The Outline of Jeremiah

The basis for this commentary is taken from the Jeremiah Tape Series
by Arnold Fruchtenbaum and Ariel Ministries in San Antonio, Texas.

The Book of Jeremiah from a Jewish Perspective (Ac)

The Owl as a Symbol of Judgment (Ad)

The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh (Ae)

Covenants of the TaNaKh (Af)

The Lack of Chronological Arrangement (Ag)

The Introduction to Jeremiah (Ah) 1:1-3

I.  Josiah Ruled For 31 Years from 640 to 609 BC (Ai)

B. The Call of Jeremiah (Aj) 1:4-19

B. Judah’s Guilt and Punishment (Ak) 2:1 to 6:30

1. The Faithlessness of Judah (Al) 2:1 to 3:5

a. I Remember the Devotion of Your Youth (Am) 2:1-13

b. Isra’el Forsakes God (An) 2:14-19

c. I Planted You Like a Choice Vine (Ao) 2:20-28

d. Your Sword Has Devoured Your Prophets Like a Lion (Ap) 2:29-37

e. You Have Lived as a Prostitute With Many Lovers (Aq) 3:1-5

2. The Choice of Repentance or Judgment (Ar) 3:6 to 6:30

a. Return to Me (As) 3:6 to 4:2

(1) Unfaithful Isra’el (At) 3:6-18

(2) Return to Me Faithless People (Au) 3:19 to 4:4

b. The Judgments Upon Judah (Av) 4:5 to 6:30

(1) The Call to Judah to Avoid the Wrath of God (Aw) 4:5-31

(a) Jeremiah’s First Complaint (Ax) 4:5-18

(b) Disaster Follows Disaster (Ay) 4:19-31

(2) The Corruption of Jerusalem (Az) 5:1-31

(a) No One Is Upright (Ba) 5:1-9

(b) Judah’s Invasion from a Distant Nation (Bb) 5:10-19

(c) The Prophets Prophesy Lies (Bc) 5:20-31

(3) Jerusalem Under Siege (Bd) 6:1-30

(a) Flee for Safety People of Benjamin (Be) 6:1-15

(b) I am Bringing Disaster on This People (Bf) 6:16-30

C. The Broken Covenant and the Resulting Judgment (Bg) 11:1 to 12:17

1. The Broken Covenant (Bh) 11:1-17

2. Judah’s Resulting Judgment (Bi) 11:18 to 12:17

a. Jeremiah’s Second Complaint (Bj) 11:18-23

b. Jeremiah’s Third Complaint (Bk) 12:1-4

c. How Can You Run With the Horses? (Bl) 12:5-17

II. Jehoahaz Ruled For 3 Months in 609 BC (Bm)

A. No Balm in Gilead (Bn) 8:4 to 10:25

1. The Ruin of People Who Turn Away (Bo) 8:4 to 9:22

a. I Will Take Away Their Harvest (Bp) 8:4-17

b. Since My People are Crushed, I am Crushed (Bq) 8:18 to 9:9

c. Jerusalem’s Fall and Exile Prophesied (Br) 9:10-22

