Jeremiah 4 - Introduction

2 6

Jeremiah's earliest discourses, viz. from the time of his call (b.c. 626) to a date shortly after that of Josiah's reforms (b.c. 621).

These utterances as a whole describe the condition of things at this period, setting forth the corruption of the nation and the punishment to ensue. As the discourses were not committed to writing till b.c. 604, we can scarcely take them as a verbatimreport of the prophet's utterances, of which however they no doubt faithfully record the substance with probably some colouring of the original language here and there to adapt them to the state of affairs at the later date. The metrical form which appears in a large part of this Book is well shewn in the Hebrew of these chs. Here Jeremiah 2:2; Jeremiah 2:14; Jeremiah 2:25give us good examples of the Ḳinah rhythm (see Intr. ch. 5), while the other vv. yield (with occasional slight changes of the MT.) other forms of metre Jeremiah 2:5; Jeremiah 2:23, a triple beat or accented syllable in each half verse; Jeremiah 2:9; Jeremiah 2:33; Jeremiah 2:36, a quadruple beat in each half).

The whole may be arranged in sections, thus:

(1) Jeremiah 2:1 to Jeremiah 3:5 Jehovah's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness; (2) Jeremiah 3:6 to Jeremiah 4:4 conditional offers of restoration; (3) Jeremiah 4:5-31 impending national disaster; (4) Jeremiah 5:1-31 the foe is at hand, Jerusalem is ripe for judgement; (5) Jeremiah 6:1-30 the Doom: these last three sections giving a more definite description of the approaching punishment.

Chs. Jeremiah 2:1 to Jeremiah 3:5. Jehovah's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness

We may divide as follows.

(1) Jeremiah 2:1-13 Israel's ingratitude in return for Jehovah's love; (2) Jeremiah 2:14 her sin and obstinacy under punishment; (3) Jeremiah 2:31 her disregard of Jehovah's past favours; (4) Jeremiah 3:1-5 her faithlessness towards her Divine Spouse.