28. Waxen fat. That is, they have become prosperous (Deut. 32:15; Ps. 73:7; 92:14; Prov. 28:25).
Shine. Possibly a reference to the sleekness of their skin.
Overpass. See Jer. 2:33; Eze. 5:6, 7.
3. Historical Setting.âDuring the early days of Jeremiah’s ministry three great powers, Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon, were struggling for supremacy. Under Ashurbanipal (669-627? ) Assyria had reached its peak, and was now on the decline (see II, 65, 66). Egypt had thrown off the Assyrian yoke and was endeavoring to regain its former dominance in Near Eastern affairs (see II, 89-92). With Nabopolassar’s accession to the throne of Babylon in 626 , the rise to power of the Neo-Babylonian Empire began. The fate of Assyria was sealed by the fall of Nineveh (612 ), and the new Babylonian Empire became the dominant power in Western Asia. Under Necho II, Egypt challenged the sudden rise of Babylon to power. Nebuchadnezzar II, Nabopolassar’s son, successfully met that challenge at the battle of Carchemish, 605 , and Babylon replaced Assyria as a world empire (see 505, 506; II, 93, 94).
Jeremiah, during the last 40 years of Judah’s existence as a kingdom, bore messages of reform and revival to five kings: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. A brief summary of each reign follows:
a. Josiah (640-609 ). After more than a half century of moral and spiritual deterioration under Manasseh (see 2 Kings 21:1-18; 2 Chron. 33:1-20) and Amon (see 2 Kings 21:19-25; 2 Chron. 33:21-25), Judah had once again a king noted for his piety and religious zeal for God. Josiah was only eight years of age when he began to reign (2 Kings 22:1). When he was only about 20 years of age, he introduced a number of reforms, abolishing first the high places of idol worship (see 2 Chron. 34:3). He was aided in his work by Jeremiah, who received his call to public ministry in the king’s 13th year. Josiah aimed to rid the land of idolatry by force and to re-establish the worship of God (2 Chron. 34). In connection with the cleansing and repairing of the Temple in the 18th year of Josiah’s reign, a copy of “the book of the law” was discovered (2 Kings 22:3-20). The discovery led to an intensification of Josiah’s reform movement throughout the land. This reform was even extended to former territory of the northern kingdom (2 Kings 23:15-20; 2 Chron. 34:6, 7), the decline of the Assyrian Empire making such an extension possible.
King Josiah met an untimely death as a result of his presumptuous interference with Necho II of Egypt at Megiddo, 609 (see 505; also II, 94, 95; 2 Kings 23:29, 30; 2 Chron. 35:20-24). His death was a real loss to the nation and he was deeply mourned by the people of Judah (2 Chron. 35:24, 25).
b. Jehoahaz (609 ). Also known as Shallum (see on 1 Chron. 3:15). After Josiah died the people of the land placed Jehoahaz on the throne, presumably because of his pro-Babylonian sympathies (see on 2 Kings 23:30; 2 Chron. 36:1). After Jehoahaz had reigned only three months Necho II, evidently returning from his campaign to the north, deposed him and carried him to Egypt, where he died (see 2 Kings 23:31-34; Jer. 22:10-12).
c. Jehoiakim (609-598 ). Earlier called Eliakim (2 Kings 23:34). After deposing Jehoahaz, Necho II placed Jehoiakim, second son of Josiah (see on 1 Chron. 3:15), on the throne (2 Kings 23:34). Judah was now under Egyptian suzerainty and paid a heavy tribute for Egyptian friendship (see on 2 Kings 23:35). In 605 Nebuchadnezzar invaded Palestine, took part of the Temple vessels, and deported some of the royal family and nobility to Babylon. Among these captives were Daniel and his three companions (see Dan. 1:1-6; II, 95). Jehoiakim was thus forced to switch his allegiance from Egypt to Babylon. At that time (see 505, 506), in the battle of Carchemish, Egypt was severely beaten, and Necho II made a hasty retreat to Egypt with the remnant of his army. In spite of solemn assurances of fidelity to Babylon (see 2 Kings 24:1), Jehoiakim, who was pro-Egyptian at heart, openly rebelled in 598 This led to the second invasion of Judah and the capture and death of Jehoiakim. The king seems to have met a tragic end (see on 2 Kings 24:5).
