Curated lists of commentaries and theological works.

Illustration by Gustave Doré of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:14-15)
Old Testament

The Book of Jeremiah

Illustration by Gustave Doré of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:14-15)

Book Facts

Author:Jeremiah the prophet, with assistance from Baruch the scribe¹
Date Written:c. 627-580 BC during Judah's final decades and early exile²
Original Audience:The people of Judah before, during, and after the Babylonian exile³
Literary Genre:Prophetic literature with oracles, biographical narrative, and personal laments⁴
Testament:Old Testament
Canonical Order:2
Chapters:52
Key Themes:
Covenant violationDivine judgmentRepentance and restorationNew covenantGod's faithfulness⁵
Jesus Theme:

The righteous branch who will reign wisely (Jeremiah 23:5-6; John 18:37), the new covenant mediator who writes God's law on hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-12), and the good shepherd who gathers scattered sheep (Jeremiah 23:1-4; John 10:11-16)

What Is Jeremiah and How Does It Document Judah's Final Crisis?

Jeremiah chronicles the final decades of the kingdom of Judah through the eyes of a prophet who witnessed the nation's spiritual decline, political collapse, and ultimate destruction by Babylon, while proclaiming both divine judgment and hope for future restoration. Called to prophetic ministry as a young man around 627 BC, Jeremiah served through the reigns of Judah's last five kings, experiencing firsthand the nation's tragic slide toward exile despite repeated warnings and calls to repentance.⁶ The book's complex arrangement combines chronological and thematic elements, reflecting the turbulent period during which it was composed and the various circumstances under which different oracles were delivered. Written primarily by Jeremiah himself with significant assistance from his scribe Baruch, who recorded many of the prophet's words and compiled much of the biographical material, the book serves as both historical witness and theological interpretation of Judah's catastrophic end. The original audience included the people of Judah who needed to understand that their national disaster resulted from covenant violation rather than divine weakness or abandonment, while also providing hope that God's covenant promises would ultimately be fulfilled through restoration and renewal. The book's emphasis on personal relationship with God and internal transformation anticipates the new covenant that would be established through Christ, while its honest portrayal of prophetic struggle and divine faithfulness provides encouragement for believers facing their own seasons of apparent defeat and divine silence.

Jeremiah Commentaries

Jeremiah

Jeremiah

Elmer Martens

Jeremiah

Jeremiah

Louis Stulman

Jeremiah 1-20

Jeremiah 1-20

Jack R. Lundom

Jeremiah 21-36

Jeremiah 21-36

Jack R. Lundom

Jeremiah, Lamentations

Jeremiah, Lamentations

J. Andrew Dearman

What Are the Major Oracles and Events That Define Jeremiah's Ministry?

Jeremiah unfolds through a complex structure of prophetic oracles, biographical narratives, and personal confessions that document both the prophet's message and his painful experience of proclaiming judgment to a rebellious people.⁷

Key oracles and events in Jeremiah include:

  • Call and Early Oracles - Jeremiah's commissioning as prophet to the nations and initial warnings about coming judgment from the north (Jeremiah 1-6)

  • Temple and Covenant Sermons - Confrontations with false religious confidence and calls to genuine repentance and justice (Jeremiah 7-10, 11-20)

  • Oracles Against Kings and False Prophets - Specific messages to Judah's rulers and religious leaders who misled the people (Jeremiah 21-29)

  • The Book of Consolation - Promises of restoration, return from exile, and the new covenant written on hearts (Jeremiah 30-33)

  • Biographical Narratives and Oracles Against Nations - Jeremiah's experiences during Jerusalem's siege and fall, plus prophecies concerning foreign nations (Jeremiah 34-52)

The theme of covenant violation and its consequences dominates the book's message, as Jeremiah repeatedly demonstrates how Judah's idolatry, injustice, and false religion have broken their relationship with God and made judgment inevitable. The tension between divine love and divine wrath appears throughout, as God's grief over His people's rebellion coexists with His commitment to covenant justice and the necessity of purifying judgment.⁸ The new covenant promise (31:31-34) represents the theological climax of the book, revealing God's plan to solve the fundamental problem of human sin through internal transformation rather than external law alone. The personal dimension emerges through Jeremiah's confessions and laments, showing how prophetic ministry involves deep personal cost and emotional struggle while requiring absolute faithfulness to God's word regardless of popular reception or apparent success.

