Tahpanhes (43:7) was a fortified city in the eastern part of the Nile delta, near what is now the Suez Canal. Archaeologists have found a large building that may have served as a governor’s residence. Since all such buildings would… Read More »Tahpanhes
The town of Geruth Chimham (41:17) may have been named after the Chimham mentioned in 2 Sam. 19:37–40 (see also “sons of Barzillai,” 1 Kings 2:7), who apparently served King David in a time of great need. It was common… Read More »Geruth Chimham
Free vineyards. After they conquered Judah and shipped all the leading citizens to Babylon, the Babylonians gave vineyards to some of the poor Judeans who remained in the land (39:10). This would have made the people less likely to rebel… Read More »Free vineyards
The dungeon cells or cisterns in which Jeremiah was imprisoned (chs. 37–38) were most likely dark, damp rooms without enough room to stand up in. Cisterns were dug out of rock, had a small opening, and spread out at the… Read More »Dungeon cells or cisterns
The Lord commended the Rechabites for keeping the commandments of their founder (ch. 35), which included abstaining from wine and not building permanent houses. The Rechabites obeyed after being told only once, while the people of Judah continued to disobey… Read More »Rechabites
Burning of spices during funerals (34:5) served a number of purposes. If a burial was delayed, spices would mask any unpleasant odors. Since they were expensive, spices were also a way of displaying wealth and honoring the memory of the… Read More »Burning of spices during funerals
Sealing documents in earthenware vessels (32:14) was a common way to preserve them for future generations. The Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the most important biblical archaeological discoveries, were found in vessels similar to the one Jeremiah used.
Jeremiah said that Jerusalem would someday be rebuilt from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate (31:38). This is probably where the Babylonian army broke through the walls of Jerusalem. It was on the north side of the city,… Read More »from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate
Books in the OT could refer to any written material (see 30:2). Usually this was in the form of papyrus scrolls. Pages were glued together end to end so they could be rolled up. A typical papyrus page was similar… Read More »Books
Why were Israel’s craftsmen taken? Craftsmen were highly prized by conquering kings (29:2). They could provide assistance with the king’s projects as well as offer secrets of the trade that had been passed down through the generations.
Jeremiah’s unpopular message. While all the other prophets were predicting victory over Babylon, Jeremiah told the people it was God’s will that they serve Babylon for a certain number of years. Then, God would rescue them and would judge Babylon… Read More »Jeremiah’s unpopular message
When Nebuchadnezzar defeated the Egyptian army at Carchemish in 605 b.c., it marked the beginning of Egypt’s decline as a power in the region and the beginning of Babylon’s rise (see 46:2 and note on 25:19). Judah fell to Babylon… Read More »Carchemish
Seventy years in Babylon. Jeremiah saw many of his fellow Judeans exiled to Babylon during his lifetime. He predicted that they would remain there for 70 years (25:11–12), and Ezra 1:1 records the precise fulfillment of that prophecy.
The faithful remnant. In many places, the Bible speaks of a “remnant,” that is, a relatively small group of people, who will remain faithful to the Lord (23:3; compare Ezra 9:8; Isa. 10:20; Rom. 11:5).
Mind or kidneys? The word translated “mind” in 20:12 is actually the Hebrew word for “kidneys” (see esv footnote). Because the kidneys were hidden deep within the body, they were seen as the source of emotions and even wisdom.
Repentance is mentioned more than a hundred times in Jeremiah. The Lord promised to forgive and heal the people if they turned from their sins (18:5–11). Few responded to Jeremiah’s call for repentance, but the Lord promised that someday they… Read More »Repentance
Singleness for a prophetic purpose. The Lord told Jeremiah not to get married. This was probably intended as a symbolic warning that life would soon be very difficult for people with children (16:1–4).
A noonday attack on a city (15:8) was unusual. The heat would have been uncomfortable for soldiers in their armor, and the element of surprise would have been gone. Therefore most raids took place at night. An army probably wouldn’t… Read More »Noonday attack
The primary calling of the prophet was to serve as God’s spokesperson. There were many prophets, however, and they sometimes declared conflicting messages. The way to determine if a prophet was speaking God’s words was to see if the prophecy… Read More »The primary calling of the prophet
Judah’s good king Josiah rediscovered the Book of the Law, reinstituted the Passover, and destroyed foreign idols. And yet Jeremiah had to declare that the end was coming for Judah (11:11), just as it had for Israel a hundred years… Read More »Josiah
God’s storehouses. Just like around the world today, people in Bible times needed places to store things. The Lord also has “storehouses” (10:13), for things like rain and lightning and wind!
The wailing women mentioned in 9:17 were probably professional mourners. In many ancient cultures, such people were paid to sing or deliver eulogies at funerals.
Judah considered their temple a guarantee of God’s favor, despite their idolatry and wickedness. They accused Jeremiah of blasphemy when he prophesied against Jerusalem. Sadly, Judah’s corrupt worship and failure to repent would eventually lead to the destruction of the… Read More »Temple
A faithful prophet. Despite persistent rejection, Jeremiah proclaimed the word of God for at least 40 years. His ministry lasted from a time when Judah still had the opportunity to change its ways and avoid punishment, to the time when… Read More »A faithful prophet
Yokes are made of wooden bars tied to animals by leather thongs around their necks. This ensured that the two animals would work together to pull a plow. Jeremiah uses the yoke in 5:5 as a symbol of God’s rule… Read More »Yokes
A sad but faithful servant. Jeremiah was very open about the anguish he suffered as a prophet (4:19–26). In addition to being devastated by the wickedness of his beloved people, he also suffered much abuse from them. Yet despite his… Read More »A sad but faithful servant
Jeremiah lived during troubled times. He became a prophet during the reign of Josiah, who was the last faithful king in Judah’s history. Josiah’s death marked the beginning of the end for the nation of Judah. It would fall within… Read More »Troubled times
Fresh water that flows from a spring or stream was known as living water in Palestine (2:12–13). It was the best and purest water. Jesus says that he is the source of true living water (John 4:10–14; 7:38).
Watching like an almond tree. The Hebrew words for “almond” and “watching” are very similar. Because the almond tree was the first tree to bud in spring, it was said to be “watching for spring.” God used the almond branch… Read More »Watching like an almond tree