Jeremiah 25:12-14

See end of introductory note to this section. Of these vv., 12 and 14, as well as the latter part of 13, cannot be a genuine part of Jeremiah's prophecies, to be dated, like the earlier part of the passage, in "the 4th year of Jehoiakim," but are subsequent insertions when the Book was virtually completed as at present. Jeremiah 25:12 seems constructed out of Jeremiah 29:10 (the assignment of the definite "seventy years" is shewn to be authentic there by the whole tenor of that ch.), where the Heb. "everlasting desolations" (as mg. here) is identical with that in this v. together with Jeremiah 51:26; Jeremiah 51:62. Moreover, (i) all three vv. form a break in the subject-matter, while Jeremiah 25:15 f. give the reason for the punishment not of Babylon (Jeremiah 25:12) but of Judah and the other nations (Jeremiah 25:11), and (ii) Jeremiah 25:13 implies that the prophecies against foreign nations (chs. 46 51) and in particular against Babylon (chs. 50, 51) were already included in the Book, whereas this last prophecy, if by Jeremiah at all, which may well be doubted (see introd. note there), was not placed in the collection till long after this date (see also on Jeremiah 51:59-64 for date of that portion). Jeremiah 25:14 (absent from LXX) appears to be made up from Jeremiah 27:7 and Jeremiah 50:29; Jeremiah 51:24. Thus from the word "astonishment" in Jeremiah 25:11 we should proceed at once (Jeremiah 25:13) "and I will bring … this book," continuing direct with Jeremiah 25:15 "For, etc."