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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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
Background & Outlines
Introduction to the Exile and Return
Chart: Bible History at a glance
Blue Letter Bible: Old Testament Timeline
Chart: Kings of Israel & Judah
Ray C Stedman: Overview of the Book
John MacArthur: Author, Date, Background
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
Maps from Holman Bible Atlas
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (1)
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (2)
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah (3)
Conflicts between Israel and Aram-Damascus
The Golden Ages of the 9th & 8th centuries BCE
Phoenician Trade and Civilization
Trade Routes throughout the Middle East
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
Hezekiah’s Preparation for Revolt
Sennacherib’s Campaign against Judah
Assyria in the 7th century BCE
The Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
The Districts of Judah under King Josiah
Nebuchadnezzar’s Campaigns against Judah
The Persian Period
World Powers of the 6th century BCE
The Conquests of Cyrus the Great
The Return of the Jewish Exiles to Judah
ESV Study Bible Maps
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)
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary: Jeremiah, Theology of
American Tract Society Dictionary: Jeremiah
Bridgeway Bible Dictionary: Jeremiah
Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Jeremiah
Holman Bible Dictionary: Jeremiah
Fausset Bible Dictionary: Jeremiah
McClintock and Strong: Jeremiah, Book of; Jeremiah
Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible: Jeremiah
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Jeremiah
Kitto’s Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature: Jeremiah
The Jewish Encyclopedia: Jeremiah, Book of; Jeremiah
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica: Jeremiah
Jeremiah means “Exaltation of the Lord” – Hitchcock’s Bible Names
Whythe’s Bible Characters: Jeremiah
Commentaries
Top 5 Commentaries on the Book of Jeremiah – Ligonier.org
Best Commentaries on Jeremiah – Tim Challies
Biblehub Commentaries: 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
Reformation Study Bible Notes: Jeremiah
Precept Austin Commentaries & Sermons: Jeremiah
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 people have not obeyed”: A Literary and Rhetorical Study of Jeremiah 26-45 – Gary E 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
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?
What is the Atbash code, and why is it used in the Bible?
What is Premillennialism (Chiliasm)?
Next: Lamentations
Previous: Isaiah
Resources: by Book of the Bible
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