Engraving-style illustration of Jeremiah: Jeremiah seated with a scroll.

Bible Characters · Divided Kingdom

Jeremiah

The prophet who announced Jerusalem's fall for forty years, was beaten and imprisoned for preaching it, bought a field as a pledge of restoration, and promised a new covenant.

Divided Kingdom124 references in 5 booksIn theological review

The facts, as Scripture gives them

Lived
He prophesied from the thirteenth year of Josiah until Jerusalem was carried into exile (Jeremiah 1:2-3). Dates not given in Scripture.
Region
Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, then Jerusalem; after the fall he was taken down to Egypt against his will. (Jeremiah 1:1; Jeremiah 43:6-7)
Work
A prophet to the nations, appointed before his birth. (Jeremiah 1:5)

Key verses

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5 (BSB)

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (BSB)

What they did

  • Was called as a youth: before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and I appointed you a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:4-5)
  • Was forbidden to marry or have children, as a sign of the judgment coming on the land. (Jeremiah 16:1-2)
  • Dictated God's words to his scribe Baruch; King Jehoiakim cut the scroll apart and burned it, and Jeremiah dictated it again. (Jeremiah 36:4; Jeremiah 36:23-28)
  • Promised that after seventy years in Babylon, God would bring his people back, with plans to give them a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:10-11)
  • Proclaimed the new covenant God would make with Israel, with his law written on their hearts. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
  • Bought a field at Anathoth while Jerusalem was under siege and he himself was confined, as a pledge that houses and fields would again be bought in the land. (Jeremiah 32:6-15)
  • Was lowered into a cistern to die for his preaching, and rescued by Ebed-melech the Ethiopian. (Jeremiah 38:6-13)

Family

Father
Hilkiah (Jeremiah 1:1)

Connected to

  • Baruch: His scribe, who wrote his words on the scroll (Jeremiah 36:4)
  • Zedekiah: The last king of Judah, who consulted him in secret and would not obey (Jeremiah 37:17-21)
  • Hilkiah: His father, one of the priests at Anathoth (Jeremiah 1:1)

Mentioned in

2 Chronicles, Ezra, Jeremiah, Daniel, Matthew.

Every reference (124)

2 Chronicles 35:25 · 2 Chronicles 36:12 · 2 Chronicles 36:21 · 2 Chronicles 36:22 · Ezra 1:1 · Jeremiah 1:1 · Jeremiah 1:11 · Jeremiah 7:1 · Jeremiah 11:1 · Jeremiah 14:1 · Jeremiah 18:1 · Jeremiah 18:18 · Jeremiah 19:14 · Jeremiah 20:1 · Jeremiah 20:2 · Jeremiah 20:3 · Jeremiah 21:1 · Jeremiah 21:3 · Jeremiah 24:3 · Jeremiah 25:1 · Jeremiah 25:2 · Jeremiah 25:13 · Jeremiah 26:7 · Jeremiah 26:8 · Jeremiah 26:9 · Jeremiah 26:12 · Jeremiah 26:20 · Jeremiah 26:24 · Jeremiah 27:1 · Jeremiah 28:5 · Jeremiah 28:6 · Jeremiah 28:10 · Jeremiah 28:11 · Jeremiah 28:12 · Jeremiah 28:15 · Jeremiah 29:1 · Jeremiah 29:27 · Jeremiah 29:29 · Jeremiah 29:30 · Jeremiah 30:1 · Jeremiah 32:1 · Jeremiah 32:2 · Jeremiah 32:6 · Jeremiah 32:26 · Jeremiah 33:1 · Jeremiah 33:19 · Jeremiah 33:23 · Jeremiah 34:1 · Jeremiah 34:6 · Jeremiah 34:8 · Jeremiah 34:12 · Jeremiah 35:1 · Jeremiah 35:12 · Jeremiah 35:18 · Jeremiah 36:1 · Jeremiah 36:4 · Jeremiah 36:5 · Jeremiah 36:8 · Jeremiah 36:10 · Jeremiah 36:19 · Jeremiah 36:26 · Jeremiah 36:27 · Jeremiah 36:32 · Jeremiah 37:2 · Jeremiah 37:3 · Jeremiah 37:4 · Jeremiah 37:6 · Jeremiah 37:12 · Jeremiah 37:13 · Jeremiah 37:14 · Jeremiah 37:15 · Jeremiah 37:16 · Jeremiah 37:17 · Jeremiah 37:18 · Jeremiah 37:21 · Jeremiah 38:1 · Jeremiah 38:6 · Jeremiah 38:7 · Jeremiah 38:9 · Jeremiah 38:10 · Jeremiah 38:11 · Jeremiah 38:12 · Jeremiah 38:13 · Jeremiah 38:14 · Jeremiah 38:15 · Jeremiah 38:16 · Jeremiah 38:17 · Jeremiah 38:19 · Jeremiah 38:20 · Jeremiah 38:24 · Jeremiah 38:27 · Jeremiah 38:28 · Jeremiah 39:11 · Jeremiah 39:14 · Jeremiah 39:15 · Jeremiah 40:1 · Jeremiah 40:2 · Jeremiah 40:6 · Jeremiah 42:2 · Jeremiah 42:4 · Jeremiah 42:5 · Jeremiah 42:7 · Jeremiah 43:1 · Jeremiah 43:2 · Jeremiah 43:6 · Jeremiah 43:8 · Jeremiah 44:1 · Jeremiah 44:15 · Jeremiah 44:20 · Jeremiah 44:24 · Jeremiah 45:1 · Jeremiah 46:1 · Jeremiah 46:13 · Jeremiah 47:1 · Jeremiah 49:34 · Jeremiah 50:1 · Jeremiah 51:59 · Jeremiah 51:60 · Jeremiah 51:61 · Jeremiah 51:64 · Daniel 9:2 · Matthew 2:17 · Matthew 16:14 · Matthew 27:9

Review status: in-theological-review. Every Contend profile passes a human theological review against the Statement of Faith before it is published as approved teaching. This profile is in that queue. Sources: Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain), verified verse by verse. Name and reference data: STEP Bible (TIPNR), Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0.