt (589-570 B.C.), may have encouraged Zedekiah to revolt and then come to his aid.
NO HELP IN FLIGHT (38:1-39:10) The term "official" (38:7) or "eunuch" (NASB and KJV) originally referred to one who cared for the king's harem (cf. "the women," 38:22). Later the term was used of a trusted officer or palace official. The fall and destruction of Jerusalem are described in greater detail in Jeremiah 52. After eighteen months of siege, the walls of Jerusalem were breached on the ninth of Tammuz (our June-July) in 586 B.C. (39:1-2). One month later the city was burned (cf. 52:12-13). Some have equated "Nergalsharezer" (39:3) with Neriglissar, who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar's son (560-556 B.C.). For 39:10, see Jeremiah 24:8-10.
Gedaliah's End (39:11-44:30) MURDER AND FLIGHT TO EGYPT (39:11-43:7) At Ramah (40:1), situated five miles north of Jerusalem, the Judeans were gathered in preparation for deportation. In the absence of a Judean king, Gedaliah was appointed governor of Judah (40:5; cf. 2 Kings 25:22-24). Mizpah (now Tell en-Nasbeh) was located eight miles north of Jerusalem. It became the administrative center during Gedaliah's short governorship (Jer. 40:6).
Why was Gedaliah assassinated (41:1-2)? It may have been that Ishmael, a member of the royal family, was jealous for the throne. Or perhaps Gedaliah was viewed as a traitor for assuming a post under the appointment of the Babylonians. The men demonstrated extreme signs of mourning at his death (41:5). "Geruth-kimham" meant the lodging place of Kimham, the son of Barzillai, who exhibited such kindness to David (41:17; cf. 2 Sam. 17:27-29; 19:31-39).
Afraid to stay in Judah after the murder of Gedaliah (Jer. 42:1-43:7), the people who were on the way to Egypt (41:17) stopped to ask Jeremiah to ask God what they should do (42:1-3). The answer came from God that they should stay in the land and not go to Egypt (42:19), but they decided to go to Egypt anyway, forcing Jeremiah to go with them (43:1-7). For Tahpanhes (43:7), see the note on 2:16.
NO HELP IN EGYPT (43:8-44:30) Jeremiah's prediction of the Babylonian conquest of Egypt was fulfilled in 568 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar during the reign of Pharaoh Ahmosis II (43:8-13). Heliopolis ("city of the sun"), or "temple of the sun" (43:13), located near modern Cairo, was a worship center for the sun-god Ra. The "sacred pillars" (43:13) were tall, tapered granite shafts used by the Egyptians as monuments.
Jeremiah warned the Jews in Egypt of the consequences of idolatry (44:1-10). For Tahpanhes, see the note on 2:16. Migdol (44:1) was located near the northeast boundary of Egypt. Memphis (44:1), still in existence today, is located about fifteen miles south of modern Cairo. In Upper Egypt (44:1) some Jews established a military colony at Yeb (Elephantine). Rejecting the words of Jeremiah, the Jews declared their allegiance to the "Queen of Heaven" (44:17), a reference to the heathen fertility deity known in Canaan as Astarte (the Babylonian Ishtar). The downfall of Pharaoh Hophra (588-569 B.C.) would serve to confirm God's word through Jeremiah (44:29-30). He was assassinated by a former government official Amasis, also known as Ahmoses II (569-526 B.C.).
Summary (45:1-5) The brief message of Jeremiah in 45:1-5 to his scribe, Baruch, was dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, or 605 B.C. Baruch's reward was his physical preservation. He would suffer with the Judeans, but his life would be spared.
GOD'S RULE OVER THE NATIONS (46:1-51:64) Overview: In the middle of all the gloom of Jeremiah 1-45, Jeremiah 30-33 stood out as a bright light of God's ultimate restoration of Israel to be over the nations. In Jeremiah 46-51 are collected several prophecies against foreign nations that reinforced that ultimate restoration. The nations' hostile attitudes toward Israel are summed up in 50:7, 11 and 51:24, 49. The judgment was a direct reflection of God's promise to Abraham to curse those who cursed Israel (Gen. 12:3). Jeremiah was ordained a "spokesman to the world" (Jer. 1:5). The nations prophesied against were Egypt (46:1-28), Philistia (47:1-7), Moab (48:1-47), Ammon (49:1-6), Edom (49:7-22), Damascus (49:23-27), Hazor (49:28-33), Elam (49:34-39), and Babylonia (50:1-51:64). Egypt and Babylonia begin and end the list as the two nations that had held Israel in bondage. Babylonia received the most space concerning judgment. The relation of this list to Israel's hope was found in 46:28; 50:33-34; 51:5. God also had gracious plans for many of the hostile nations (48:47; 49:6, 39).
Egypt (46:1-28) The defeat of Egypt at the battle of Carchemish in 605 B.C. gave Babylonia dominion over the land of Israel. "Ethiopia" (46:9) referred to the region south of Egypt (the Upper Nile region). "Libya" referred to the northern coast of Africa. The Lydians were inhabitants of Asia Minor, and the Egyptians employed them as mercenaries. For the medicine, or "ointment," of Gilead (46:11), see the note on Jeremiah 8:22. For locations of cities in 46:14, see the note on 44:1. Mount Tabor (46:18) is located in the Jezreel Valley. Mount Carmel reaches its peak on the Mediterranean coast near modern Haifa. Thebes (46:25) is located about four hundred miles up the Nile from Cairo. Amon was the chief deity worshiped there.
Philistia (47:1-7) The Philistines migrated from the Aegean Islands under pressure from the Dorian Greeks around 1168 B.C. They were repulsed from the Delta of Egypt and settled on the southern coastal plain of Israel. The name Palestine is derived from Philistine. The reference in 47:1 was to Pharaoh Neco's campaign in 609 B.C. when he went to the aid of Assyria against Babylonia (2 Kings 23:29). The "flood . . . from the north" (47:2) referred to the invasion by Babylonia. Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician cities. Caphtor referred to Crete, one of the Mediterranean islands from which the Philistines came (Amos 9:7). Gaza and Ashkelon (47:5) were two of Philistia's five principal cities located on the Mediterranean coast of Philistia to the southwest of Israel.
Moab (48:1-47) The Moabites were the descendants of the incestuous union of Lot and his eldest daughter (Gen. 19:30-38). They occupied the region east of the Dead Sea between the Amon and Zered rivers. The background of the prophetic judgments may have been the attack mentioned in 2 Kings 24:2. Chemosh (48:7) was the chief deity of the Moabites (Num. 21:29; 2 Kings 23:13). Like the undisturbed lees, Moab had not yet gone into exile. Dibon (48:18), famous for the discovery of the Moabite Stone, was located north of the Amon, thirteen miles east of the Dead Sea. The land of Moab (48:42) was inhabited by the Nabateans in the first century B.C. and later by the Arabs.
Ammon (49:1-6) The Ammonites were the descendants of the incestuous union of Lot and his youngest daughter (Gen. 19:30-38). They occupied the desert region north of Moab. Molech was the chief deity of Ammon (1 Kings 11:5). Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, was located at the site of moderm Amman, the capital of Jordan.
Edom (49:7-22) The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother (Gen. 25:21-25; 36:8). They lived in the desert region south of the Dead Sea. Teman was a city in Edom thought to be located about three miles east of Petra. Dedan was a tribe of traders descended from Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:1-3) dwelling southeast of Edom. Bozrah was a fortified city in Edom located about thirty miles north of Petra.
Damascus (49:23-27) Damascus, the capital of the Aramaeans (Syria), survives as a major city today and is located about 130 miles north of Jerusalem. Hamath was located on the Orontes River about 110 miles north of Damascus. Arpad was situated about 20 miles northwest of Aleppo.
Hazor (49:28-33) Jeremiah 49:28-33 is related to Nebuchadnezzar's attempt to bring certain regions of the Syrian desert under Babylonian control (599 B.C.). Kedar was the son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13). The Hazor mentioned here was a desert area, not the city in northern Israel.
Elam (49:34-39) Elam was a region of Mesopotamia located just north of the Persian Gulf. Elam was overrun by Nebuchadnezzar in the winter of 596 B.C. This nation, as a part of the Medo-Persian Empire, later overthrew Babylonian rule (cf. Isa. 21:2; Dan. 8:2).