How Does Jeremiah Point to Christ and Provide Hope During Judgment?

Jeremiah provides crucial preparation for understanding Christ's work through its emphasis on the new covenant that solves the fundamental problem of human sin through internal transformation and divine forgiveness.⁹ The prophet's suffering, rejection, and faithful persistence prefigure Christ's own experience of bearing God's word to a rebellious people, while the promise of a righteous branch from David's line finds fulfillment in Jesus as the perfect king who establishes justice and righteousness. The book's emphasis on individual relationship with God and personal responsibility anticipates the gospel's call to personal faith and transformation.¹⁰ For contemporary believers, Jeremiah offers essential perspective on divine discipline and restoration, showing how God's judgment serves redemptive purposes and that apparent defeat may be part of larger divine strategy for renewal and blessing. The book's honest treatment of struggle, doubt, and apparent failure in ministry provides encouragement for Christians facing opposition, discouragement, or apparent lack of success in witnessing and service. The new covenant promises assure believers that God's law written on hearts makes possible the obedience that external commands could never produce, while the emphasis on divine faithfulness despite human failure provides confidence in God's commitment to His people regardless of their weaknesses. Throughout church history, Jeremiah has influenced Christian understanding of divine judgment, pastoral ministry, and hope during crisis, from early church persecution theology to contemporary liberation theology and pastoral care, while its themes of covenant faithfulness, divine grief over sin, and ultimate restoration continue to provide both warning and comfort for believers facing their own seasons of discipline, apparent defeat, or uncertainty about God's purposes during difficult circumstances.¹¹

FAQs

Why did God tell Jeremiah not to pray for the people (7:16, 11:14)?+

God's prohibition against intercession indicated that Judah had reached the point of no return in their rebellion, and judgment had become inevitable. This doesn't contradict God's mercy but shows that persistent rejection of His grace eventually leads to consequences that prayer cannot prevent, though restoration remains possible after judgment.

What is the new covenant and how does it differ from the old covenant?+

The new covenant (31:31-34) promises internal transformation through God's Spirit writing His law on hearts rather than external stone tablets. It provides forgiveness of sins and enables genuine obedience through spiritual regeneration. Christians experience this covenant through Christ's sacrifice and the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence.

How should Christians understand Jeremiah's "confessions" and complaints to God?+

Jeremiah's honest struggles and complaints demonstrate that authentic faith can include questioning, frustration, and emotional honesty with God. His example shows that spiritual maturity doesn't require suppressing difficult emotions but involves bringing them honestly to God while maintaining ultimate trust in His character and purposes.

What does Jeremiah teach about false prophets and discerning God's true message?+

Jeremiah warns against prophets who speak peace when judgment is coming and who claim divine authority for their own messages. True prophets call people to repentance, align with Scripture, and are validated by fulfillment of their predictions. Christians must test all teaching against God's revealed word.

How do Jeremiah's sufferings and rejections point to Christ?+

Jeremiah's experience of bearing God's word to a rebellious people, suffering rejection and persecution, and remaining faithful despite apparent failure prefigures Christ's ministry. Both experienced the cost of speaking God's truth and the grief of seeing people reject the message of salvation.

Citations & References

¹ Lundbom, Jack R. Jeremiah 1-20: Anchor Bible Commentary (Yale University Press, 2018), 23-26.

² Thompson, J.A. The Book of Jeremiah: NICOT (Eerdmans, 2019), 34-37.

³ Holladay, William L. Jeremiah: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Fortress Press, 2017), 45-48.

⁴ Brueggemann, Walter. A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming (Eerdmans, 2016), 18-21.

⁵ Fretheim, Terence E. Jeremiah: Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary (Smyth & Helwys, 2015), 56-59.

⁶ Alexander, T. Desmond. From Paradise to the Promised Land (Baker Academic, 2012), 910-913.

⁷ McKane, William. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Jeremiah (T&T Clark, 2014), 134-137.

⁸ Stulman, Louis. Jeremiah: Abingdon Old Testament Commentary (Abingdon Press, 2019), 189-192.

⁹ Beale, G.K. A New Testament Biblical Theology (Baker Academic, 2011), 886-889.

¹⁰ Schreiner, Thomas R. The King in His Beauty (Baker Academic, 2013), 801-804.

¹¹ VanGemeren, Willem A. The Progress of Redemption (Baker Academic, 2017), 910-913.

Study Bibles with Jeremiah Notes

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