Jeremiah Bible Study Resources

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Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study the Old Testament book of Jeremiah.

Bible Study: Questions Jeremiah Answered

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Jump to: Background; ** Maps; ** Key Words; ** Encyclopedias; ** Commentaries; ** Articles; ** GotQuestions ** Next **

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Basics

• In both national disaster and personal crisis, Jeremiah brings God’s word to his people. 
• Jeremiah began his ministry around 627 BC as the political world was falling apart with the decline of Assyria. These were complicated political times. As the Assyrians start losing power, two major political powers (Egypt & Babylon) strive to occupy the power vacuum.
• Jeremiah was a priest from Anathoth, a few miles outside Jerusalem.
• Jeremiah is sometimes called the “weeping prophet”.
• The book of Jeremiah is about a prophet declaring disaster yet promising hope.
• Jeremiah’s ministry lasted over 40 years from the 13th year of King Josiah (626 BC) to the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC.

For more detail, see: Chronology of Jeremiah

NOTE: One of the best summaries of the history of the time is the Introduction in Derek Kidner’s commentary on Jeremiah

• 640 Josiah becomes king of Judah – the last godly king.
• 628 Josiah began to purge Judah in his 12th year
• 627 Lord first spoke to Jeremiah in 13th year of Josiah. Jeremiah 1-6 under Josiah’s reign
• 622 In 18th year of Josiah Book of the Law found in House of God (2Ki 22:8)
• 612 Nineveh the capital of Assyria was sacked.
• 609 King Josiah killed at Megiddo by Necho of Egypt, who was fighting to bolster Assyria (2Ki 23:29-30).
• 609 Jehoahaz ruled Judah 3 months, deposed by Neco, taken to Egypt in chains (2Ki 23:32-33; cf Jer. 22:10).
• 609-598 Jehoiakim reigned over Judah as an Egyptian vassal (Jer 22:13-17).
• 605 Battle of Carchemish. Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egyptian forces (Jer 46:2). “Turning point in world history”
• 605 First deportation of Jews to Babylon – Daniel in this group (2Ki 24:1).
• 601 Jehoiakim sided with Egypt against Jeremiah’s warnings (Jer. 22:13-19).
• 597 2nd Babylonian invasion takes Jerusalem, deports Ezekiel & 10,000; Zedekiah replaces Jehoiachin (2Ki 24:17)
• 592 Ezekiel begins his prophetic ministry (some 35 years after Jeremiah had begun his)
• 586 Fall of Jerusalem (Jer 39:1-18). Gedaliah appointed governor of Judah (2Ki 25:22-26). Jeremiah taken to Egypt.
• 538 Babylon falls to the Medes and Persians

Genre: Understanding Prophecy

Section 1: Background

Background & Outlines

• Jeremiah NASB Study Text
• Jeremiah Chronology
• Introduction to the Prophets
• Introduction to the Exile and Return
• Jeremiah in the New Testament
• Chart: Bible History at a glance
• Blue Letter Bible: Old Testament Timeline
• Biblehub: Jeremiah Overview
• Biblehub: Jeremiah Chronology
• Biblehub: The Divided Kingdom
• Chart: Kings of Israel & Judah
• Bible Atlas: Assyria
• Bible Atlas: Babylon
• Bible Atlas: Jerusalem
• Ray C Stedman: Overview of the Book
• John MacArthur: Author, Date, Background
• NIV: Introduction to Jeremiah
• ESV: Introduction to Jeremiah
• ESV: The Global Message of Jeremiah
• James van Dine: Analysis of Jeremiah
• David Malick: An Introduction to the Book of Jeremiah
• David Malick: An Argument of the Book of Jeremiah
• JVernon McGee: Notes and Outlines – Jeremiah and Lamentations
• William Orr: Keys to Jeremiah
• Charles Swindoll: Jeremiah Book Chart
• Paul van Gorder: OT Reflections of Christ in Jeremiah

Section 2: Maps

Maps from Bible-History.com

• Assyrian Conquests
• Judah under Babylon
• Judah under Hezekiah
• Babylonian Empire
• Surrounding Empires

Maps from Studylight.org

The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah

• The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
• The Rise of Assyria
• Israel & Judah in the days of Jeroboam II and Uzziah
• The Assyrian Empire under Tiglath-Pileser III
• Fall of Samaria and Deportation of Israelites
• The Fall of the Kingdom of Israel
• Assyrian Districts after the Fall of Samaria
• Prophets of the 8th Century BCE

Judah Alone amid International Powers

• Assyria in the 7th century BCE
• The Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
• The Reign of Josiah
• The Districts of Judah under King Josiah
• The Golden Age of King Josiah
• Nebuchadnezzar’s Campaigns against Judah
• Judah during the Exile
• The Kingdom of Judah

The Persian Period

• World Powers of the 6th century BCE
• The Conquests of Cyrus the Great
• The Persian Empire
• The Return of the Jewish Exiles to Judah
• Judah in the 5th century BCE
• Palestine after the Exile

Section 3: Key Words

Key Words in Jeremiah (NAS95)

Occurrences are based on New American Standard Text.  “4x/3v” means the word appears 4 times in 3 verses. “3x” means the word appears 3 times in 3 verses.

