The Book of Jeremiah (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament)

The prophets of Israel played an important role in that nation's history. Although there were many prophets who brought the message of God to his people, we have records of only a few. Of these, our knowledge of Jeremiah is probably the most complete. In this commentary, the fourth in the "New International Commentary on the Old Testament" series, John A. Thompson examines the book of Jeremiah with its message urging the people of Israel to be true to their covenant Lord and to live in conformity with his covenant. Thompson begins his study with a look at the role of the prophets in Israel, and Jeremiah's place among them. He then discusses the historical setting of Jeremiah's message. From this background, Thompson moves to an examination of the book of Jeremiah itself, focusing first of all on its structure and composition. He reviews the work of several scholars, in particular Sigmund Mowinckel and John Bright. Next, the author considers some important issues for exegesis, such as the date of Jeremiah's call, the significance of the symbolic actions he used, and the relationship between Jeremiah and Hosea. The last part of the book is devoted to an examination of the text and poetic forms of the book.