Jeremiah
📜 Old Testament
🗺️ Overview
Jeremiah was called to prophesy during Judah’s final years before the Babylonian exile. Known as the "weeping prophet," he warned of coming judgment due to covenant unfaithfulness, yet also spoke of God’s deep love, future restoration, and a coming new covenant. His message is both heartbreaking and hopeful, revealing God’s justice and mercy.
💡 Jeremiah challenges us to examine our hearts, turn from idolatry, and cling to the hope of renewal in Christ. God’s justice is real, but so is His unending mercy. Through the new covenant, He offers a restored relationship that transforms us from the inside out.
🏛️ Historical & Cultural Notes
Insights into the cultural, historical, or geographical background of the book.
Babylonian Exile
Jeremiah lived through the decline of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 BC — a major turning point in Israel’s history.
📚 Source: ESV Study Bible
The Book’s Structure
Jeremiah is not organized chronologically but thematically, with interwoven oracles of judgment and hope.
📚 Source: The Bible Project
The New Covenant
Jeremiah 31 contains the only direct mention of a “new covenant” in the Old Testament — a foundational concept for the New Testament gospel.
📚 Source: Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary
📊 Book at a Glance
- 📝 Author
- Jeremiah
- 📅 Date
- c. 627–580 BC
- 📖 Chapters
- 52
- 🏷️ Genre
- Prophecy
- 📍 Location
- Judah during the final decades before the Babylonian exile, including the destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC)
- 🧵 Main Themes
- God’s judgment for persistent sin and idolatry, The call to repentance and return, God’s sorrow and compassion for His people, The promise of a new covenant written on the heart, Hope for restoration after exile
📚 Outline
- Jeremiah’s Call and Early Messages (Ch. 1–10)
- Warnings to Judah and the Temple (Ch. 11–29)
- Messages of Hope and the New Covenant (Ch. 30–33)
- Historical Conflicts and the Fall of Jerusalem (Ch. 34–45)
- Oracles Against the Nations (Ch. 46–51)
- The Fall of Jerusalem Recounted (Ch. 52)
📖 Key Stories
Jeremiah’s Call (Jeremiah 1)
God appoints Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations, even before his birth. Though young, Jeremiah is promised divine strength and protection.
Broken Covenant and Coming Judgment (Jeremiah 2–6)
Jeremiah exposes Judah’s unfaithfulness, comparing it to adultery and rebellion.
The Potter’s House (Jeremiah 18)
God illustrates His authority over nations as a potter shapes clay — He can reshape Judah through repentance or judgment.
The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31)
A promise of deep, inward renewal — God will write His law on their hearts and forgive their sins forever.
Fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 39)
Despite years of warning, Jerusalem falls to Babylon, and the exile begins, fulfilling Jeremiah’s prophecies.
👤 Key Figures
🔍 Christ Connections
How this book anticipates or reflects the person and work of Christ.
- PromiseJeremiah 31:31–34, Hebrews 8:6–13
The new covenant Jeremiah foretells is fulfilled in Christ, who writes God’s law on our hearts and brings complete forgiveness.
- ThemeJeremiah 11:18–20, Luke 19:41–44
Jeremiah’s role as a rejected, weeping prophet foreshadows Jesus, who also wept over Jerusalem and was rejected by His own people.
🧠 Key Verses
“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 1:5
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” — Jeremiah 17:9
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13
“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 29:11
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” — Jeremiah 33:3
“I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” — Jeremiah 31:33
💡 You Might Also Like
We do our best to ensure all content aligns with Scripture, using both AI tools and human review to validate accuracy. However, we’re human — if you notice any errors, please let us know at contact@bibleinshort.com.