Babylon's Scroll of Destruction (50:1-51:64) Babylon, located in central Mesopotamia on the Euphrates, was the capital of the Babylonian Empire. The term "Babylonians" referred to the ruling dynasty of Babylon but was used synonymously with the term "Chaldeans." Bel (50:2) was the Babylonian equivalent of the Canaanite Baal. Marduk was the chief god of Babylon. The nation (50:3) that rose against Babylon was Persia under the leadership of Cyrus. He came from Media, "north" of Babylon, and captured the city in 539 B.C. (cf. Dan. 5). In 514 B.C. Darius Hystaspes put down a revolt in Babylon and partially destroyed the city walls (50:13). In 478 B.C. Xerxes destroyed Babylon's walls and temples. The names Merathaim (50:21; "double rebellion") and Pekod ("visitation") were a play on the names of actual places in southern Babylonia. The Jerusalem temple was destroyed and burned by the Babylonians (50:28; cf. 2 Kings 25:9). The reference in 50:44 is to Cyrus, God's instrument of judgment against Babylon (cf. Isa. 45:1-5).
Leb Kamai means in Hebrew "the heart of those who rise against me." It is a cryptic reference to "Babylonia" (51:1). The fall of Babylon was seen to be so certain in the mind of the prophet that it was described in the past tense (51:8). The Medes lived east of the Tigris River and south of the Caspian Sea (51:11). Cyrus, who overthrew Babylon, was of Median descent. He succeeded in uniting the Medes and the Persians into one empire.
Jeremiah 51:20-23 referred to Cyrus (cf. 50:44). The "armies of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz" (51:27) referred to regions north of Babylon that were conquered by the Medes and became a part of Cyrus's empire. The "river" (51:36) may refer to the moat that surrounded the city of Babylon or possibly a reservoir. Seraiah was the brother of Baruch (51:59; cf. 32:12). As quartermaster he was responsible for the king's accommodations during travel.
FROM JERUSALEM'S FALL TO THE ELEVATION OF JEHOIACHIN (52:1-34) The book of Jeremiah's prophecies ends with a summary from Jerusalem's fall to the elevation of Jehoiachin (52:1-34). That gave further encouragement that God had not abandoned his promises to King David. God's loving-kindness still remained. In the closing chapter (Jer. 52), Jeremiah presented the fate of Jerusalem, Zedekiah, and Jehoiachin. The material here is nearly identical to that of 2 Kings 24:18-25:30. This historical appendix was added to show how Jeremiah's message of judgment was fulfilled and to remind the reader of the continuing power of the Davidic covenant. The siege of Jerusalem began in the winter of 587 B.C. and continued until midsummer of the next year (586 B.C.) when the conquest was completed. Riblah (52:9), located thirty-five miles northeast of Baalbek, was the site of the Babylonian military headquarters (2 Kings 25:6, 20-21).
The first deportation to Babylon occurred in 605 B.C., during which choice young men were taken to be servants in the Babylonian court (2 Kings 24:1; Dan. 1:1). A second deportation took place in 597 B.C. and involved around 10,000 Judeans (2 Kings 24:12-16). The count of 3,023 exiles (Jer. 52:28) was probably the number of adult males. A third deportation (2 Kings 25:8-21) took place in 586 B.C. in connection with the destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple (Jer. 52:29). After the assassination of Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Babylon (52:30; cf. 40:7-41:18), the people feared further retaliation from the Babylonians and fled to Egypt. The release of Jehoiachin from prison in 560 B.C. suggested to the exiled Jews that God had not forgotten his people. He was preserving the Davidic line even in exile, and his promises for the future were certain.
—Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary
God’s people had committed two evils: they forsook God, the source of living water, and they hewed cisterns for themselves. There are two sources of water in Israel. One is living water because it flows fresh and the other is stagnant. Water is vital for life. God likens Himself to living water. In John 7:37-39, we read that anyone who is thirsty may come and drink from the rivers of living water; and that rivers of living water will flow from his heart. This is speaking of the life giving Holy Spirit, eternal life. The problem is that people do not turn to God to receive this eternal life. Where do you turn in times of need? God describes their behavior and He remembers that they used to be faithful. He confronts them with their sin, but they deny it. What about people today? Do you think they realize a holy God will bring upon them the consequences of forsaking Him? They walk their own way, but would deny that they are not obedient to God. They don’t even think about God. They don’t worship Him. They don’t acknowledge who He is. Some go to church on Sunday but then go about their life through the week without including God in anything. Their decisions and their desires are not based on God’s Word at all.
It is unimaginable to think that God’s people, His chosen witness to the world, had become a nation of hypocrites! They say they love God but they disobey His Word. They say they are obedient, yet they refuse to confess and repent of their sin. Has the church also become hypocrites? In the book of Jeremiah, God gave His people warning and He tried to discipline them. Bow down on your knees and ask God to show you where you have not been obedient. Help to show others that it matters in the long run how they live.
God is very clear in His Word: neither Israel nor any other country can walk in unfaithfulness to God and go unpunished. (Ezekiel 14:12-20)
God’s heart is not judgment but is forgiveness if repentance is requested.
OUTLINE OF JEREMIAH
- INTRODUCTION: END-TIME WORDS OF WARNING (1:1-19)
- ACCUSATION: COVENANT UNFAITHFULNESS (2:1-6:30)
- COVENANT RENEWAL AND CHASTISEMENTS (7:1-19:13)
- Understanding in Chastisement (7:1-10:25)
- Covenant Recall (11:1-19:13)
- GOING OVER THE LEADERS' HEADS TO THE PEOPLE (19:14-29:32)
- Priestly Opposition (19:14-20:18)
- Kingly Reproach (21:1-22:30)
- Prophetic Hostility (23:1-29:32)
- NEW COVENANT RESTORATION (30:1-33:26)
- Promise of Discernment in the End (30:1-31:40)
- A Picture of Restoration (32:1-44)
- Certainty of Restoration (33:1-26)
- COVENANT CHASTISEMENT CONFIRMED: SUBMIT OR DIE! (34:1-45:5)
- Siege: Submit to Babylon (34:1-22)
- Kingly Lack of Submission (35:1-36:32)
- Zedekiah's End (37:1-39:10)
- Gedaliah's End (39:11-44:30)
- Summary (45:1-5)
- GOD'S RULE OVER THE NATIONS (46:1-51:64)
- Egypt (46:1-28)
- Philistia (47:1-7)
- Moab (48:1-47)
- D. Ammon (49:1-6)
- Edom (49:7-22)
- Damascus (49:23-27)
- Hazor (49:28-33)
- H. Elam (49:34-39)
- Babylon's Scroll of Destruction (50:1-51:64)
- FROM JERUSALEM'S FALL TO THE ELEVATION OF JEHOIACHIN (52:1-34)
INTRODUCTION: END-TIME WORDS OF WARNING (1:1-19) Overview: After a short historical prologue (1:1-3), Jeremiah's commission sets forth the thrust of the book (1:4-19). He was known personally by God from before his birth, and God's word through him was to be certain. His appointment for building up and destroying nations (1:10) is related to the various themes used throughout the book. The book of Jeremiah describes Israel's downfall and restoration and concludes with a long section that shows God's ultimate rule over all the nations (46:1-51:64). The very end of the book reaffirms God's promises to build up Israel by the elevation of King Jehoiachin, the son of David, while still in exile.
The Times (1:1-3) Jeremiah, whose name means "Yahweh establishes," was of the priestly family residing at Anathoth (modern Anata), located about three miles north of Jerusalem. Although Jeremiah was the author, the "prophecies" were recorded by Baruch, the prophet's amanuensis (36:4, 32). The thirteenth year of Josiah (640-609 B.C.) was 627 B.C. Jeremiah continued his ministry in Jerusalem through the reigns of the last kings of Judah and until the exile to Babylon had begun in 586 B.C.
The Commission (1:4-19) In 1:4-10 two key thoughts dominated Jeremiah's commissioning as a prophet: (1) his divine appointment (1:5), and (2) the provision of God's word (1:7, 9). The word "young" (1:6) was used to denote a person from the age of infancy to early manhood. The words "I knew you" (1:5) speak of God's intimate awareness and purposeful affection. While yet in his mother's womb, Jeremiah was set apart by God for his prophetic ministry. Jeremiah's mission was described in terms of judgment and edification (1:10). The four synonyms used for destruction, in comparison to the two used for building up, indicate that the prophet's message was to be predominately one of warning about Judah's coming judgment.
