Identity and Ministry of Prophet Jeremiah

The prophet Jeremiah, whose name means "whom Jehovah has appointed" ^[6], was a central figure in Israelite prophecy during a tumultuous period of Judah's history. He is identified as the son of Hilkiah, a priest from Anathoth in the land of Benjamin ^{[14, 19]}. His prophetic ministry began in the thirteenth year of King Josiah's reign, around 627 BC, and continued through the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, extending until the carrying away of Jerusalem into captivity in the fifth month ^{[17, 19]}. Augustine notes that Jeremiah prophesied when the captivity of the Jews was imminent ^[18].

Jeremiah's call to prophetic office is detailed in the opening chapter of the book bearing his name. God revealed to Jeremiah that he had been known and set apart for this role even before his birth: "Before I formed thee in the womb I have known thee, and before thou wentest forth" ^{[13, 15]}. This divine designation meant that Jeremiah was ordained as "a prophet to the nations" ^{[12, 15]}. His commission involved both destructive and constructive elements, as he was appointed "to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jeremiah 1:10) ^[16]. This comprehensive authority extended not only to Judah but also to other nations ^[12].

While the prophet Jeremiah is the most prominent figure bearing this name, the Old Testament mentions several other individuals named Jeremiah. These include a man from Libnah who was the father of Hamutal, King Josiah's wife ^{[5, 11]}; a man from the tribe of Manasseh ^{[3, 10]}; and several warriors who joined David's army, some from the tribe of Gad ^{[2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11]}. There was also a priest named Jeremiah who lived during the time of the Exile and Return and participated in the covenant ceremony with Nehemiah ^{[1, 6, 11]}. However, the major prophet, son of Hilkiah, is the author of the prophetic book and the primary focus when referring to "Jeremiah" in a prophetic context ^[6]. His ministry was characterized by a profound awareness of God's intimate knowledge and sovereign appointment ^{[12, 13]}.