d. Jehoiachin (598-597 ). Also called Coniah (Jer. 22:24) and Jeconiah (1 Chron. 3:16; Jer. 24:1). After a brief reign of some three months this son and successor of Jehoiakim surrendered to the besieging Babylonians and was deported to Babylon with his mother, wives, sons, and palace officials (see 2 Kings 24:10-16). Ten thousand captives were taken to Babylon in this second deportation, which included the chief men and the craftsmen of the city. The prophet Ezekiel was among these captives (see Eze. 1:1-3). For the light thrown by archeology on this captivity see 575, 756; ( II, 96, 97, 99).
During at least a part of the time, Jehoiachin was kept in prison, from which, in the 37th year of his exile, he was freed by Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, Amel-Marduk, the Biblical Evil-Merodach (2 Kings 25:27-30).
e. Zedekiah (597-586 ). Earlier called Mattaniah (2 Kings 24:17). After deporting Jehoiachin, Nebuchadnezzar made this 21-year-old son of Josiah puppet king over Judah. Zedekiah faced a difficult task. The upper classes of Judah had been deported and the people who were left behind were hard to manage. Jeremiah compared them to bad figs unfit for food (Jer. 24:8-10). To add to the difficulty of the situation, ambassadors from Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon were in Jerusalem (see Jer. 27:3) presumably for the purpose of inciting Zedekiah to join them in revolt against Babylon. Jeremiah warned Judah against their intrigue, and admonished not only Judah but these nations as well to submit to the yoke of Babylon (see Jer. 27; 28:14). He warned that the failure of Judah to submit would result in the utter ruin of Jerusalem. But contrary to all this instruction, Zedekiah revolted (see II, 97).
Nebuchadnezzar acted swiftly and terribly to crush the revolt. His invasion filled Zedekiah and all Jerusalem with apprehension and terror (Jer. 21:1-10). In a desperate attempt to gain the favor of God, the king and people joined in a solemn covenant with Him promising to free all Hebrew slaves in Jerusalem ( 34:8-10). But when Nebuchadnezzar temporarily lifted the siege because of the threat of Pharaoh’s army ( 37:5), the covenant was forgotten and the freed men were cruelly re-enslaved ( 34:11-22). Jeremiah was seized and imprisoned as a traitor ( 37:11-15). Soon, however, the siege was resumed. The Jews fought desperately to save the city and themselves from the fate that threatened them. The city held out for 30 months (see II, 98; III, 92). But in July, 586 , the Babylonians made a breach in the walls. With a small bodyguard Zedekiah managed to escape, but he was overtaken and captured near Jericho (see 39:2-5). Jerusalem was sacked and burned ( 39:8), and nearly all of the remaining Jews taken into captivity ( 39:9, 10).
f. Gedaliah. Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and the grandson of Shaphan (Jer. 26:24) to govern the remnant left behind (2 Kings 25:22). Gedaliah made his headquarters at Mizpah, near Jerusalem. The Babylonians granted Jeremiah his freedom, and he joined the new governor at Mizpah (Jer. 40:1-6). After the murder of Gedaliah (Jer. 41) a remnant of the Jews under Johanan fled to Egypt, compelling Jeremiah to go with them (Jer. 43).