• Word of the LORD (52x/51v)
• Heart/hearts (55x/48v)
• Faithless, faithlessness (8x/7v), Forsake (20x/18v), Forget (3x),
• Adultery, adulteries, adulterer (9x)
• Rebel, rebellious, rebellion (6x), Wicked, Wickedness (34x/30v) Evil/evils (53x/47v), Sin, sins, sinned (26x/25v), Iniquity, iniquities (24x/23v), Idol, images, gods, Baal (64x/56v)
• Woe (13x), Wrath (19x/18v)
• Famine (33x/30v), Calamity (27x), Destroy (56x/52v), Pluck (4x), Uproot (8x/6v)
• Babylon (169x in 149v), Nations (Gentiles) (60x/55v)
• Covenant (24x/21v), Everlasting (10x/9v), Love (14x/13v), Hope (6x); Compassion (7x/6v), Lovingkindness (5x)
• Faithful/faithfulness (3x), Trust, trusted, trusting (18x/17v),
• Listen, hear, heed (96x), Remember (14x/13v), Return (35x/29v), Repent (6x), Turn/Turned Back (20x)
• Restore (18x), Heal/healed/healing/health (21x/15v); Plant (17x/15v), Build (12x)

Section 4: Encyclopedias

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

• Jeremiah, Theology of – Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology
• Jeremiah – American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
• Jeremiah – Nave’s Topical Bible
• Jeremiah – Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
• Jeremiah – Easton’s Bible Dictionary
• Jeremiah – Holman Bible Dictionary
• Jeremiah – Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
• Jeremiah, Book Of. – Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
• Jeremiah – Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
• Jeremiah – Watson’s Biblical & Theological Dictionary
• Jeremiah (2) – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Jeremiah – Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature
• Jeremiah, Book of – The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia
• Jeremiah – The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia
• Jeremiah – 1911 Encyclopedia Britannic
• Jeremiah means “Exaltation of the Lord” – Hitchcock’s Bible Names
• Whythe’s Bible Characters: Jeremiah

Section 5: Commentaries

Commentaries

• Top 5 Commentaries on the Book of Jeremiah – Ligonier.org
• Best Commentaries on Jeremiah – Tim Challies
• Commentary Reviews: Jeremiah
• Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible: Jeremiah
• Albert Barnes Notes on the Whole Bible: Jeremiah
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Complete Commentary on the Bible: Jeremiah
• Geneva Study Bible: Jeremiah
• Reformation Study Bible Notes: Jeremiah
• Precept Austin Commentaries & Sermons: Jeremiah

Section 6: Articles

Articles

• The Arrangement Of Jeremiah’s Prophecies by J. Barton Payne.
• Plot, Prophecy And Jeremiah by Paul R House.
• Jeremiah: Prophet And Book by J. Gordon McConville.
• Jeremiah’s Message of Judgment and Hope for God’s Unfaithful “Wife” by Gary E. Yates
• The Prophet Jeremiah as Theological Symbol in the Book of Jeremiah” Gary E Yates
• The Theology of the Book of Jeremiah – Gary Yates.
• New Exodus and No Exodus in Jeremiah 26-45 – Gary E Yates
• The “Weeping Prophet” and “Pouting Prophet” in Dialogue: Inter-textual Connections Between Jeremiah and Jonah – Gary E Yates
• “The people have not obeyed”: A Literary and Rhetorical Study of Jeremiah 26-45 – Gary E Yates
• The Call for the Unfaithful Wife to Return: The Rhetoric of Prophetic Appeal in Jeremiah 2:1-4:4 – Gary Yates
• An Interpretive Survey- Audience Reaction Quotations in Jeremiah- Ronald Manahan
• The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) — By: Michael Borg
• The Hermeneutics of Historic Premillennialism and Jeremiah 31:31-34 – H. Wayne House
• The Nations In The Millennium And The Eternal State – John Walvoord
• Jeremiah 30 – A Warning to the Palestinians and the Gentiles! – Mal Couch
• Wayne House: The Hermeneutics of Historic Premillennialism and Jeremiah 31:31-34
• Donald Curtis: Jeremiah: Coming Destruction Against Judah

Section 7: Got Questions

GotQuestions.org

• Book of Jeremiah – Bible Survey
• What are the Major Prophets and Minor Prophets?
• What should we learn from the life of Jeremiah?
• What should we learn from the symbolism of the potter and clay in the Bible?
• What does the Bible mean when it refers to a “Daughter of Zion”?
• What is the time of Jacob’s trouble?
• Who is the Queen of Heaven?
• What is the Atbash code, and why is it used in the Bible?
• What is replacement theology?
• What is Amillennialism?
• What is Premillennialism (Chiliasm)?
• What is Postmillennialism?

Bible Study Helps

• Bible Study 101
• Interpreting Prophecy
• Interpreting Hebrew Poetry
• Study Software & websites
• More Maps & Charts
• Hebrew word studies by Precepts Austin
• Books on how to study the Bible

Section 8: Next

Next: Lamentations

Previous: Isaiah

Resources: by Book of the Bible

Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash