1. Dates in Jeremiah l 645 Birth of Jeremiah l 640 Josiah becomes king--at age 8! l 632 and 628 reforms? (2 Chr 34:3) l 627/6 Call of Jeremiah 1:4-10 l 625 Nabopolassar came to power in Babylon l 622 Great Reform; Deuteronomy

2. Relative silence about Josiah’s reform l Jeremiah 3:6-11 Jeremiah preached in days of Josiah that Judah was repeating the cultic adultery that had doomed the north l 8:8 How can you say we are wise, and the law of Yahweh is with us, when in fact the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie? l 11:1-8 Jeremiah curses anyone who abandons the Sinai covenant l Temple address in chs. 7 and 26— downplays the central sanctuary! Ashurbanipal pours out drink offering over lions he has killed

3. Dates Continued l 609 Death of Josiah; then kings Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim 609-598; Temple address (chaps 7, 26) l 605 Nebuchadnezzar defeats Egypt at Carchemish; first scroll written and burned (36:2) l 601 Jehoiakim revolted against Babylon (2 Kgs 24:1) l 597 Exile of Jehoiachin; Zedekiah 597-586 l 594/3 Revolt of western states; Ezekiel begins l 587/586 destruction of Jerusalem l 582 Third deportation; Jeremiah goes to Egypt

4. The Septuagint and Jeremiah l One of every 8 words in Hebrew lacking in LXX l Total of 2700 words missing l 4QJer b and LXX omit Jer 10:6, 8-10 l Doublets (6:13-15//8:10b-12; latter lacking in LXX. In 30:10-11//46:27-28 and 48:40b, 41b//49:22 the first passage is missing from LXX)

5. The Septuagint and Jeremiah (continued) l Nebuchadnezzar (27:6-29:3 7 of 8 cases missing in LXX) Nebuchadrezzar? l Divine names: Original “Thus says Yahweh” became “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Heavenly Armies, the God of Israel” (or the like) l Oracles against foreign nations--at 46-51 in MT or after 25:13 in LXX; individual oracles also in different order.

6. Interpreting the Shortness of the LXX l Is shortness abbreviation or original? l Which words come from Jeremiah? The short version or the long version? l Which version is canonical? Short or long? l Which is the inspired text?

7. Literary Critical Issues l A words = poetry l B words = biography l C words = prose sermons l Alternate interpretation: l First edition: The Historical Jeremiah l Second edition: The Deuteronomistic Redaction

8. The Ending of the Book l 45 An oracle addressed to Baruch: one individual survives when all others fall l 46-51 MT Oracles against foreign nations: the evil empire, Babylon, which destroyed Jerusalem, will finally be destroyed itself l 52 (= 2 Kings 25): a different view of Zedekiah (cf. 34:1-5; chs. 37-38) and a different view of Jehoiachin--he’s free (cf. 22:24-30 where he is a despised, broken pot)

9. The Call of Jeremiah l Chosen before birth. Cf. Samson, “servant” in Second Isaiah, John the Baptist, Paul l “Prophet to the nations” l Objection--I am only a youth l Reassurance--I am with you l To pluck up, tear down, destroy, overthrow l To build and to plant--God’s final word Now I have put my words in your mouth

10. Sequels to Jeremiah’s Call l Vision of almond branch in vv. 11- 12: I am watching over my word to fulfill it dqv l Vision in vv. 13-15 Boiling pot from the “north” l VV. 16-19 Jeremiah’s lonely and impregnable position--they will fight against you; but they will not prevail against you.

11. The Enemy from the North l I am bringing evil from the north against Jerusalem (4:6; 6:1, 22) l Scythians? Babylon? l Who lives in the north? (Ps 48:2 Mount Zion, in the far north) l At the end of the book: A people is coming from the north; a mighty nation and many kings..against you, O Babylon (50:3, 41-43)

12. Symbolic Actions l 13:1-11 Linen waistcloth: ruined by Babylonian invasion or by Babylonian influence? n Trip to Euphrates? trp 400 miles; to Parah 4 miles away or does Parah symbolize Euphrates? n I made them cling to me…but they would not listen; I will ruin pride of Judah l 13:12-14 “Every jug should be full of wine” n every inhabitant will be full of drunkenness; they will lose ability to act responsibly; I will smash them like the jugs they joke about

13. More symbolic actions l 16:1-4 Jeremiah not allowed to have a wife or children n Not a time to have children since they will all die l 18:1-11 At the Potter’s House n Just as pots are reshaped by a potter, so a judged nation can be saved and vice versa n Turn, Jerusalem, from your wicked ways

14. More symbolic actions l 19:1-2, 10-13 You, Jeremiah, shall break the jug. Yahweh: I will break this people as one breaks a potter’s vessel l 24:1-10 Good and Bad Figs n Good figs = exiles in Babylon; I will build them up, plant them. Those who surrender to Chaldeans shall live 21:8- 10 n Bad figs = Zedekiah and the remnant left in Jerusalem

15. Another symbolic action l 25:15-29 acted parable n Jeremiah offers a “cup of wrath” to various nations: Jerusalem, towns of Judah drink it first n Pharaoh, kings of the Philistines, Edom, Moab, Ammonites etc. n After them, the king of Sheshach v. 26 sh-sh-k = b b l $vv = lbb

16. Another symbolic action l 27:2-28:17 yoke bars and Hananiah n Jeremiah: Anyone who submits to Babylon will be spared n Hananiah (28:2): God has broken the yoke of the king of Babylon; Hananiah breaks the yoke –Hananiah’s credentials: Name = “Yahweh is gracious”; “Thus says Yahweh”; Yahweh did not send him; criterion for truth = word happens Deut 18:22 n Jeremiah shows up with iron yoke

17. Critique of False Prophets l 23:9-40 They strengthen the hands of evildoers by prophesying “peace” l False prophets have not stood in divine council to see and hear the word of Yahweh v. 18, 22; they steal words from one another 30 and prophesy lying dreams 32

18. Another symbolic action l 32:6-15 Buying property when Jerusalem was under a siege n Hanamel, Jeremiah’s cousin, tells him to buy his field at Anathoth n Signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and paid money n Filed deed with Baruch n Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.

19. Jeremiah’s “Confessions” in 11-20 l You, Yahweh, are like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail 15:18 l If you, Jeremiah, repent, I’ll restore you to serve me once more 15:19 l They have dug a pit for my life; deliver their children to famine; deal with them, God, while you are still angry 18:18-23

20. Another Confession l 20:7-12 Accuses God of violating him. Yahweh forces him to prophesy. All my close friends want me to fail. Yahweh is with me like a dread warrior! l 20:13 Sing to the Lord: he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers l 20:14-18 Damn the day on which I was born!