Ferment is the correct word by which to characterize current Jeremiah studies, a deep and broad stirring that relies on previous scholarship but that seeks to move beyond that scholarship in bold and new ways. This collection of fine essays not only reflects that ferment but in important ways contributes to it and advances the discussion. Most broadly, the current discussion seeks to move beyond the historical-critical categories of Sigmund Mowinckel and Bernhard Duhm and the classic formulation of three sources, A, B, and C. In Jeremiah as in other parts of biblical scholarship, the new questions concern the inadequacy of historical-critical readings of a positivistic kind and the prospect of synchronic readings, either through ideological analysis that seeks to show that ideology shapes the book, or through canonical readings that find a large theological intentionality to the whole of the book. It turns out, perforce, that ideological and canonical readings are closely twinned in their judgment about the literature. This present collection, which includes both new voices and some of the established major players in the discussion, merits important attention." From the preface, by Walter Brueggemann

A replacement volume in the Bible Speaks Today Old Testament commentary series, this book offers a new exposition on Jeremiah, a book of the victory of God's love and grace. The prophet's redemptive, reconstructive work comprises the book's portrait of the future--a future that we see fulfilled in the New Testament through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.

Could an ancient prophet hold a present key that will reveal the future? Jeremiah was an Old Testament voice, but he still speaks to our day. Alone and living in a time of chaos, he was a prophet and Levitical priest whose fellow priests and prophets wanted him dead. In fact, everyone wanted him dead--the political leaders, his neighbors, and even his family. At twenty-three years old Jeremiah was told to speak truth to power and not to worry what the consequences may be. God told him that people love to praise the Lord but refuse to do what He says. In spite of the judgments cascading upon the heads of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Lord promised a new covenant with Israel and Judah that would revolutionize their walk with Him. This book is a clarion call to all believers. We need to see the bigger picture: it is not about us but about God's heart and God's kingdom. God is looking for warriors who are about advancing His kingdom by storming the gates of hell and setting His sons and daughters free from the clutches of the greatest narcissist of all time.

Includes a full introduction, which deals with the development of the text and the literary development from the earlist dictated scrolls to its final form.

Of the Major Prophets, Jeremiah is perhaps the least straightforward. It is variously comprised of stories about the prophet Jeremiah, exchanges between Jeremiah and Yahweh, and messages directly from Yahweh—meaning a consciousness of form is essential to the understanding of its content. At times it is written in poetry, resembling Isaiah, while at other times it is written in prose, more similar to Ezekiel. And it is without doubt the darkest and most threatening of the Major Prophets, inviting comparisons to Amos and Hosea. John Goldingay, a widely respected biblical scholar who has written extensively on the entire Old Testament, navigates these complexities in the same spirit as other volumes of the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series—rooted in Jeremiah’s historical context but with an eye always trained on its meaning and use as Christian Scripture. After a thorough introduction that explores matters of background, composition, and theology, Goldingay provides an original translation and verse-by-verse commentary of all fifty-two chapters, making this an authoritative and indispensable reference for scholars and pastors as they engage with Jeremiah from a contemporary Christian standpoint.

The Life and Witness of Jeremiah introduces the general reader to the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah. As such it provides an overall sketch of his life and times and serves as a portal into his thought world. Jeremiah is among the most eloquent and passionate prophets in the Hebrew Bible. For readers who enjoy evocative poetry and harrowing accounts of near-death experiences, Jeremiah merits careful reading. One of the primary purposes in writing this book is to assist the reader in negotiating its anthology format and disorderly arrangement. To this end, the author provides in six chapters a thematic and topical approach to important aspects of Jeremiah’s career and message that speak powerfully to our own day. In other words, this book focuses on applied theology. How does what Jeremiah said then relate to readers now? The book of Jeremiah is remarkably relevant, especially in its interface between faith and politics. The author also approaches this exposition of Jeremiah from a biblical theology perspective by connecting his preaching with the canon of sacred Scripture. A major concern is to place Jeremiah’s prophecy within the broader context of redemptive history.