1. Dates in Jeremiah l 645 Birth of Jeremiah l 640 Josiah becomes king--at 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. Dates Continued l 609 Death of Josiah; then kings Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim; Temple address (chaps 7, 26) l 605 Nebuchadnezzar defeats Egypt at Carchemish; first scroll (36:2) l 601 Jehoiakim revolted (2 Kgs 24:1) l 597 exile of Jehoiachin; Zedekiah l 594/3 revolt of western states; Ezekiel l 587 destruction of Jerusalem l 582 Third deportation; Jeremiah to Egypt

3. 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)

4. 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 LXX

5. 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 What is the inspired text?

6. 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

7. 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; 37-38) and a different view of Jehoiachin--he’s free (cf. 22:24-30 where he is a despised broken pot)

8. The Call of Jeremiah l Chosen before birth. Cf. Samson, “servant,” 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

9. Sequels to Jeremiah’s Call Vision of almond branch in vv. 10-12: 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.

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

11. Symbolic Actions l 13:1-11 Linen waistcloth: ruined by Babylonian invasion or by its influence? n Trip to Euphrates? 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 full of drunkenness; they lose ability to act responsibly; I will smash them like jugs they joke about

12. More symbolic actions l 16:1-4 Jeremiah had no wife, no children n No time for 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

13. 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 up, plant n Bad figs = Zedekiah and the remnant left in Jerusalem

14. Another symbolic action l 25:15-29 acted parable n Jeremiah offered cup of wrath to various nations: Jerusalem, towns of Judah n Pharaoh, kings of the Philistines, Edom, Moab, Ammonites etc. the king of Sheshach v. 26 sh-sh-k = b b l $vv = lbb

15. 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 n Jeremiah shows up with iron yoke

16. 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 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.

17. Jeremiah’s “Confessions” 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

18. 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!