In Israel, the almond tree is the first tree to blossom, and thus it announces the coming of spring (1:11-12). As spring always follows the blossoming of the almond, so prophetic fulfillment would follow Jeremiah's predictions. The boiling pot (1:13-16) was tilted from the north, the direction from which Babylon's invasion would come (3:18). Soon the scalding contents, the Babylonian invaders, would flow south over Israel.
Getting "dressed" involved tucking the end of a man's long outer robe into his belt in preparation for walking or working (1:17). The command signified a readiness for work, and for Jeremiah it meant the work of preaching. The prophet had to expect opposition (cf. John 15:18-25), but he would not be overcome by it (1:18-19; cf. Rom. 8:31-39).
ACCUSATION: COVENANT UNFAITHFULNESS (2:1-6:30) Overview: The section of Jeremiah 2:1-6:30 was God's initial confrontation with the nation. It progressed on the basis of the following themes: The Israelites loved God at the first, but they soon stopped loving him (2:2-3); God asked what wrong he had done to them (2:5). He then asked why they were on the roads to Assyria and Egypt (2:18). The implied answer was that, even though he had disciplined them in the past, they had not responded (2:30). The nations' leaders, pictured here as shepherds, were corrupt but would be replaced with others who would be men after God's own heart (3:15). And all Israelites needed a heart cleansing (4:4). Because of Israel's sin, God's future judgment was pictured as the earth returning to formlessness and void (4:23-26). But that would not be a complete destruction (5:18). Finally, the prophets and priests gave the people false words of peace and were condemned for their deceit (6:13-14; cf. 14:13-16). These condemnations and promises in the first chapters form a foundation for all the themes introduced and developed throughout the book.
The Initial Confrontation (2:1-37) God's love for Israel (2:1-37) contrasts with the apostasy of the nation. The figures of bride and bridegroom (2:2-3) depict the relationship between God and Israel during the nation's early life after the Exodus ("through the barren wilderness"). Although God had been faithful to Israel, the people were unfaithful to him (2:5-8). They forsook the Lord (2:5-6) and defiled the land (2:7). The leaders (priests, teachers, rulers, and prophets) led the way to apostasy. The result was that the Lord had a case against Israel for violating the Mosaic covenant (2:9). The words "bring my case" denoted the activity of making an accusation or a complaint. "Kedar" (2:10) referred to Arabia.
There are two kinds of water sources in Israel— springs with "living" or fresh water, and cisterns (small reservoirs) with stale or stagnant water. The metaphor of water sources (2:13) graphically illustrated Israel's apostasy. Jeremiah 2:15 apparently referred to the destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 B.C. by Assyria. Jeremiah 2:16 probably referred to the killing of Josiah by the Egyptians (cf. 2 Kings 23:29). Memphis (near modern Cairo) was the ancient capital of Lower Egypt. Tahpanhes was on the eastern border of the Nile Delta commanding the road to Israel.
For 2:21, see the vineyard imagery in Isaiah 5:1-7 and Psalm 80:8-13. The apostate nation was likened to a wild donkey in heat whose desire was so great that any mate that wanted her could have her without effort (2:2.4). Judah should not have expected to find help through an alliance with Egypt (2:36). The reference to "Assyria" recalled Ahaz's attempt to secure help from Assyria when the nation was threatened by Pekah (2 Kings 16:5-18).
God's Desire for Repentance and Reason for Discipline (3:1-6:30) RETURNING ADULTERESS (3:1-5) Deuteronomy 24:1-4 provides the legal background for 3:1. The law prohibited a man from remarrying his former wife if in the meantime she had been married to another man. This law was referred to in order to illustrate defiled Israel's condition resulting from apostasy (3:2-3).
REPENTANCE AND DESTRUCTION (3:6-6:30) Israel's punishment should have caused Judah to repent, but she didn't (3:10). The comment in 3:10 sheds light on the Lord's view of Josiah's reform (3:6), which appears to have been superficial. In 3:12-4:4 God addressed the northern kingdom ("Israel," 3:12) in exile in order to set forth a warning for Judah, the southern kingdom, to repent. Jeremiah spoke of a future day when both kingdoms would be regathered to the land by the Shepherd after God's own heart (3:15-18). In that future kingdom, the believing nation would not miss the ark of the covenant because her attention would be focused on the "throne of the Lord" (3:17). Israel's repentance and confession of sin were an example for Judah (3:22-25). But God demanded that the repentance had to be sincere (4:1-2). He looked for evidence of repentance, which can be found in the fruit of true faith. The application was made for Judah and Jerusalem (4:3-4). Only genuine repentance could avert judgment. The sign of circumcision was an outward witness of an inward, spiritual reality. The command "Cleanse your minds and hearts" (4:4) spoke figuratively of the need to separate oneself from sin and reconsecrate oneself to God.
Jeremiah announced coming destruction from the north (4:5-31). Babylon was likened to a "lion" seeking prey (4:7), a "burning wind" (4:11), and a threatening "storm wind" (4:13). The words "empty and formless" (4:23) were used in Genesis 1:2 to describe the earth before the six days of God's creative work. The strong metaphor suggested that the earth would be reduced to its state before the Creation (4:24-26).
Jeremiah 5 gives the reason for God's judgment on Judah. The essence of the answer is found in 5:18-19. The people had forsaken God and had served other gods. Jeremiah was instructed to search the streets of Jerusalem for one righteous man because God promised to pardon Judah if just one such person could be found (5:1; cf. Gen. 18:22-23). However, a complete destruction of Judah was decreed (Jer. 5:10). For the imagery of the vine (5:10), see Isaiah 5:1-7 and John 15:1-11. In spite of Israel's apostasy, God promised not to destroy the nation completely (Jer. 5:18). The basis of this encouragement was God's unconditional commitment to keeping his promise (Gen. 12:1-3; 2 Sam. 7:12-16). Both "Israel" (the northern kingdom) and "Judah" (the southern kingdom) were exceedingly wicked and deserving of divine discipline (5:20-31).
In Jeremiah 6 the prophet predicted the inevitable and imminent destruction of unrepentant Jerusalem (6:6), a prophecy fulfilled in the 586 B.C. destruction of the city by the Babylonians. The "people of Benjamin" (6:1) were exhorted to flee from Jerusalem because of its impending judgment. Tekoa (6:1) was situated on the edge of the Judean wilderness, twelve miles south of Jerusalem. Bethhakkerem (6:1) has been identified with Ramat Rahel, located two miles south of Jerusalem.
The phrase "enemy shepherds" (6:3) was used figuratively to refer to the enemy kings and flocks of invaders (cf. 12:10) coming to feed on Judah. The "watchmen" were the prophets (6:17; cf. Ezek. 3:17), who were supposed to rebuke the nation's sins and warn the people of coming disaster. Costly but superficial sacrifices could not please God (6:20). Ancient "Sheba" (6:20) was located in the southern Arabian Peninsula in the vicinity of modern Yemen. To arouse the nation from its apathy, the approaching Babylonian enemy was described in terrifying terms (6:22-26). A "tester" (6:27) tested the quality of a metal to determine its value.
COVENANT RENEWAL AND CHASTISEMENTS (7:1-19:13) Overview: The people were to understand why they were going to be disciplined so severely (7:1-10:25). From the temple's gates (7:2) Jeremiah criticized Israel's false hope in the temple building (7:4). He urged them to remember what had happened at Shiloh and why it had happened (7:8-15). He drove them to search for true heart-level service to God rather than depend on the false security of an external and legalistic religion (9:23-24). He is God the Creator, not a false god of human imagination (Jer. 10). The command for heart-level obedience would be fulfilled in the new covenant mentioned in Jeremiah 31. The punishment of the nation was done in full light of the future promises of blessing and restoration.
The nation's sins were so great that God told Jeremiah not to pray for the people's deliverance (7:16; 11:14; 14:11). The potential still remained for international blessing for the nations who learned the ways of God through the ways of his people (12:14-17). The prophecy foretelling the Babylonian captivity (Jer. 13) was followed by a list of sins and judgments (14:1-19:13), including drought (14:1-15:21), military judgment, and Sabbath breaking (17:1-27). This section ended with the mention of the potter's rights (18:1-23) over the pot's destruction (19:1-13).
