Jeremiah

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” — Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)

Overview

• Testament: Old
• Author: Jeremiah (with Baruch as scribe)
• Date Written: ~627–586 BC (23 years ministry, through fall of Jerusalem)
• Key Themes: Judgment, new covenant, repentance, false prophets, suffering, hope, exile
• Chapters: 52

Summary

Jeremiah is the most personal, emotional book of the prophets — the “weeping prophet” who delivered 40 years of judgment messages to a people who refused to listen. Called as a youth, Jeremiah watched Jerusalem fall, the temple burn, and his people scatter. Yet through the darkest judgment, God promised a new covenant — “I will put my law in their mind, and write it in their hearts.”

The book covers:

• Chapters 1–25: Call & Messages — Jeremiah’s commission, warnings to Judah
• Chapters 26–45: Symbolic Acts & Letters — Yoke, pot, letter to exiles
• Chapters 46–51: Oracles Against Nations — Babylon, Egypt, Moab, Ammon
• Chapter 52: Fall of Jerusalem — Historical appendix, parallel to 2 Kings 24–25

Key Characters

Character	Role	Key Passages
Jeremiah	Weeping prophet, called before birth	Throughout
Baruch	Scribe, comforter, companion	Jeremiah 36, 45
Zedekiah	Last king of Judah, plucked out eyes	Jeremiah 21, 37–39, 52
Pharaoh Hophra	Egyptian king, false hope	Jeremiah 37, 44, 46
Nebuchadnezzar	Babylonian king, God’s instrument	Jeremiah 21, 25, 27, 32, 39
Pashhur	Priest, imprisons Jeremiah	Jeremiah 20, 26, 37
Jeremiah’s Wife	Forbidden to marry	Jeremiah 16
Hananiah	False prophet, broken yoke	Jeremiah 28

Key Events

Event	Reference	Description
Jeremiah’s Call	Jeremiah 1	”Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee”
Burning Scroll	Jeremiah 36	Baruch reads, king burns, rewritten
Potter’s House	Jeremiah 18	”Can’t I do with you as this potter?”
Yoke of Babylon	Jeremiah 27–28	Submit or perish, Hananiah breaks it
Letter to Exiles	Jeremiah 29	”Build houses, plant gardens,” 70 years
New Covenant	Jeremiah 31	”I will put my law in their mind”
Purchase Field	Jeremiah 32	Buys land during siege, hope
Siege & Fall	Jeremiah 37–39	Cistern, flight, Zedekiah’s eyes
Chaldean Princes	Jeremiah 39	Released from prison, choice
Murder of Gedaliah	Jeremiah 41	Assassination, flight to Egypt
Oracles Against Nations	Jeremiah 46–51	Babylon, Egypt, Moab, Ammon, Edom
Fall of Jerusalem	Jeremiah 52	Historical appendix, parallel 2 Kings

Important Places

Place	Significance	Key Passages
Jerusalem	City under siege, falls	Throughout
Anathoth	Jeremiah’s hometown, rejection	Jeremiah 11
Babylon	God’s instrument, exile, falls	Jeremiah 21, 25, 50–51
Egypt	False refuge, final flight	Jeremiah 43–44, 46
Ramah	Weeping, Rachel mourns	Jeremiah 41
Megiddo	Josiah dies, end of hope	Jeremiah 34

Chapter Outline

Chapters	Section	Summary
1	Call & Commission	”Before I formed thee,” thorns, appointed
2–6	Messages of Judgment	Adultery metaphor, harvest gone, lament
7	Temple Sermon	”Can ye steal, murder… and stand before me?“
8–10	Apostasy & Idols	Way of the heart deceitful, false gods
11–15	Rebellion & Curse	Anathoth, covenant broken, barrenness
16	No Joy, No Mourning	Isolation, death, desolation
17	Zion & Hope	”Thus saith the LORD,” restoration
18	Potter’s House	Sovereignty, repentance, reshaping
19	Earthen Bottle	Judgment hidden, land waste
20	Lament & Resolve	”I cannot refrain,” they sit and watch
21–24	Warnings & Kings	Submit to Babylon, Zedekiah, false hope
25	Seventy Years	Cup of wine, nations drink, 70 years
26	Imprisonment	Temple sermon, Pashhur, elders
27–28	Yoke & False Prophet	Submit, Hananiah breaks, dies
29	Letter to Exiles	”Build houses,” 70 years, thoughts of peace
30	Restoration	”I will bring again health”
31	New Covenant	”I will make a new covenant,” Rachel weeps
32	Field Purchase	Buys during siege, hope, covenant
33	Hope & Promise	”I know the plans,” Davidic covenant
34	Slave Release	Zedekiah’s decree, rebellion, relapse
35	Rechabites	Obedience vs. disobedience
36	Burning Scroll	Baruch reads, king burns, rewritten
37–38	Cistern & Prison	Zedekiah’s secret, cistern, well
39	Fall & Release	Chaldean princes, choice of destiny
40	New Beginning	Gedaliah appointed, hope
41	Murder & Flight	Gedaliah killed, Egypt flight
42–44	Egypt & Rebellion	False prophets, worship in Egypt
45	Baruch’s Message	”Seek not thy great things”
46–51	Oracles Against Nations	Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam, Babylon
52	Fall of Jerusalem	Historical appendix, parallel 2 Kings 24–25

Cross-References

New Testament:

• Matthew 2:17-18 — “Rachel weeping for her children” (Jer. 31:15)
• Hebrews 8:8-12 — New covenant quoted directly (Jer. 31:31-34)
• Hebrews 10:16-17 — “I will put my laws in their heart”
• Matthew 26:31 — “I will smite the shepherd” (Jer. 23:2)

Old Testament connections:

• Ezekiel — Contemporary prophet, exile
• Lamentations — Jeremiah’s tears for Jerusalem
• Isaiah — Judgment, restoration parallels

Key Verses

The Call:

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.” — Jeremiah 1:5

The Heart:

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” — Jeremiah 17:9

The New Covenant:

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel… I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” — Jeremiah 31:31-33

Thoughts of Peace:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” — Jeremiah 29:11

Lament:

“If I say, I will not mention him, nor speak any more in his name, then his word is in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I cannot hold.” — Jeremiah 20:9

Notes & Reflections

• Jeremiah was called before birth — divine election
• The new covenant (31:31-34) is the most important OT covenant passage after Genesis 3:15
• Jeremiah wept for his people — compassion amid judgment
• The burning scroll shows God’s word can’t be destroyed
• Buying a field during siege = hope in darkest hour
• “Thoughts of peace” (29:11) was written to exiles, not rebels
• Jeremiah’s isolation mirrors Christ’s loneliness
• The book ends with purchase — redemption, not destruction

Sequential Connections

• Preceded by: Isaiah — Earlier prophet, same arc
• Contemporary with: Ezekiel — Exile period
• Followed by: Lamentations — Tears for fallen Jerusalem

Tags

OldTestament MajorProphets Jeremiah NewCovenant Judgment Hope Exile