Jeremiah Zedekiah And The Fall Of Jerusalem

*Uses both a narratological and historical-critical method to read these specific passages of Jeremiah *Demonstrates that the story of Jeremiah and Zedekiah is not the typical god prophet/bad king story found in much of prophetic literature and the Deuteronomic History *Provides an intertextual reading of the passages which connects Jeremiah to other figures in the Old Testament The book offers a narratological and intertextual reading of Jeremiah 37:1-40:6, a text that features the dynamic interaction between the prophet Jeremiah and King Zedekiah in the context of events surrounding the fall of Jerusalem. While there have been many literary studies of biblical texts, there has been little such work on the narratives in the book of Jeremiah. This fact is surprising since the Jeremianic stories are narrated in a lively and sophisticated manner and contain complex characters and vivid dialogue and action, reminiscent of texts in the Primary History which have received much more literary attention. Roncace's book begins to uncover the richness of the prophetic narratives in Jeremiah. The study focuses on issues of characterization and point of view as well as the text's connections with other passages in the book of Jeremiah and those beyond it, particularly the Deuteronomistic History. Roncace argues that the text develops complex images of both Zedekiah and Jeremiah. It is not a story of the good prophet and the bad king; times as chaotic and confusing as the final days of Jerusalem do not call for a black-and-white story. Rather the text invites both sympathy and criticism for Jeremiah and Zedekiah. Jeremiah is the embattled prophet of God; yet at times he appears deceptive and manipulative, more concerned about his own well-being than that of the people, and his message can be ambiguous and in the end is not fully correct. Zedekiah, for his part, appears receptive to Jeremiah's word and protects the prophet from others who would harm him; yet he is too irresolute to take any action to save the city. The ambiguity in the portrayals of both figures is further developed by intertextual connections. Jeremiah can be compared to Moses, the Rabshakeh, Daniel, Joseph, Samuel, Nathan, and Micaiah, while Zedekiah can be compared to the monarchs that correspond to these figures (Pharaoh, Hezekiah, Saul, David, and Ahab).

In this volume Robert Davidson examines Jeremiah's uncomfortable relationship with the political and religious establishments of his day. He guides us through the prophecies given in the last years of Jerusalem, the account of the fall of Jerusalem, the oracles against foreign nations, and a final historical appendix. In discussing Lamentations, Davidson states that in this biblical book are found "not only moving and passionate expressions of grief and sorrow, but also of faith.. Such faith was only possible for those who took seriously what Jeremiah had all along said about the inevitable working out of God's judgment upon Jerusalem." Carrying forward brilliantly the pattern established by Barclay's New Testament series, the Daily Study Bible has been extended to cover the entire Old Testament as well. Invaluable for individual devotional study, for group discussion, and for classroom use, the Daily Study Bible provides a useful, reliable, and eminently readable way to discover what the Scriptures were saying then and what God is saying today.

"Was there a difference in the portrayal of King Zedekiah in the Hebrew and Greek versions of Jeremiah? Shelley L. Birdsong analyses the two different depictions, highlights their unique characterizations and argues that the cruel and manipulative king in the Greek is edited into a more compassionate king in the Hebrew." -- back cover

Concise yet comprehensive, manageable and affordable, T&T Clark Study Guides are an invaluable resource for students, preachers and Bible study leaders. Each book in the series gives the reader a thorough introduction to a particular book of the Bible or the Apocrypha and includes: • An introduction to the contents of the particular biblical book • A balanced survey of the important critical issues • Attention to literary, historical, sociological, and theological perspectives • Suggestions about critical appropriation of the text by the contemporary reader • Reference to other standard works through annotated bibliographies. All the books in the series, formerly published by Sheffield Academic Press, are by leading biblical scholars and the authors have drawn on their scholarly expertise as well as their experience as teachers of university and college students.

The period of the demise of the kingdom of Judah at the end of the 6th century B.C.E., the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, the exile of the elite to Babylon, and the reshaping of the territory of the new province of Judah, culminating at the end of the century with the first return of exiles--all have been subjects of intense scrutiny during the last decade. Lipschits takes into account the biblical textual evidence, the results of archaeological research, and the reports of Babylonian and Egyptian sources and provides a comprehensive survey and analysis of the evidence for the history of this 100-year-long era. He provides a lucid historical survey that will, no doubt, become the baseline for all future studies of this era.

The books of Jeremiah and Lamentations chronicle the tragic fall of Jerusalem. God spoke through Jeremiah to warn his people of judgment for their sins, urge them to return to his heart, and promise restoration. The book of Jeremiah shares a detailed, personal narrative of Judah’s capture and exile. Jeremiah’s heart broke for his people as he prophesied and suffered alongside them, but his tearful warnings of judgment are pierced by soaring promises of a new heart and a beautiful future. The book of Lamentations is the deeply poetic cry of the Weeping Prophet after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. It provides a prayerful and liturgical framework to mourn loss, voice grief, and confess sin while still hoping in God’s ever-present mercy and forgiveness. These timeless prophetic truths balance warning with hope, guiding us in repentance and grief while renewing our confidence in YAHWEH’s endless love. “I will make an everlasting covenant with them, and I will never stop doing good things for them.” Jeremiah 32:40

In Jeremiah 52 in the Context of the Book of Jeremiah, Henk de Waard offers a thorough examination of the final chapter of the book of Jeremiah. Particular attention is paid to the chapter's relationship with the parallel text in 2 Kings 24:18-25:30, to the differences between the Masoretic text and the Old Greek translation, to the literary function of Jeremiah 52 within the book of Jeremiah, and to the chapter's historical context.De Waard shows that, especially in the early text form represented by the Old Greek, Jeremiah 52 is not a mere appendix to the book, but a golah-oriented epilogue, indicating the contrasting destinies of pre-exilic Judah and the exilic community in Babylon.