Tentative Chronological Table of the Prophecies of Jeremiah
Chapters | Dates | See on | Chapters | Dates | See on |
1 | 627 | ch. 1:2 | | 30 | c. 596 | ch. 30:2 |
2-6 | 627/26-c. 616 | ch. 2:1; | | 31 | c. 596 | ch. 31:1 |
| | PK 409, 410 | | 32 | 588/87 | ch. 32:1 |
7-11 | 609-c. 605 | ch. 7:1 | | 33 | c. 587 | ch. 33:1 |
12 | 600(?) | ch. 12:1 | | 34 | c. 588/87 | ch. 34:1 |
13 | c. 597 | ch. 13:1, 18 | | 35 | c. 605 | ch. 35:1, 11 |
14 | 627/26-c. 616 | chs. 2:1; 14:1 | | 36:1-4 | 605/04 | ch. 36:1 |
15 | 627/26-c. 616 | chs. 2:1; 15:1 | | 36:5-32 | 604 | ch. 36:9 |
16 | 627/26-c. 616 | chs. 2:1; 16:2 | | 37 | c. 587 | ch. 37:4 |
17 | 609(?) | | | 38 | c. 587/86 | ch. 38:6 |
18 | 605/04(?) | ch. 18:1 | | 39 | 588-586 | ch. 39:1, 2 |
19 | 605/04 | ch. 19:1 | | 40 | 586 | ch. 40:1 |
20 | 605/04 | ch. 20:1 | | | | (cf. ch. 39:2, 9) |
21 | 588/87 | ch. 21:1 | | 41 | 586 | ch. 41:1; |
22:1-19 | 605/0 | ch. 22:1, 10, 18 | | | | PK 460 |
22:20-30 | 597 | ch. 22:20, 24 | | 42 | c. 586 | ch. 41:1 |
23 | 597(?) | ch. 23:1 | | 43 | c. 586 | ch. 41:1 |
24 | c. 597 | ch. 24:1 | | 44 | c. 586-c. 576(?) | ch. 44:1 |
25 | 605/04 | ch. 25:1 | | 45 | 604 | ch. 45:1 |
26 | 609-605 | ch. 26:1 | | 46-51 | (605/04-594/93) | chs. 46:2; 47:1; |
27 | 594/93 | ch. 27:1 | | | | 49:34; 51:59 |
| | (cf.ch. 28:1 | | 52 | 597-561 | ch. 52:1, 31; |
28 | 593 | ch. 28:1 | | | | Vol. III, pp. |
29 | c. 596 | ch. 29:1 | | | | 92, 93 |
A sequential reading of the book of Jeremiah based on this tentative chronology would be arranged as follows:
Josiah (640-609): 1-6; 14-16.
Jehoiakim (609-598): 17; 7-11; 26; 35; 22:1-19; 25; 18-20; 36:1-4; 45; 36:5-32; 12.
Jehoiachin (598-597): 22:20-30; 13; 23.
Zedekiah (597-586): 24; 29-31; 46-51 (?); 27; 28; 21; 34; 32; 33; 37-39.
After the fall of Jerusalem: 40-44; 52.
The fatherless. The people were callously indifferent to their social obligations to the needy (see Ex. 22:22; Isa. 1:23; etc.).
4. Theme.âThe book of Jeremiah is made up of a series of prophetic sermons combined with historical and biographical data concerning the last days of the kingdom of Judah. By every means at his command Jeremiah sought to halt Judah’s rapid descent down the declivity of moral depravity to ruin. But his efforts for the nation were largely fruitless. His calls to repentance fell on deaf ears.
Jeremiah was the prophet of heart religion. His messages were a call away from that which is external and superficial to that which is inward and real. He taught that corruption has its source in a wicked heart ( 17:9) and that without a new heart, new intentions, and a new spirit, man is incapable of goodness ( 13:23). Such a change, he emphasized, could be wrought only by the creative act of God ( 24:7; 31:31-34).
Like other prophets, Jeremiah warned against entangling foreign alliances ( 2:36). He admonished Judah to submit to the Babylonian yoke and warned that revolt would bring the nation to ruin.
Beyond the inevitable doom of the present the prophet envisioned a glorious future for those “who should prove true” to the Lord (PK 464). There would be a return for both houses of Israel; they were to be reunited as one people (PK 474). They would again be God’s people and He would be their God (Jer. 32:37-41). If Israel would heed the messages of reform, the nation would be reconstituted under a new covenant ( 31:31-34). A righteous Branch from the stock of David would be their king ( 33:14-17).