2. The Contrast Between ADONAI and False gods (Bs) 9:23 to 10:25

a. Let Not the Wise Boast of Their Wisdom (Bt) 9:23-26

b. These gods Will Perish, But the LORD is the One True God (Bu) 10:1-16

c. I Will Hurl Out Those Who Live in This Land (Bv) 10:17-25

B. The Message to the Evil Kings of Judah (Bw) 22:1-19

1. Concerning the House of David (Bx) 22:1-9

2. Concerning Shallum, Otherwise Known as King Jehoahaz (By) 22:10-12

3. Concerning Eliakim, Otherwise Known as King Jehoiakim (Bz) 22:13-19

III. Jehoiakim Ruled For 11 Years from 609/608 to 598 BC (Ca)

A. Jeremiah’s Temple Sermon (Cb) 7:1 to 8:3

1. False Religion is Worthless (Cc) 7:1-15

2. They Make Cakes for the Queen of Heaven (Cd) 7:16-20

3. Obey Me, and I Will Be Your God (Ce) 7:21-28

4. They Will Bury the Dead in Topheth (Cf) 7:29 to 8:3

B. Jeremiah Threatened With Death (Cg) 26:1-24

C. God’s Determination to Punish Judah (Ch) 14:1 to 17:27

1. Sword, Famine, and Drought (Ci) 14:1 to 15:21

a. Judah’s Terrible Drought (Cj) 14:1-6

b. Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable (Ck) 14:7 to 15:4

c. You Have Rejected Me, I am Tired of Relenting (Cl) 15:5-9

d. Jeremiah’s Fourth Complaint (Cm) 15:10-21

2. Jeremiah’s First Symbolic Action (Cn) 16:1-21

a. You Must Not Marry and Have Sons and Daughters (Co) 16:1-13

b. Judgment Before Final Restoration to the Land (Cp) 16:14-21

3. Judah’s Sin and the LORD’s Sovereignty (Cq) 17:1-27

a. Blessed is the One Who Trusts in the LORD (Cr) 17:1-11

b. Jeremiah’s Fifth Complaint (Cs) 17:12-18

c. The Sabbath and National Survival (Ct) 17:19-27

D. The Potter’s Clay and the Broken Jar (Cu) 18:1 to 20:18

1. The Potter’s Clay (Cv) 18:1-23

a. Jeremiah’s Second Symbolic Action (Cw) 18:1-17

b. Jeremiah’s Sixth Complaint (Cx) 18:18-23

2. The Broken Jar (Cy) 19:1 to 20:18

a. Jeremiah’s Third Symbolic Action (Cz) 19:1-15

b. Jeremiah and Pash’chur (Da) 20:1-6

c. Jeremiah’s Seventh Complaint (Db) 20:7-18

E. Babylonian Dominance Foretold (Dc) 25:1-28

1. Isra’el Will Serve the King of Babylon Seventy Years (Dd) 25:1-14

2. The Cup of God’s Wrath Against the Nations (De) 25:15-38

F. Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll (Df) 36:1-32 and 45:1-5

