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Jewish Publication Society Bible: Jeremiah: Jeremiah index

Book of ChroniclesHebrew Bible TranslationJewish Publication Society Bible

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The Book of Jeremiah is a prophetic work from the Hebrew Bible, belonging to the tradition of the Latter Prophets, composed and compiled between roughly the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE around the tumultuous fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 587 BCE. Its central argument is that Judah's destruction is the direct consequence of persistent covenant unfaithfulness — particularly idolatry and social injustice — and that God is using Babylon as an instrument of judgment, not a sign of divine defeat. Jeremiah's distinctively personal voice sets it apart from other prophetic books: his "confessions" (chapters 11–20) expose raw anguish, doubt, and complaint toward God, making him the most psychologically intimate prophet in the canon. The book also contains the famous "new covenant" oracle (chapter 31), which promises an internalized law written on the heart rather than stone tablets — a notably forward-looking theological claim taken up extensively in later Jewish and Christian thought. Narratively, the latter half tracks Jeremiah's harrowing experiences during the siege, the fall of Jerusalem, and the aftermath, including the forced migration to Egypt of a Judean remnant who reject his counsel. Readers interested in prophecy as political theology, theodicy under catastrophe, or the origins of covenantal reform traditions will find this one of the richest and most historically grounded books in the Hebrew scriptures.

Jewish Publication Society Bible: Jeremiah: Jeremiah index

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