Jeremiah 3 - Introduction

Jeremiah 2:1 to Jeremiah 4:4. These Chapter s belong to the time of Josiah (626ff. B.C.), and contain some of the earliest prophecies of Jeremiah. Their central thought is the faithlessness of the people as Yahweh's bride, an idea developed in the previous century by Hosea. Note that the name Israel frequently denotes the whole people, including both kingdoms, sometimes (cf. Jeremiah 3:6 ff.) the northern kingdom only, in contrast with the southern. The aim of the prophet is naturally to rebuke the infidelity of the surviving Judah, but, in order to do this, he reviews the conduct and character of the Hebrew nation.