Understanding in Chastisement (7:1-10:25) UNDERSTAND SHILOH'S JUDGMENT (7:1-34) In Jeremiah's "temple sermon," which he delivered at the gate of the temple, he warned that the people could not expect to be delivered from attack simply because of the presence of the temple in Jerusalem (7:4). They were reminded of God's past judgment on Shiloh (7:12), where the tabernacle had been set up. What had happened at Shiloh could also happen to Jerusalem. The theme of Jeremiah's temple sermon was presented in 7:3. Jesus quoted 7:11 in Mark 11:17; cf. Luke 19:46. Shiloh (7:12), located about twenty miles north of Jerusalem, was the location of the tabernacle in the time of the judges (Josh. 18:1). The city was destroyed by the Philistines around 1050 B.C. The "Queen of Heaven" (Jer. 7:18) referred to the heathen fertility goddess Astarte, known in Babylon as Ishtar (cf. 44:17).
With stinging sarcasm, God rebuked the people whose sacrifices meant nothing as expressions of genuine worship (7:21-22). Obedience, not ritual, had been God's overriding concern when he instituted the sacrifices at Sinai (1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6). "Topheth" (Jer. 7:31) probably meant "fireplace." "Hinnom" (7:31) referred to the L-shaped valley situated west and south of Jerusalem where the heathen custom of child sacrifice was practiced (cf. 2 Kings 16:3; 21:6).
UNDERSTAND WISDOM VERSUS FOOLISHNESS (8:1-10:25) The desecration of graves was practiced as a supreme insult to the dead (Jer. 8:1-2; cf. Deut. 21:22-23). The Lord warned that Judah's stubborn apostasy was the sure way to national ruin (Jer. 8:4-17). Jeremiah lamented the iniquity of Zion (8:18-9:22). The "medicine" (8:22) referred to a resin used for healing purposes. Gilead (8:22), a region east of the Jordan River, was famous for its balm from early times (cf. Gen. 37:25). Jeremiah 9:16 was the prophet's first mention of Judah's dispersion from the land. It was the ultimate judgment on the nation for violating the stipulations of the covenant (cf. Lev. 26:33; Deut. 28:64). The "mourners" (Jer. 9:17) were professional and hired mourners (cf. Matt. 9:23).
Jeremiah 10 set forth the greatness of God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, contrasted with impotent idols. For "Tarshish" (10:9), see the note on Jonah 1:3. The location of "Uphaz" (10:9) is unknown. Jeremiah 10:11 was written in Aramaic, a Semitic language similar to Hebrew and the common language of the people in exile. The Lord instructed the people, "pack your bag" for the trip into exile (10:17). The land was likened to a tent that had been pulled down and destroyed (10:20). The "shepherds" (10:21) is a figurative reference to the leaders of the nation.
Covenant Recall (11:1-19:13) THE CALL TO OBEDIENCE (11:1-13:27)
Impending Curses (11:1-23) In 11:1-5 the prophet called the people into remembrance of the Mosaic covenant, which God had instituted with his people at Sinai. The covenant promised blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Deut. 28-30). Because the Israelites had violated the covenant, they would receive the judgments that God had promised (11:10-11). A plot against Jeremiah's life by the men of his hometown, Anathoth, was reflected in 11:18-23. They wanted to kill him and thus silence his message (11:19).
Times of Judgment and Compassion (12:1-17) Reflecting on his own sufferings, Jeremiah wrestled with the age-old question of why the wicked prosper (12:6). God responded, "The worst is yet to come!" The Lord described the judgment coming on Judah with such certainty that he spoke as if it had already occurred (12:7-13). The "evil nations" (12:14) were nations neighboring Judah (Aram, Moab, and Ammon) that would share her fate of exile from the land.
Waistband: Obedience (13:1-27) The "linen belt" was used in ancient times to brace a man's hip joints for prolonged periods of exertion and to hold up his robe for greater freedom in walking and work. The Euphrates River is 350 to 400 miles northeast of the land of Judah (13:4). Some scholars suggest that the text refers not to the Euphrates but to the village of Parah, located about three miles from Jeremiah's hometown. The two names are almost identical in the Hebrew. Just as the waistband was ruined by the waters of the Euphrates, in the same way the Lord would also destroy Jerusalem and Judah because of their sin (13:7).
The filled wine jugs symbolized the fact that God would fill the people with confusion, as when men are drunk (13:12-14). Their drunkenness would lead to their destruction. The prophet was instructed to address King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, Nehushta (13:18; cf. 2 Kings 24:8). Those "marching down from the north" were the Babylonians (13:20). The stark metaphor of 13:26 was taken from the public shaming of a harlot. The "adultery" (13:27) referred to the peoples' idolatrous worship that frequently involved cultic prostitution.
THE LIST OF CURSES (14:1-19:13)
Drought (14:1-15:21) The drought that came upon Judah was one of the curses of disobedience spoken of in the Mosaic covenant (14:1-6; cf. Deut. 28:24; Lev. 26:19). Jeremiah prayed twice (Jer. 14:7-9, 19-22) that the Lord would spare Judah the promised judgment, but twice he was told that the prayers for the nation were futile (14:10-12; 15:1-9). Nothing could alter the judgment for which the nation was destined. Jeremiah also appealed to God's covenant promise (Gen. 12:1-3) as a theological basis for his sparing the nation (Jer. 14:21).
Moses (15:1; cf. Exod. 32:11-14) and Samuel (1 Sam. 7:5-9; 12:19-25) were noted as great prayer warriors who had prayed in behalf of the nation. For Manasseh's sin (Jer. 15:4), see 2 Kings 23:26; 24:3. The winnowing process was a means of separating wheat from chaff (Jer. 15:7). Grain was tossed into the air, and the wind blew the lighter chaff away while the grain's kernels fell at the feet of the winnower.
Jeremiah experienced both despair and strengthening by the Lord (15:10-21). In Jeremiah's day the hardest iron came from regions in the north (15:12). Certainly Judah's "iron" had no chance to break the stronger "iron" of Babylonia. In the depths of his despair, Jeremiah charged God with deception (15:18). Like a brook that dries up in the summer when it is most needed, so God had seemingly failed him.
Military Judgment and Restoration (16:1-21) The life of Jeremiah was to illustrate his message to Judah of her coming judgment. He was prohibited from marrying (16:1-4), mourning (16:5-7), and feasting (16:8-9). The expression "offer a meal" (16:7) referred to the custom of providing a meal for mourners after the funeral (2 Sam. 3:35). The "cup of wine to console" may have referred to a similar custom. Although God would exile the people, he promised to restore them later to their homeland (16:13-15; cf. Deut. 30:1-10). The thought of 16:13 regarding the captivity was continued in 16:16. Like "fishermen" and "hunters," the Babylonians would capture and destroy the Judeans.
Sabbath Breaking (17:1-27) The sin of the nation and the consequent judgment were once again highlighted. Indelible sin meant inevitable judgment. The "Asherah" (17:2) referred to the Canaanite fertility goddess whose image was set up on hills and in sacred groves of trees. Compare Psalm 1 with Jeremiah 17:7-8. Jeremiah saw the Sabbath as a test case for obedience (17:19-27). The observance of the Sabbath was the prerequisite for the return of national glory and prosperity. The "Negev" (17:26) is the dry region located just south of Judah, centering around Beersheba.
The Land as a Reproach (18:1-19:13) Just as the potter had control over the clay on his wheel, the Lord was sovereign over the nations of the earth—to build them up or to destroy them. The potter's "wheel" (18:3) consisted of two flat, circular stones connected by a vertical axis. The potter turned the lower stone with his feet, which caused the upper "wheel" to revolve. The rhetorical questions in 18:14 sought a negative answer. The point was that while nature pursues its God-directed course unchanged, the nation had unnaturally changed its course by turning from God. In response to his enemies' plot against his life, Jeremiah prayed that God would bring upon them the curses of the covenant (18:18-23; cf. Deut. 28:15-68). The theological basis for this prayer is found in God's promise in Genesis 12:3.