G. Prophecies Concerning the Gentile Nations (Dg) 46:1 to 49:33

1. A Message Concerning Egypt (Dh) 46:1-28

2. A Message Concerning the Philistines (Di) 47:1-7

3. A Message Concerning Mo’ab (Dj) 48:1-47

a. The Destruction of Mo’ab (Dk) 48:1-25

b. The Punishment and Restoration of Mo’ab (Dl) 48:26-47

4. A Message Concerning Ammon (Dm) 49:1-6

5. A Message Concerning Edom (Dn) 49:7-22

6. A Message Concerning Damascus (Do) 49:23-27

7. A Message Concerning Kedar and Hazor or the Arab Tribes (Dp) 49:28-33

H. Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream (Dq) Dani’el 2:1-49

1. Nebuchadnezzar Dreams of an Image (Dr) Dani’el 2:1-23

2. Dani’el Interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Ds) Dani’el 2:24-49

I. Jeremiah’s Fourth Symbolic Action (Dt) 35:1-19

IV. Jehoiachin Ruled For 3 Months in 598 BC (Du)

A. The Curse of Jeconiah, Also Known as Jehoiachin or Coniah (Dv) 22:20-30

B. A Linen Loincloth, Wineskins and the Threat of Captivity (Dw) 13:1-27

1. Jeremiah’s Fifth Symbolic Action (Dx) 13:1-11

2. Wineskins and the Threat of Captivity (Dy) 13:12-27

V. Zedekiah Ruled For 11 Years from 598/597 to 586 BC (Dz)

A. True and False Prophets (Ea)

1. The Righteous Branch (Eb) 23:1-8

2. Concerning the False Prophets (Ec) 23:9-40

a. Both Prophet and Priest are Godless (Ed) 23:9-12

b. False Prophets Condemned (Ee) Jeremiah 23:13-22 and Ezeki’el 13:1-23

c. What Has Straw To Do With Wheat? (Ef) 23:23-32

d. The Burden of the LORD (Eg) 23:33-40

B. A Message Concerning Elam (Eh) 49:34-39

C. Two Baskets of Figs (Ei) 24:1-10

D. A Letter to the Exiles (Ej) 29:1-32

E. The Book of Comfort (Ek) 30:1 to 31:40

1. The Restoration of Isra’el (El) 30:1-24

2. O LORD, Save Your People, the Remnant of Isra’el (Em) 31:1-14

3. The LORD Bless You, O Righteous Dwelling, Sacred Mountain (En) 31:15-30

4. I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el (Eo) 31:31-34

5. Isra’el Will Never Cease Being a Nation Before Me (Ep) 31:35-40

F. Jeremiah’s Sixth Symbolic Action (Eq) 27:1-22

G. Ezeki’el’s First Vision (Er) Ezeki’el 1:1-28a

H. Ezeki’el’s Call to Be a Prophet (Es) Ezeki’el 1:28b to 3:3

I. Jeremiah’s Seventh Symbolic Action (Et) 28:1-17

J. Idolatry in the Temple (Eu) Ezeki’el 8:1-18

K. Isra’el’s History of Rebellion (Ev) Ezeki’el 20:1-49

1. Rebellious Isra’el Purged (Ew) Ezeki’el 20:1-32

2. Rebellious Isra’el Renewed (Ex) Ezeki’el 20:33-44

3. Prophecy Against the Negev (Ey) Ezeki’el 20:45-49

L. A Message Against Babylon (Ez) 50:1-46 and 51:1-64

1. Babylon Will Be Captured and Will Be Put to Shame (Fa) 50:1-10

2. The Destruction of Babylon and the Restoration of Isra’el (Fb) 50:11-24

3. Babylon’s Enemy and Isra’el’s Redeemer (Fc) 50:25-38

4. The Devastation of Babylon According to Divine Purpose (Fd) 50:39-46

5. Judgment Against Babylon (Fe) 51:1-14

6. The Greatness of the God of Isra’el (Ff) 51:15-26

7. Lift Up a Banner in the Land, Blow the Shofar (Fg) 51:27-44

8. The Fall of Babylon and Assurance to the Exiles (Fh) 51:45-58

9. Jeremiah’s Eighth Symbolic Action (Fi) 51:59-64a

M. God Rejects Zedekiah’s Request (Fj) 21:1-14

N. Jerusalem as a Boiling Pot (Fk) Ezeki’el 24:1-14

O. The Sin and Judgment of the Gentile Nations (Fl) Ezeki’el 25:1-17

P. Jeremiah in Prison (Fm) 37:1-21

Q. The Sin and Judgment of Egypt (Fn) Ezekiel Chapters 29-32

1. I’m Against You, Pharaoh, King of Egypt (Fo) Ezeki’el 29:1-16

2. A Lament Over Egypt (Fp) Ezeki’el 30:1-26

3. Pharaoh as a Felled Cedar of Lebanon (Fq) Ezeki’el 31:1-18

R. The Restoration of Isra’el and Judah Illustrated (Fr) 32:1-44

1. Jeremiah’s Ninth Symbolic Action (Fs) 32:1-15

2. Jeremiah Prays for Wisdom (Ft) 32:16-25

3. I Am the LORD, Is Anything Too Hard For Me? (Fu) 32:26-44

S. The Interpretation of the Symbolic Action (Fv) 33:1-26

1. The Promise of Restoration (Fw) 33:1-13

2. David Will Never Fail to Have a Man Sit On the Throne (Fx) 33:14-26

T. A Warning to Zedekiah (Fy) 34:1-22

U. Jeremiah Thrown into a Cistern (Fz) 38:1-28 and 39:15-18

V. The Fall of Jerusalem (Ga) 39:1-14 and 52:4-27

W. The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC (Gb)

VI. Gedaliah Ruled For 3 Months in 586 BC (Gc)

A. The Image of Gold and the Blazing Furnace (Gd) Dani’el 3:1-30

