Verse 3
Jeremiah also received prophecies from the Lord during the reign of King Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.), and until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah (597-586 B.C.)-namely, 586 B.C.-even until the exile of the residents of Jerusalem began in the fifth month of 586 B.C. The writer evidently omitted Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin from this list of kings because their reigns each lasted only three months, in 609 and 598-597 B.C. respectively.
"There is particular significance in the reference to the deportation (galut) of Jerusalem. This event was the climax to Jeremiah’s preaching and a demonstration of his authenticity as a genuine prophet of Yahweh, for in that event the basic thrust of his prophecy was fulfilled." [Note: Thompson, p. 141.]
We know from elsewhere in the book that Jeremiah also prophesied after the fall of Jerusalem (cf. chs. 40-44). So the dates in this verse fix the period of Jeremiah’s main ministry and set it in a historical context.
"We only begin to understand the power of Jeremiah’s book if we grasp something of the chaos of his world." [Note: Craigie, p. 5.]
This preface sets the stage for what follows.
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