In Jeremiah 19 the breaking of the potter's jar illustrated the calamity that was soon to come upon Judah and Jerusalem (19:3). The "valley of the son of Hinnom" (19:2) is identical with the valley of Ben (the son) Hinnom. See the note on 7:31. The "blood of innocent children" (19:4) referred to the children who were sacrificed in heathen ceremonies in the Hinnom Valley. The "drink offerings" (19:13) were sacrifices or offerings of wine (cf. Num. 15:4-5).
GOING OVER THE LEADERS' HEADS TO THE PEOPLE (19:14-29:32) Overview: Jeremiah was beaten and imprisoned by the priests (Jer. 19:14-20:18). He then reproached King Zedekiah for his sinful leadership (21:1-24:10). The shepherd theme (12:10; 23:1) reappeared. At this point in the book, the time shifts backward to the fourth year of Jehoiakim and his twenty-three-year rebellion against God (25:1-38; cf. 25:3-4, 12-14). Moving back farther to events during the first year of Jehoiakim's reign (26:1-24), the author records Jeremiah's escape from the king's death sentence. The next scene moves ahead to the fourth year of Zedekiah (28:1). There, Zedekiah was warned to submit to Nebuchadnezzar (27:1-22), and Hananiah received a death sentence from Jeremiah for his false prophecy (28:1-17). But prophets also were lying to the Israelite exiles in Babylon, promising a quick release. In response, Jeremiah wrote his famous letter to the exiles in which he clearly told them to settle in for a seventy-year stay (29:1-32).
Priestly Opposition (19:14-20:18) Jeremiah 20 records the response of the religious establishment to Jeremiah's message of coming judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. "Pashhur" (20:1) ranked next to the high priest in authority and had charge of the temple area. His position may have been identical with the "captain of the Temple guard" (Acts 4:1). Jeremiah gave Pashhur a new name, "The Man Who Lives in Terror" (Hebrew "Magor-missabib," meaning "terror on every side"), symbolic of the coming judgment on Jerusalem by the Babylonians. In 20:7-18 is found one of Jeremiah's most revealing confessions. His prayer illustrates the personal cost of faithfully declaring God's word (20:8).
Kingly Reproach (21:1-22:30) The prophecy recorded in Jeremiah 21 took place in the reign of Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.), the last king of Judah. He was urged to submit to Nebuchadnezzar in light of the certainty of Jerusalem's fall (21:10). The words "we are safe on our mountain" (21:13) were a reference to Jerusalem's inhabitants.
There are two possible interpretations of Jeremiah 22: (1) It is a prophecy concerning judgment on Shallum, Jehoiakim, and Coniah (or Jehoiachin); or (2) it is a prophecy of judgment on Zedekiah (21:1, 3; 22:1, 6, 10, 30), illustrated by the divine judgment that fell on his three predecessors. According to the second view, there was no curse on the line of Coniah (22:24-30) because Jeremiah was referring to Zedekiah. The fact that Matthew did not recognize a curse on Jehoiachin (Matt. 1:11) lends support to this interpretation.
In Jeremiah 22:1-9 the prophet addressed Zedekiah, the reigning "king of Judah" (22:1). Shallum (or Jehoahaz) took the throne after Josiah's death but reigned only three months (2 Kings 23:31-34). In 22:13-23 Jehoiakim (609-597 B.C.) succeeded Shallum. This wicked king received a donkey's burial, which actually was no burial at all (Jer. 22:18-19; 2 Kings 24:6). Coniah (Jer. 22:24-28), also called Jehoiachin and Jeconiah, reigned only three months before Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in 597 B.C. and exiled ten thousand Judeans (2 Kings 24:8-16). Coniah was imprisoned in Babylon but later released (2 Kings 25:27-30). The book of Jeremiah ends by recounting the event of Coniah's release (52:28-34).
In 22:29-30 Jeremiah concluded his oracle with an application that went back to Jehoiachin ("this man, Jehoiachin" 22:30), the addressee of Jeremiah 22:24-30. The word "childless" referred to the fart that Jehoiachin's sons were slain by Nebuchadnezzar before he was exiled to Babylon. None of his children sat on the throne of David.
Prophetic Hostility (23:1-29:32)
THE RESULTANT REPROACH (23:1-40) Jeremiah describes the coming of the Messiah, the righteous King. The "shepherds" referred to the wicked rulers of Judah (10:21). The term "Branch" (23:5) is a messianic title (cf. Isa. 11:1; Zech. 3:8; 6:12) and indicated that the Messiah would be a fresh sprout from the stump of a felled tree, that is, the seemingly dead line of David. The religious leaders, that is, the false prophets and apostate priests, were condemned (Jer. 23:9-40). The Hebrew term translated "prophecy" (23:33) was a standard term for a message received by divine revelation. The misuse of this term by the false prophets and apostate priests brought it into disrepute (23:36).
THE REPROACH OF ZEDEKIAH AND HIS OFFICIALS (24:1-10) Jeremiah's vision of 24:1-10 took place after the captivity of Jehoiachin in 597 B.C. The "good figs" were Judeans removed from the land, whereas the "bad figs" were those, like Zedekiah, who remained.
THE FOURTH YEAR OF JEHOIAKIM (25:1-38) The duration of the Babylonian captivity was revealed. The "fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign" was 605 B.C. The "seventy" years (25:12) can be calculated from either 605 B.C. or 586 B.C. It is probably best to figure the period from 605 B.C., since that was the date of the prophecy. The conclusion of the period was 536 B.C. (including both 605 and 586 B.C. in the seventy years), when the returned Jewish exiles began rebuilding the Jerusalem temple (Ezra 3:1-6). Judgments would come on apostate Israel and the nations that had oppressed God's people (Jer. 25:15-38). The universal extent of that judgment (25:30-31) suggests that the verses referred all the way ahead to the future end-time tribulation events.
THE FIRST YEAR OF JEHOIAKIM (26:1-24) Jeremiah 26 records the circumstances surrounding Jeremiah's preaching of the temple sermon (7:1-8:3). For "Shiloh" (26:6), see the note on 7:12. Micah's prophecy of judgment against Jerusalem and the temple (Mic. 3:12) was recalled as evidence against putting Jeremiah to death (Jer. 26:8, 18). But the ultimate reason that Jeremiah was spared death was because of God's promise (26:24; cf. 1:18-19).
THE FOURTH YEAR OF ZEDEKIAH (27:1-28:17)
Submission to Nebuchadnezzar (27:1-22) Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.) was placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar and was the last king of Judah. Although at first Zedekiah submitted to Babylonian rule, he later conspired with neighboring kings to overthrow Babylon. Jeremiah sought to correct the notion that such an overthrow was possible (27:12), urging submission rather than rebellion. The "yoke" and "leather thongs" (27:2) were symbolic of Judah's certain subjection by Babylon. The "gold utensils taken from my Temple" (27:16) had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar when he sacked Jerusalem in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:13). Usually a conqueror took a defeated nation's idols as a symbolic gesture of victory. But since the Jewish faith tolerated no idols, the temple vessels were taken instead. The promise of Jeremiah 27:22 was fulfilled in 537 B.C. when Sheshbazzar led the first group of exiles back to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:7-11).
False Hananiah (28:1-17) Hananiah, a false prophet, broke Jeremiah's "yoke" (Jer. 27:2) and predicted that Babylon would fall and the exiles would return within two years (cf. 25:11). In 28:1 it seems unusual to call the fourth year of Zedekiah the "early" part of his reign. But according to Jewish practice, the reign was divided into halves—the beginning and the end. The beginning was simply the first half of his reign. The word "Amen!" (28:6) means "may it be confirmed." Jeremiah wished such a prophecy could be true. About two months elapsed between Hananiah's false prophecy and his death (cf. 28:1).
FALSE PROPHETS IN BABYLON (29:1-32) Jeremiah 29 records Jeremiah's letter written to the Judean exiles who had been taken to Babylon in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:10-17). Once again (29:10; cf. 25:11), a seventy-year captivity was anticipated. But a return to the land of Israel was also promised (cf. Deut. 30:1-5). The punishment of Zedekiah and Ahab was like that experienced by Daniel's three friends (Dan. 3:20). Only, for these two false prophets, there was no deliverance. Instead, they became an object lesson of the Lord's wrath (Jer. 29:23). Jeremiah's letter (29:24-28) provoked opposition from Shemaiah, a Judean leader in Babylon who called for the Jerusalem temple's authorities ("Zephaniah" the priest, and "other priests") to rebuke Jeremiah for his prophecies.