Sources

STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H3414M — Man living at the time of Exile and Return (refs: #A priest living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Neh.10.2; only referred to )”
STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H3414J — Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy (refs: #A warrior living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.12.10; only referred to)”
STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H3414H — Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy (refs: #A man from the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.5.2)”
STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H3414I — Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy (refs: #A warrior living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.12.4; only referred to )”
STEPBible TIPNR “Biblical proper name: [email protected]=H3414G — Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy (refs: #A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.23.31; only referred to as)”
STEPBible TBESG “[H3414] H3414M = (H3414M) — A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Neh.10.2 § Jeremiah = "whom Jehovah has appointed" 1) the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name 2) a man of Libnah and father of Hamutal the wife of king Josiah 3) a Gadite who joined David at Ziklag 4) a Manassehite, one of the mighty men of valour of the Transjordanic half tribe of Manasseh 5) a Gadite and warrior of David 6) a warrior of David 7) a priest who joined Nehemiah in the covenant ceremony<br”
STEPBible TBESG “[H3414] H3414J = (H3414J) — A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.12.10 § Jeremiah = "whom Jehovah has appointed" 1) the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name 2) a man of Libnah and father of Hamutal the wife of king Josiah 3) a Gadite who joined David at Ziklag 4) a Manassehite, one of the mighty men of valour of the Transjordanic half tribe of Manasseh 5) a Gadite and warrior of David 6) a warrior of David 7) a priest who joined Nehemiah in the covenant ceremony<br”
STEPBible TBESG “[H3414] H3414K = (H3414K) — A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.12.13 § Jeremiah = "whom Jehovah has appointed" 1) the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name 2) a man of Libnah and father of Hamutal the wife of king Josiah 3) a Gadite who joined David at Ziklag 4) a Manassehite, one of the mighty men of valour of the Transjordanic half tribe of Manasseh 5) a Gadite and warrior of David 6) a warrior of David 7) a priest who joined Nehemiah in the covenant ceremony<br”
STEPBible TBESG “[H3414] H3414I = (H3414I) — A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.12.4 § Jeremiah = "whom Jehovah has appointed" 1) the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name 2) a man of Libnah and father of Hamutal the wife of king Josiah 3) a Gadite who joined David at Ziklag 4) a Manassehite, one of the mighty men of valour of the Transjordanic half tribe of Manasseh 5) a Gadite and warrior of David 6) a warrior of David 7) a priest who joined Nehemiah in the covenant ceremony ”
STEPBible TBESG “[H3414] H3414H = (H3414H) — A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.5.24 § Jeremiah = "whom Jehovah has appointed" 1) the major prophet, son of Hilkiah of the priestly family in Anathoth; author of the prophetic book bearing his name 2) a man of Libnah and father of Hamutal the wife of king Josiah 3) a Gadite who joined David at Ziklag 4) a Manassehite, one of the mighty men of valour of the Transjordanic half tribe of Manasseh 5) a Gadite and warrior of David 6) a warrior of David 7) a priest who joined Nehemiah in”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Jeremiah — Seven other persons bearing the same name as the prophet are mentioned in the Old Testament:-- + Jeremiah of Libnah, father of Hamutal wife of Josiah. (2 Kings 23:31) (B.C. before 632.) 2,3,4. Three warriors--two of the tribe of Gad-- in David's army. (1 Chronicles 12:4,10,13) (B.C. 1061-53.) + One of the "mighty men of valor" of the transjordanic half-tribe of Manasseh. (1 Chronicles 5:24) (B.C. 782.) + A priest of high rank, head of the second or third of the twenty-one courses which are apparently enumerated in (Nehemiah 10:2-8; 12:1,12) (B.C. 446-410). ”
Jeremiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jeremiah 1:4: 1:4-5 In his first message from the Lord, Jeremiah learned three important truths about God: his knowledge of all things, including individuals; his ability to choose individuals for specific tasks even before they come into existence; and his willingness to extend his authority to the people he calls. • God set Jeremiah apart to perform a special task and granted him the official status of a prophet when he appointed Jeremiah to that task. • Jeremiah’s ministry extended to the nations. Although he traveled away from the kingdom of Judah only three times (see 13:”
Jeremiah (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Jeremiah 1:4: The Call and Consecration of Jeremiah to be a Prophet of the Lord. - The investiture of Jeremiah with the prophetic office follows in four acts: the call on the part of the Lord, Jer 1:4-8; Jeremiah's consecration for his calling in Jer 1:9-10; and in two signs, by means of which the Lord assures him of certain success in his work and of powerful support in the exercise of his office (Jer 1:11-19). The call was given by a word of the Lord which came to him in this form: Jer 1:5. "Before I formed thee in the womb I have known thee, and before thou wentest forth”
Jeremiah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 1:1: We have here as much as it was thought fit we should know of the genealogy of this prophet and the chronology of this prophecy. 1. We are told what family the prophet was of. He was the son of Hilkiah, not that Hilkiah, it is supposed, who was high priest in Josiah's time (for then he would have been called so, and not, as here, one of the priests that were in Anathoth), but another of the same name. Jeremiah signifies one raised up by the Lord. It is said of Christ that he is a prophet whom the Lord our God raised up unto us, Deu 18:15, Deu 18:18. He was of the ”
Jeremiah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 1:4: Here is, I. Jeremiah's early designation to the work and office of a prophet, which God gives him notice of as a reason for his early application to that business (Jer 1:4, Jer 1:5): The word of the Lord came to him, with a satisfying assurance to himself that it was the word of the Lord and not a delusion; and God told him, 1. That he had ordained him a prophet to the nations, or against the nations, the nation of the Jews in the first place, who are now reckoned among the nations because they had learned their works and mingled with them in their idolatries, fo”
Jeremiah (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Jeremiah 1 (introduction): In this chapter we have, I. The general inscription or title of this book, with the time of the continuance of Jeremiah's public ministry (Jer 1:1-3). II. The call of Jeremiah to the prophetic office, his modest objection against it answered, and an ample commission given him for the execution of it (Jer 1:4-10). III. The visions of an almond-rod and a seething-pot, signifying the approaching ruin of Judah and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans (Jer 1:11-16). IV. Encouragement given to the prophet to go on undauntedly in his work, in an assurance of God's pr”
Jeremiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jeremiah 25:3: 25:3 Jeremiah’s ministry began in 627 BC.”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 33.--WHAT JEREMIAH AND ZEPHANIAH HAVE, BY THE PROPHETIC SPIRIT, SPOKEN BEFORE CONCERNING CHRIST AND THE CALLING OF THE NATIONS. (part 1): Jeremiah, like Isaiah, is one of the greater prophets, not of the minor, like the others from whose writings I have just given extracts. He prophesied when Josiah reigned in Jerusalem, and Ancus Martius at Rome, when the captivity of the Jews was already at hand; and he continued to prophesy down to the fifth month of the captivity, as we find from his writings. Zephaniah, one of the minor prop”
Jeremiah (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Jeremiah 1:1: Jer 1:1-3 contain the heading to the whole book of the prophecies of Jeremiah. The heading runs thus: "Sayings of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests at Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin, to whom befell the word of Jahveh in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign, and in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month." The period mentioned in these verses in”

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