▸ AUTHOR: Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah the priest and lived just over two miles north of Jerusalem. The book clearly states that Jeremiah is its author, and that he dictated all his prophecies to his secretary Baruch. A first copy of the work was destroyed by the king, after which Jeremiah produced a more complete edition (36:32). The only segment of this book not credited to Jeremiah is chapter 52. This supplement is almost identical to 2 Kings 24:18—25:30, and may have been added by Baruch. Daniel alludes to Jeremiah’s prophecy of the seventy-year captivity (25:11–14; 29:10; Dan. 9:2), and Jeremiah’s authorship is also confirmed by Ecclesiasticus, Josephus, and the Talmud.
▸ TIME: c. 627–580 B.C.
▸ KEY VERSES: Jer. 7:23–24
▸ THEME: In the Book of Jeremiah we get an intimate picture of this prophet’s life and thoughts. He was constantly rejected for speaking God’s message, often lamenting to God. For this fact he is often called the weeping prophet. His ministry begins in 627 B.C., during the reign of King Josiah, who brought about reform after finding the Book of Deuteronomy in the temple. By that time Judah was a weak kingdom that was subject to the major political forces of the day, which were Egypt and Babylon. While Josiah’s reform was certainly a step in the right direction, many of the people didn’t follow through on the implications of what the law taught. Jeremiah demonstrated God’s perspective on the political upheaval going on throughout Judah in his day.