NEW COVENANT RESTORATION (30:1-33:22) Overview: The section of 30:1-33:22 is the central section on the restoration of God's people (30:3). It begins with the certainty of God's promise to David (30:9) and ends with an explosion of covenant promises that will be as certain as the covenant for day and night (33:25): the covenants with David (33:15-17, 26), Moses (33:18), and Abraham (33:26). God explained that Israel would understand his discipline and his loving-kindness in the latter days (30:24). Jeremiah 31 elaborates on the time of restoration and understanding. The shepherd theme reappears (31:10), but unlike the hostile shepherds of the past, this Shepherd will be the Lord himself. Note the appearance of the section divider, "The time will come" (31:27, 31, 38; 33:14). Jeremiah 32, in the tenth year of Zedekiah, describes not only the downfall of Jerusalem but also the promise of restoration.
Promise of Discernment in the End (30:1-31:40) RESTORED FORTUNES: LAND (30:1-31:26) If Jeremiah 30-31 was written at the same time as Jeremiah 32-33, then the year was 587 B.C., and Jerusalem was under Nebuchadnezzar's siege (32:1). Jeremiah was in prison while famine and pestilence raged in Jerusalem and the Babylonians were at the city's gates. This was Judah's darkest hour, and the people were in need of hope and comfort. Jeremiah announced that the nation of Israel would be preserved, restored, and given a new covenant. The "time of trouble for my people Israel" (30:7) refers to the coming tribulation during which the people of Israel will suffer intense persecution (Matt. 24:9-22). "That day" (Jer. 30:8) is the day of the Messiah's return to judge his enemies and deliver the believing remnant of Israel from the antichrist's persecution (cf. Zech. 14:1-4).
After the Tribulation (30:12-17), God will bring healing to the seemingly incurable wounds received by Israel as the result of her sin and God's divine judgment. The healing will be both physical (restoration to prosperity) and spiritual (restoration of blessing). In the Messiah's kingdom, Jerusalem will be reestablished as the center of rightful rule and true worship. The "ruler" (30:21) is the Messiah. The often-repeated phrase of 30:22 (cf. Exod. 6:7; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 36:28; Hos. 2:23; Zech. 13:9) expresses God's covenantal intention for his people.
During a time of future blessing the faithful of both Israel (Jer. 31:1-22) and Judah (31:23-26) will be gathered from their dispersion into the Land of Promise. Ramah (31:15), the home of Samuel (1 Sam. 7:17), was located about five miles north of Jerusalem, it was there that the captives were gathered before being taken to Babylon (40:1). In this poetic figure, Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, is portrayed as weeping for her descendants going into exile. Matthew saw fulfillment of this verse in Herod's slaughter of the children in Bethlehem (Matt. 2:17-18). The meaning of the prophecy "Israel will embrace her God" (31:22) points to Israel's return to God; Israel will encompass or cling to the Lord.
BUILD AND PLANT: INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY (31:27-30) The words of Jeremiah 31:28 are based on the commission given to Jeremiah in 1:10.
THE NEW COVENANT (31:31-37) The section of 31:31-37 is the central Old Testament passage on the new covenant (quoted in Heb. 8:6-13). Because Israel had failed to keep the old covenant (the contractual obligation begun at Mount Sinai), God promised that he would institute a new and better one. This promise amplified and confirmed the blessing promise of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:3). It was unconditional ("I will"), everlasting (Ezek. 37:6), and promised regeneration and the forgiveness of sin (31:33-34) through faith in Christ, based on his sacrificial death for sins (1 Cor. 11:25; Heb. 7:22; 8:6-13).
The repeated words "says the Lord" (31:31-34) divide the promise into its major sections. The first section, "The day will come" (31:31), makes the promise certain for a future time. The second section (31:31-32) stresses that the new covenant will not be like the old covenant that people broke. The implication is that something will happen to keep people from breaking the new covenant. The third section (31:33) announces the new covenant. The fourth section (31:33-34) shows in what way the covenant is new. It puts the law of God in a new place—the heart (cf. 24:7; 29:13; 32:40). That results in a universal relationship with and knowledge of God. The fifth section (31:34) gives the reason ("for") why the new covenant can happen. The iniquity and sin of God's people will be forgiven and forgotten.
The new covenant was a renewed covenant that replaced the shadow of the Mosaic covenant with the substance of Christ's sacrifice and heavenly mediation. It was made with the same people of God, the children of Abraham by faith. It contained the same law of God (cf. Deut. 6:6-7; 10:12; 30:6) but placed it in the heart. It promised a saving relationship with the same God (cf. Exod. 34:6-7 and 2 Cor. 6:16). And it offered complete forgiveness (cf. Exod. 34:6-7; Lev. 4:20; Num. 14:18; Deut. 5:9-10). The new covenant took up the elements of the Mosaic covenant but expanded and deepened them into fulfillment. The permanence of the cycles of nature (31:35-36) illustrated the certainty of God's preservation of the Hebrew people.
THE CITY IS REBUILT (31:38-40) The "Tower of Hananel" was located along the north wall of ancient Jerusalem. The "Corner Gate" was probably situated at the northwest corner of the wall. The locations of "Gareb" and "Goah" are unknown. The "graveyard and ash dump in the valley" referred to the Hinnom (7:31). The brook "Kidron" separated the temple mount from the Mount of Olives. The "Horse Gate" was in the east wall of the city.
A Picture of Restoration (32:1-44) Jeremiah's purchase of a field near Jerusalem demonstrated the prophet's faith in God's promise of restoration. The "tenth" year of Zedekiah (32:1) was 587 B.C. Jerusalem was under siege and Jeremiah was in prison, having been incarcerated by Zedekiah for prophesying the fall of Jerusalem. The transaction in 32:7 was based on the law of redemption (cf. Lev. 25:25, 32-34).
Jeremiah's purchase of the field (32:10) took on greater significance when it was realized that it had already fallen to the Babylonians. The purchase was Jeremiah's expression of faith that God would one day restore Israel to the land as he had promised (32:15). Baruch (32:13) was Jeremiah's scribe, or secretary, who wrote much of the book under the prophet's direction (cf. 36:27-28). The "siege ramps" (32:24) were earthen ramps built against the city walls by the invaders. The ramps provided access to the weaker, upper sections of the walls. The L-shaped Ben Hinnom Valley lies west and south of Jerusalem. Molech was the god of the Ammonites whose worship included child sacrifice.
Certainty of Restoration (33:1-26) Jeremiah 33 continues the theme of restoration that was introduced in Jeremiah 30. Here Jeremiah predicted restoration to the land (33:1-9), restoration to prosperity (33:10-13), and restoration of the Davidic throne (33:14-26). These prophecies related to Israel's future. The "Branch on King David's throne" is a messianic title (23:5-6; cf. Isa. 4:2; 11:1-5; Zech. 3:8; 6:12). Jesus, the Messiah, will sit on David's throne and rule his kingdom (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Luke 1:32-33). "My covenant with David" (Jer. 33:21) referred to God's promise in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. It was as certain as the ordinances of heaven.
COVENANT CHASTISEMENT CONFIRMED: SUBMIT OR DIE! (34:1-45:5) Overview: The section of Jeremiah 34:1-45:5 is a section of contrasts. The Babylonian captivity mirrored the nation's captivity of its own people in slavery (34:1-22). The Rechabites' obedience to their ancestral father stood in stark contrast to Israel's disobedience to her heavenly Father (35:1-19). God commanded that a scroll be written so that its hearers might repent and release God's forgiveness (36:3). But the king's officials feared the king, and the king did not fear God. Instead, he burned the scroll that was designed to avert destruction and bring about God's blessing (36:1-32).
The section of 37:1-45:5 revolved around Israel's hope in Egypt versus her hope in God. Zedekiah received no help from Egypt (38:1-28) or from trying to escape from Jerusalem (39:1-18). The Jews who remained after the downfall of Jerusalem were commanded to stay in Israel (40:1-16) and definitely not go down to Egypt (42:1-22). But they murdered Gedaliah (41:1-18) and chose flight into Egypt (42:1-22). From Egypt, Jeremiah predicted destruction by Babylon (43:1-13) due to the Jews' idolatry (44:1-30). There was painful irony to see Israel returning to Egypt, the place of her original bondage and redemption. A short prophecy of Jeremiah 45 serves as a summary of Jeremiah's prophecies and concludes the broad section of Jeremiah 1-45.