B. After the Fall of Jerusalem (Ge) 40:1 to 44:30

1. Jeremiah Freed (Gf) 40:1-6

2. Gedaliah Assassinated (Gg) 40:7 to 41:15 and Second Kings 25:22-25

3. The Flight to Egypt (Gh) 41:16 to 42:22

4. Jeremiah’s Tenth Symbolic Action (Gi) 43:1-13

C. Jeremiah’s Final Word to Judeans in Egypt (Gj) 44:1-30 and 51:64b

D. The Valley of Dry Bones (Gk) Ezeki’el 37:1-28

E. The Sin and Judgment of Tyre and Tzidon (Gl) Ezeki’el 26:1 to 28:26

1. A Prophecy Against Tyre (Gm) Ezeki’el 26:1-21

2. A Lament Over the Ruin of Tyre (Gn) Ezeki’el 27:1-36

3. A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre (Go) Ezeki’el 28:1-19

4. A Prophecy Against Tzidon (Gp) Ezeki’el 28:20-26

F. I Am Going to Give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar (Gq) Ezeki’el 29:17-21

G. A Lament Over Pharaoh (Gr) Ezeki’el 32:1-32

H. God Shows a Vision of the Millennial Temple (Gs) Ezeki’el Chapters 40-48

I. In the 37^th Year, Jehoiachin Released from Prison (Gt) 52:28-34

J. Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule (Gu)

K. Spiritual Lessons Learned from the Exile (Gv)

Glossary (Gw)

End Notes (Gx)

Bibliography (Gy)

 

Jeremiah, Where Life and the Bible Meet . . .

1. Look at the outline (Ab), and the Introduction (Ac) before starting on the commentary itself.

2. The DIG and REFLECT questions are in bold navy blue and will help to give you a deeper understanding of the book and make it more personal to you. Go slowly and give yourself time to answer these questions. They really strike at the heart of the commentary. What are the DIG questions for? To dig into the Scripture “story.” To find out what’s going on, to figure out the main idea, the plot, the argument, the spiritual principle, and so on. What are the REFLECT questions for? To apply the “story” in the Scripture to your own life; to take personal inventory and to decide what you are going to do about it! Many of the DIG and REFLECT questions are taken from the Serendipity Bible.

3. I would strongly suggest that you look up the references that are given in each section. Many times this will greatly enhance the background, and hence, your understanding of the Scriptures that you are reading on a particular day. Take your time, read only as much as you can digest.

There are times when I refer you to either another file in Isaiah, or a file in another book of the Bible, to give you more detail on a particular person, topic, concept or theology. An example might be something like the Great Sanhedrin (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). If you feel you already know enough about the Great Sanhedrin, you can skip the reference and continue reading. But if it interests you, or if you don’t know what the Sanhedrin is, you can go to that file and read it first before continuing. It’s your choice. 

4. All Scripture is in bold print. The NIV is used unless indicated otherwise. However, sometimes the purpose of the bold print is merely for emphasizing a certain point. When bold maroon is used, it is for special emphasis. The words of Jesus are bolded in red.

5. When bold teal is used, it is quoted from one of the two Jewish commentaries listed in the bibliography. This will give you the moderate Orthodox Jewish interpretation. It is useful for word studies, but its Christology is obviously entirely wrong. Where rabbinical interpretation is cited, I will add, “The rabbis teach. . .” in front of the passage. Although it is not a Christian interpretation, I think it is interesting to see how the rabbis interpret these passages.

6. Read the Scriptures for a particular day first, then skim the DIG or REFLECT questions, read the commentary and reflect on it; answer the DIG or REFLECT questions, then read your Bible again. Hopefully, it will have greater meaning for you the second time you read it. Then live it out.

7. If you come to a Jewish word or phrase you don’t understand, see the glossary at the end of the book (Gw – Glossary).

8. To download a pdf file, click on the red rectangle on the top of any page.

9. You can download anything you want from this devotional commentary © 2014 but all rights are reserved by Jay D. Mack, M.Div