Smith's Bible Dictionary

(Frankie) #1

was a noble example of the triumph of the moral over the physical nature.” (It is not strange that
he was desponding when we consider his circumstances. He saw the nation going straight to
irremediable ruin, and turning a deaf ear to all warnings. “A reign of terror had commenced (in
the preceding reign), during which not only the prophets but all who were distinguished for religion
and virtue were cruelly murdered.” “The nation tried to extirpate the religion of Jehovah;” “Idolatry
was openly established,” “and such was the universal dishonesty that no man trusted another, and
society was utterly disorganized.” How could one who saw the nation about to reap the awful
harvest they had been sowing, and yet had a vision of what they might have been and might yet
be, help indulging in “Lamentations”?—ED.)
Jeremiah, Book Of
“There can be little doubt that the book of Jeremiah grew out of the roll which Baruch wrote
down at the prophet’s mouth in the fourth year of Jehoiakim. ch. (Jeremiah 36:2) Apparently the
prophets kept written records of their predictions, and collected into larger volumes such of them
as were intended for permanent use.”—Canon Cook. In the present order we have two great
divisions:— I. Chs. 1-45. Prophecies delivered at various times, directed mainly to Judah, or
connected with Jeremiah’s personal history. II. Chs. 46-51. Prophecies connected with other nations.
Looking more closely into each of these divisions, we have the following sections:
•Chs. 1-21, including prophecies from the thirteenth year of Josiah to the fourth of Jehoiakim; ch.
21; belongs to the later period.
•Chs. 22-25. Shorter prophecies, delivered at different times, against the kings of Judah and the
false prophets. Ch. (Jeremiah 25:13,14) evidently marks the conclusion of a series of prophecies;
and that which follows, ch. (Jeremiah 25:15-38) the germ of the fuller predictions in chs. 46-49,
has been placed here as a kind of completion to the prophecy of the seventy years and the subsequent
fall of Babylon.
•Chs. 26-28. The two great prophecies of the fall of Jerusalem, and the history connected with
them.
•Chs. 29-31. The message of comfort for the exiles in Babylon.
•Chs. 32-44. The history of the last two years before the capture of Jerusalem, and of Jeremiah’s
work int hem and in the period that followed.
•Chs. 46-51. The prophecies against foreign nations, ending with the great prediction against
Babylon.
•The supplementary narrative of ch. 52.
Jeremias
the Greek form of the name of Jeremiah the prophet. (Matthew 16:14)
Jeremoth
(heights).
•A Benjamite chief, a son of the house of Beriah of Elpaal. (1 Chronicles 8:14) comp. 1Chr 8:12-18
(B.C. about 588.)
•A merarite levite, son of Mushi. (1 Chronicles 23:23)
•Son of Heman; head of the thirteenth course of musicians in the divine service. (1 Chronicles
25:22) (B.C. 1014.)
•One of the sons of Elam, and,
•One of the sons of Zattu, who had taken strange wives. (Ezra 10:26,27) (B.C. 459.)
•The name which appears in the same list as “and RAMOTH,” ver. 29.

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