Siege: Submit to Babylon (34:1-22) The events of Jeremiah 34 illustrate the depths to which the king and people of Jeremiah's day had plunged. While Jerusalem was under attack (34:6-7), Jeremiah delivered a message from God to King Zedekiah (34:1-2) and the people (34:8-22). The fate of Zedekiah (34:4) was recorded in 2 Kings 25:5-7. Lachish (34:7) was a fortress city located twenty-three miles southwest of Jerusalem. Azekah (34:7) was located eleven miles north of Lachish (see introductory map). Both cities are well known from the "Lachish Letters," which were written in Hebrew at the time of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Judah and discovered in 1935. Letter IV reads, "We are watching for the signals of Lachish . . . for we no longer can see the signals of Azekah."
Perhaps to gain God's favor, Zedekiah induced the people to promise to emancipate their Hebrew slaves, who according to the law were supposed to be given their freedom after six years (34:8-10; cf. Exod. 21:1-6; Deut. 15:12-18). When the Babylonian siege lifted temporarily due to the approach of the Egyptian army (Jer. 37:6-11), the pledge was broken and the slaves were returned to servitude. When ancient covenants were ratified, an animal was sacrificed, and those participating in the agreement walked between the parts (34:18). By this they were saying, "So may I be [that is, dead] if I break this covenant" (cf. Gen. 15:9-17).
Kingly Lack of Submission (35:1-36:32) RECHABITE OBEDIENCE (35:1-19) The Rechabites were descendants of a nomadic tribe of Kenites who had joined with the Israelites when the Babylonians invaded the land (Jer. 35:11). They were followers of Jehonadab, the son of Recab (2 Kings 10:15-16, 23), who sought to maintain the desert ideal by avoiding the "corruptions" of city life, such as farming, wine, and houses. The Rechabites were obedient to their dead ancestor in contrast to the Judeans who had disobeyed their living God.
DISOBEDIENCE IN THE DAVIDIC LINE (36:1-32) Jeremiah 36 recorded the contempt of Jehoiakim for the word of God. The "scroll" (36:2), which was made of papyrus or vellum, would be used to record Jeremiah's prophecies from 627 B.C. until the "fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king" (36:1), or 605 B.C. For "Baruch" (36:4), see the note on 32:12. The date was December 604 B.C. The probable reason for the "fasting" (36:9) was the increased threat of a Babylonian invasion of Judah. The "winterized part of the palace" (36:22) may have referred to a warmer, more sheltered room of the palace. No historical record was provided about the details of Jehoiakim's death (36:30; cf. 2 Kings 24:6). This judgment was one of the curses of disobedience specified in the covenant (Deut. 28:26).
Zedekiah's End (37:1-39:10) NO HELP FROM PHARAOH (37:1-21) During a brief lifting of the Babylonian siege due to the advance of the Egyptians (Jer. 37:5), Jeremiah sought to leave Jerusalem to attend to some family property (37:12). Apparently he was charged with desertion (37:13) and imprisoned underground (37:15-16). The "dungeon cell" (37:16) was probably an empty cistern, an underground water reservoir. Pharaoh Hophra (44:30), ruler of Egypt (589-570 B.C.), may have encouraged Zedekiah to revolt and then come to his aid.
NO HELP IN FLIGHT (38:1-39:10) The term "official" (38:7) or "eunuch" (NASB and KJV) originally referred to one who cared for the king's harem (cf. "the women," 38:22). Later the term was used of a trusted officer or palace official. The fall and destruction of Jerusalem are described in greater detail in Jeremiah 52. After eighteen months of siege, the walls of Jerusalem were breached on the ninth of Tammuz (our June-July) in 586 B.C. (39:1-2). One month later the city was burned (cf. 52:12-13). Some have equated "Nergalsharezer" (39:3) with Neriglissar, who succeeded Nebuchadnezzar's son (560-556 B.C.). For 39:10, see Jeremiah 24:8-10.
Gedaliah's End (39:11-44:30) MURDER AND FLIGHT TO EGYPT (39:11-43:7) At Ramah (40:1), situated five miles north of Jerusalem, the Judeans were gathered in preparation for deportation. In the absence of a Judean king, Gedaliah was appointed governor of Judah (40:5; cf. 2 Kings 25:22-24). Mizpah (now Tell en-Nasbeh) was located eight miles north of Jerusalem. It became the administrative center during Gedaliah's short governorship (Jer. 40:6).
Why was Gedaliah assassinated (41:1-2)? It may have been that Ishmael, a member of the royal family, was jealous for the throne. Or perhaps Gedaliah was viewed as a traitor for assuming a post under the appointment of the Babylonians. The men demonstrated extreme signs of mourning at his death (41:5). "Geruth-kimham" meant the lodging place of Kimham, the son of Barzillai, who exhibited such kindness to David (41:17; cf. 2 Sam. 17:27-29; 19:31-39).
Afraid to stay in Judah after the murder of Gedaliah (Jer. 42:1-43:7), the people who were on the way to Egypt (41:17) stopped to ask Jeremiah to ask God what they should do (42:1-3). The answer came from God that they should stay in the land and not go to Egypt (42:19), but they decided to go to Egypt anyway, forcing Jeremiah to go with them (43:1-7). For Tahpanhes (43:7), see the note on 2:16.
NO HELP IN EGYPT (43:8-44:30) Jeremiah's prediction of the Babylonian conquest of Egypt was fulfilled in 568 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar during the reign of Pharaoh Ahmosis II (43:8-13). Heliopolis ("city of the sun"), or "temple of the sun" (43:13), located near modern Cairo, was a worship center for the sun-god Ra. The "sacred pillars" (43:13) were tall, tapered granite shafts used by the Egyptians as monuments.
Jeremiah warned the Jews in Egypt of the consequences of idolatry (44:1-10). For Tahpanhes, see the note on 2:16. Migdol (44:1) was located near the northeast boundary of Egypt. Memphis (44:1), still in existence today, is located about fifteen miles south of modern Cairo. In Upper Egypt (44:1) some Jews established a military colony at Yeb (Elephantine). Rejecting the words of Jeremiah, the Jews declared their allegiance to the "Queen of Heaven" (44:17), a reference to the heathen fertility deity known in Canaan as Astarte (the Babylonian Ishtar). The downfall of Pharaoh Hophra (588-569 B.C.) would serve to confirm God's word through Jeremiah (44:29-30). He was assassinated by a former government official Amasis, also known as Ahmoses II (569-526 B.C.).
Summary (45:1-5) The brief message of Jeremiah in 45:1-5 to his scribe, Baruch, was dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, or 605 B.C. Baruch's reward was his physical preservation. He would suffer with the Judeans, but his life would be spared.
GOD'S RULE OVER THE NATIONS (46:1-51:64) Overview: In the middle of all the gloom of Jeremiah 1-45, Jeremiah 30-33 stood out as a bright light of God's ultimate restoration of Israel to be over the nations. In Jeremiah 46-51 are collected several prophecies against foreign nations that reinforced that ultimate restoration. The nations' hostile attitudes toward Israel are summed up in 50:7, 11 and 51:24, 49. The judgment was a direct reflection of God's promise to Abraham to curse those who cursed Israel (Gen. 12:3). Jeremiah was ordained a "spokesman to the world" (Jer. 1:5). The nations prophesied against were Egypt (46:1-28), Philistia (47:1-7), Moab (48:1-47), Ammon (49:1-6), Edom (49:7-22), Damascus (49:23-27), Hazor (49:28-33), Elam (49:34-39), and Babylonia (50:1-51:64). Egypt and Babylonia begin and end the list as the two nations that had held Israel in bondage. Babylonia received the most space concerning judgment. The relation of this list to Israel's hope was found in 46:28; 50:33-34; 51:5. God also had gracious plans for many of the hostile nations (48:47; 49:6, 39).
