The Old Testament prophets played a crucial role in the history of Israel. 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 for scholars and pastors, originally part of the New International Commentary on the Old Testament, J. 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 requirements.
Thompson begins his study by looking at the role of the prophets in Israel and at 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 on its structure and composition before considering some important issues for exegesis—the date of Jeremiah’s call, the significance of the symbolic actions he performed, and the relationship between Jeremiah and Hosea. In the last part of his extensive introduction, Thompson examines the text and poetic forms of Jeremiah.
