The book of Jeremiah

The name Jeremiah means 'the Lord exalts'.
Jeremiah was the son of a priest (Jer. 1:1). Priest had reliable, stable and well paid jobs in those days. They belonged to the upper echelon of the society. Hence Jeremiah came from a very noble and highly respected background. Jeremiah would have almost certainly continued in the same career as his father if not for the intervention of God (Jer. 1:4-10).

What political and social climate did Jeremiah live in?

The nation of Israel had divided into two after the death of Solomon? (1 Kings 12). The northern part was called Israel and the southern part Judea. Jeremiah was a prophet in Judea.

Jeremiah lived through three main eras: when Assyria was the main super power; when Babylon was super power and when Judea went into captivity. He was eventually taken by force to Egypt. His ministry lasted for about forty years. His ministry overlapped with those of Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Daniel and Ezekiel.

Jeremiah is also known as the weeping prophet (Jer. 9:1-2). He uses a lot of pictures and metaphors to communicate his message. Jeremiah is often cited in the New Testament (Matt 2:17-18 / Jer. 31:15).

Articles on Jeremiah (lessons fron his life and ministry)

  1. Download Bible study on Jeremiah - For group discussion (word document)
  2. Jeremiah part 1: An introduction
  3. Jeremiah part 2: The nature of God's wrath

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