Egypt (46:1-28) The defeat of Egypt at the battle of Carchemish in 605 B.C. gave Babylonia dominion over the land of Israel. "Ethiopia" (46:9) referred to the region south of Egypt (the Upper Nile region). "Libya" referred to the northern coast of Africa. The Lydians were inhabitants of Asia Minor, and the Egyptians employed them as mercenaries. For the medicine, or "ointment," of Gilead (46:11), see the note on Jeremiah 8:22. For locations of cities in 46:14, see the note on 44:1. Mount Tabor (46:18) is located in the Jezreel Valley. Mount Carmel reaches its peak on the Mediterranean coast near modern Haifa. Thebes (46:25) is located about four hundred miles up the Nile from Cairo. Amon was the chief deity worshiped there.
Philistia (47:1-7) The Philistines migrated from the Aegean Islands under pressure from the Dorian Greeks around 1168 B.C. They were repulsed from the Delta of Egypt and settled on the southern coastal plain of Israel. The name Palestine is derived from Philistine. The reference in 47:1 was to Pharaoh Neco's campaign in 609 B.C. when he went to the aid of Assyria against Babylonia (2 Kings 23:29). The "flood . . . from the north" (47:2) referred to the invasion by Babylonia. Tyre and Sidon were Phoenician cities. Caphtor referred to Crete, one of the Mediterranean islands from which the Philistines came (Amos 9:7). Gaza and Ashkelon (47:5) were two of Philistia's five principal cities located on the Mediterranean coast of Philistia to the southwest of Israel.
Moab (48:1-47) The Moabites were the descendants of the incestuous union of Lot and his eldest daughter (Gen. 19:30-38). They occupied the region east of the Dead Sea between the Amon and Zered rivers. The background of the prophetic judgments may have been the attack mentioned in 2 Kings 24:2. Chemosh (48:7) was the chief deity of the Moabites (Num. 21:29; 2 Kings 23:13). Like the undisturbed lees, Moab had not yet gone into exile. Dibon (48:18), famous for the discovery of the Moabite Stone, was located north of the Amon, thirteen miles east of the Dead Sea. The land of Moab (48:42) was inhabited by the Nabateans in the first century B.C. and later by the Arabs.
Ammon (49:1-6) The Ammonites were the descendants of the incestuous union of Lot and his youngest daughter (Gen. 19:30-38). They occupied the desert region north of Moab. Molech was the chief deity of Ammon (1 Kings 11:5). Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, was located at the site of moderm Amman, the capital of Jordan.
Edom (49:7-22) The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother (Gen. 25:21-25; 36:8). They lived in the desert region south of the Dead Sea. Teman was a city in Edom thought to be located about three miles east of Petra. Dedan was a tribe of traders descended from Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:1-3) dwelling southeast of Edom. Bozrah was a fortified city in Edom located about thirty miles north of Petra.
Damascus (49:23-27) Damascus, the capital of the Aramaeans (Syria), survives as a major city today and is located about 130 miles north of Jerusalem. Hamath was located on the Orontes River about 110 miles north of Damascus. Arpad was situated about 20 miles northwest of Aleppo.
Hazor (49:28-33) Jeremiah 49:28-33 is related to Nebuchadnezzar's attempt to bring certain regions of the Syrian desert under Babylonian control (599 B.C.). Kedar was the son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13). The Hazor mentioned here was a desert area, not the city in northern Israel.
Elam (49:34-39) Elam was a region of Mesopotamia located just north of the Persian Gulf. Elam was overrun by Nebuchadnezzar in the winter of 596 B.C. This nation, as a part of the Medo-Persian Empire, later overthrew Babylonian rule (cf. Isa. 21:2; Dan. 8:2).
Babylon's Scroll of Destruction (50:1-51:64) Babylon, located in central Mesopotamia on the Euphrates, was the capital of the Babylonian Empire. The term "Babylonians" referred to the ruling dynasty of Babylon but was used synonymously with the term "Chaldeans." Bel (50:2) was the Babylonian equivalent of the Canaanite Baal. Marduk was the chief god of Babylon. The nation (50:3) that rose against Babylon was Persia under the leadership of Cyrus. He came from Media, "north" of Babylon, and captured the city in 539 B.C. (cf. Dan. 5). In 514 B.C. Darius Hystaspes put down a revolt in Babylon and partially destroyed the city walls (50:13). In 478 B.C. Xerxes destroyed Babylon's walls and temples. The names Merathaim (50:21; "double rebellion") and Pekod ("visitation") were a play on the names of actual places in southern Babylonia. The Jerusalem temple was destroyed and burned by the Babylonians (50:28; cf. 2 Kings 25:9). The reference in 50:44 is to Cyrus, God's instrument of judgment against Babylon (cf. Isa. 45:1-5).
Leb Kamai means in Hebrew "the heart of those who rise against me." It is a cryptic reference to "Babylonia" (51:1). The fall of Babylon was seen to be so certain in the mind of the prophet that it was described in the past tense (51:8). The Medes lived east of the Tigris River and south of the Caspian Sea (51:11). Cyrus, who overthrew Babylon, was of Median descent. He succeeded in uniting the Medes and the Persians into one empire.
Jeremiah 51:20-23 referred to Cyrus (cf. 50:44). The "armies of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz" (51:27) referred to regions north of Babylon that were conquered by the Medes and became a part of Cyrus's empire. The "river" (51:36) may refer to the moat that surrounded the city of Babylon or possibly a reservoir. Seraiah was the brother of Baruch (51:59; cf. 32:12). As quartermaster he was responsible for the king's accommodations during travel.
FROM JERUSALEM'S FALL TO THE ELEVATION OF JEHOIACHIN (52:1-34) The book of Jeremiah's prophecies ends with a summary from Jerusalem's fall to the elevation of Jehoiachin (52:1-34). That gave further encouragement that God had not abandoned his promises to King David. God's loving-kindness still remained. In the closing chapter (Jer. 52), Jeremiah presented the fate of Jerusalem, Zedekiah, and Jehoiachin. The material here is nearly identical to that of 2 Kings 24:18-25:30. This historical appendix was added to show how Jeremiah's message of judgment was fulfilled and to remind the reader of the continuing power of the Davidic covenant. The siege of Jerusalem began in the winter of 587 B.C. and continued until midsummer of the next year (586 B.C.) when the conquest was completed. Riblah (52:9), located thirty-five miles northeast of Baalbek, was the site of the Babylonian military headquarters (2 Kings 25:6, 20-21).
The first deportation to Babylon occurred in 605 B.C., during which choice young men were taken to be servants in the Babylonian court (2 Kings 24:1; Dan. 1:1). A second deportation took place in 597 B.C. and involved around 10,000 Judeans (2 Kings 24:12-16). The count of 3,023 exiles (Jer. 52:28) was probably the number of adult males. A third deportation (2 Kings 25:8-21) took place in 586 B.C. in connection with the destruction of Jerusalem and the burning of the temple (Jer. 52:29). After the assassination of Gedaliah, the governor appointed by Babylon (52:30; cf. 40:7-41:18), the people feared further retaliation from the Babylonians and fled to Egypt. The release of Jehoiachin from prison in 560 B.C. suggested to the exiled Jews that God had not forgotten his people. He was preserving the Davidic line even in exile, and his promises for the future were certain.
—Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary
God’s people had committed two evils: they forsook God, the source of living water, and they hewed cisterns for themselves. There are two sources of water in Israel. One is living water because it flows fresh and the other is stagnant. Water is vital for life. God likens Himself to living water. In John 7:37-39, we read that anyone who is thirsty may come and drink from the rivers of living water; and that rivers of living water will flow from his heart. This is speaking of the life giving Holy Spirit, eternal life. The problem is that people do not turn to God to receive this eternal life. Where do you turn in times of need? God describes their behavior and He remembers that they used to be faithful. He confronts them with their sin, but they deny it. What about people today? Do you think they realize a holy God will bring upon them the consequences of forsaking Him? They walk their own way, but would deny that they are not obedient to God. They don’t even think about God. They don’t worship Him. They don’t acknowledge who He is. Some go to church on Sunday but then go about their life through the week without including God in anything. Their decisions and their desires are not based on God’s Word at all.
It is unimaginable to think that God’s people, His chosen witness to the world, had become a nation of hypocrites! They say they love God but they disobey His Word. They say they are obedient, yet they refuse to confess and repent of their sin. Has the church also become hypocrites? In the book of Jeremiah, God gave His people warning and He tried to discipline them. Bow down on your knees and ask God to show you where you have not been obedient. Help to show others that it matters in the long run how they live.