Jeremiah
The Weeping ProphetThe prophet called from the womb to proclaim God's judgment on Judah, known for his emotional prophecies and the promise of the New Covenant
Jeremiah prophesied for over 40 years during the final decades of Judah's kingdom, warning of the coming Babylonian destruction that he would live to witness. Called 'the weeping prophet' for his deep emotional anguish over his people's sin and coming judgment, Jeremiah faced constant rejection, imprisonment, and persecution for his faithful message. Despite the sorrow, Jeremiah delivered one of Scripture's most hopeful prophecies: the New Covenant (31:31-34), which Jesus fulfilled at the Last Supper. Jeremiah's life parallels Christ in many ways - rejected by his hometown, persecuted by religious leaders, weeping over Jerusalem, and proclaiming truth despite opposition.
Original Name
יִרְמְיָהוּ (Yirmeyahu)
Meaning
Yahweh throws/hurls, Yahweh exalts, or Yahweh establishes
Etymology
The name Jeremiah comes from the Hebrew root 'ramah' (to throw, cast, shoot) combined with 'Yah' (YHWH). This can mean 'Yahweh throws down' (referring to judgment) or 'Yahweh establishes/exalts.' Both meanings reflect his prophetic ministry: proclaiming judgment while also establishing hope through the New Covenant promise.
Linguistic Insights
Jeremiah's Hebrew contains more biographical and emotional content than any other prophet. His use of 'lament' language connects to the Psalms and established the genre seen in Lamentations. The 'New Covenant' (Brit Chadashah - בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה) prophecy in chapter 31 is the only place in the Old Testament where this exact phrase appears, and it becomes the title for the New Testament. Jesus quoted this passage at the Last Supper. Jeremiah's 'confession' passages (personal laments to God) provide insight into prophetic struggle unique in Scripture.
Translation Notes
- •Greek Septuagint renders as 'Hieremias' (Ἱερεμίας)
- •Latin Vulgate uses 'Ieremias'
- •The book of Jeremiah is significantly longer in Hebrew than the Greek Septuagint version
- •Lamentations is attributed to Jeremiah in Jewish and Christian tradition
- •Jesus was thought by some to be 'Jeremiah or one of the prophets' (Matthew 16:14)
Related Terms
Called as a prophet before birth
Jeremiah 1:5Commissioned as a prophet to the nations
Jeremiah 1:4-10Vision of the almond branch and boiling pot
Jeremiah 1:11-16Temple sermon nearly cost him his life
Jeremiah 7:1-15, 26:1-24Commanded not to marry as prophetic sign
Jeremiah 16:1-4Bought a field during siege as sign of hope
Jeremiah 32:1-15Scroll burned by King Jehoiakim, rewritten
Jeremiah 36:1-32Thrown into a cistern to die
Jeremiah 38:1-13Rescued by Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian
Jeremiah 38:7-13Witnessed the fall of Jerusalem
Jeremiah 39:1-10Prophesied the 70-year Babylonian captivity
Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10Proclaimed the New Covenant prophecy
Jeremiah 31:31-34Released by Nebuchadnezzar, chose to stay
Jeremiah 40:1-6Taken to Egypt against his will
Jeremiah 43:1-7Continued prophesying in Egypt
Jeremiah 44:1-30Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Jeremiah 17:9
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 31:31
"The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah."
Jeremiah 31:33
"I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
Jeremiah 33:3
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Lamentations 3:22
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Born
c. 650 BC
Died
c. 570 BC (in Egypt)
Lifespan
Approximately 80 years
Father
Hilkiah (priest of Anathoth)
Mother
Unknown
Spouse
Commanded by God not to marry (Jeremiah 16:2)
Children