Chapter II: Preface

The present work deals primarily with Jeremiah xxi.-lii., thus forming a supplement to the volume of the _Expositor's Bible_ on Jeremiah by the Rev. C. J. Ball, M.A. References to the earlier chapters are only introduced where they are necessary to illustrate and explain the later sections.

I regret that two important works, Prof. Skinner's _Ezekiel_ in this series, and Cornill's _Jeremiah_ in Dr. Haupt's _Sacred Books of the Old Testament_, were published too late to be used in the preparation of this volume.

I have again to acknowledge my indebtedness to the Rev. T. H. Darlow, M.A., for a careful reading and much valuable criticism of my MS.

INDEX

(_The larger figures in black type are the chief references. Passages in i.-xx. are only noticed by way of illustration of later sections_)

CHAP. PAGE

i. 7 295
10 295, 308
10-12 340
15 295
18 82

ii. 10, 11 51
27 290
34 272

iii. 14 352
15 324

iv. 19 327
21 302

v. 31 15

vi. 28 275

vii. 4 20
5-9 272
12-14 14

ix. 11, x. 22 306

xi. 19 6

xii. 14 323

xiii. 18 90

xiv. 8 308

xv. 1 296
1-4 240
4 202

xvi. 1 6
10 274
13 308
14, 15 320

xvii. 1 353
23 291

xix. 4 272
15 304

xx. 2 272

xxi. 1-10 141
3-6 303

xxii. 1-9 295
10-12 3
13-19 63
17 272
20-30 80

xxiii., xxiv. 96

xxiii. 3-8 319
12 299, 302
14 272
25-27 288
25-32 340
33, 34 304
40 307

xxiv. 99
6, 7 319

xxv. 5 297
9 215
10 306, 307
12 316
15-38 211
34-38 101
xxvi. 10
3 298
6 307

xxvii., xxviii. 115

xxvii. 9 340

xxix. 131
8 340
10 316
4-14 259
23 273

xxx., xxxi. 319

xxxi. 31-38 346

xxxii. 308
26-35 274
34, 35 285

xxxiii. 319

xxxiv. 141
2 305
21 304
22 305

xxxv. 44
15 297
17 304

xxxvi. 28
2 298
30, 31 63
31 83, 304

xxxvii. 1-10 141
8 305
11-21 155
12 309

xxxviii. 155

xxxix. 172
15-18 155

xl. 172

xli. 172

xlii., xliii. 187
8-13 220

xliv. 197
30 220, 229

xlv. 54

xlvi. 220
25 229

xlvii. 230

xlviii. 234

xlix. 1-6 242
7-22 243
23-27 248
28-33 251
34-39 255

l., li. 258

lii. 172

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE

In the present stage of investigation of Old Testament Chronology, absolute accuracy cannot be claimed for such a table as the following. Hardly any, if any, of these dates are supported by a general consensus of opinion. On the other hand, the range of variation is, for the most part, not more than three or four years, and the table will furnish an approximately accurate idea of sequences and synchronisms. In other respects also the data admit of alternative interpretations, and the course of events is partly a matter of theory--hence the occasional insertion of (?).

------------+----------------------+-----------------+---------------+
CLASSICAL | JUDAH AND JEREMIAH | ASSYRIA | EGYPT |
SYNCHRONISMS| | | |
------------+----------------------+-----------------+---------------+
Traditional | | | |
date of the | MANASSEH (?) | | |
foundation | |=Esarhaddon=, 681| |
of Rome, 753| |=Assurbanipal=, | |
| | 668 |XXVIth Dynasty |
| | | Psammetichus |
| Jeremiah born, | | I., 666 |
| probably between 655 | | |
| and 645 | | |
| AMON, 640 | | |
| JOSIAH, 638 | | |
| |Last kings of | |
|Jeremiah's call in the| Assyria, number | =Psammetichus=|
| 13th year of Josiah, | and names |besieges Ashdod|
| 626 | uncertain, |for twenty-nine|
| Scythian inroad| 626-607-6 |years |
| into Western Asia| | |
|Habakkuk |-----------------| |
|Zephaniah | BABYLON. | |
| Publication of |=Nabopolassar=, | |
| Deuteronomy, 621 | 626 | |
|Josiah slain at | | =Necho=, |
| Megiddo, 608 | | 612 |
|JEHOAHAZ, 608 |_FALL OF | |
|(xxii. 10-12, Ch. I.) | NINEVEH,_ | |
| | 607-6 | |
|Deposed by Necho, who | | |
| appoints | | |
|JEHOIAKIM, | | |
| 608 | | |
|(xxii. 13-19, xxxvi. | | |
| 30, 31, VI.) | | |
|Jeremiah predicts ruin| | |
| of Judah and is | | |
| tried for blasphemy | | |
| (xxvi., II.) | | |
| | | |
|_FOURTH YEAR OF_ | _BATTLE OF CARCHEMISH_ |
|_JEHOIAKIM_, 605-4 | (xlvi., XVII.) |
| | | |
|Nebuchadnezzar[1] | | |
| advances into Syria,| | |
| is suddenly recalled|=Nebuchadnezzar,=| |
| to Babylon-- | 604 | |
| _before_ | | |
| subduing Judah (?) | | |
| | | |
|Baruch writes | | |
| Jeremiah's prophecies| | |
| in a roll, which is | | |
| read successively to | | |
| the people, the | | |
| nobles, and | | |
| Jehoiakim, and | | |
| destroyed by the king| | |
| (xxxvi., III.; xlv., | | |
| V.) | | |
| | | |
|Nebuchadnezzar invades| | |
| Judah (?), the | | |
| Rechabites take | | |
| refuge in | | |
| Jerusalem (?), the | | |
| Jews rebuked by their| | |
| example (xxxv., IV.) | | |
| | | |
|Jehoiakim submits to | | |
| Nebuchadnezzar, | | |
| revolts after three | | |
| years, is attacked by| | |
| various "bands," but | | |
| dies before | | |
| Nebuchadnezzar | | |
| arrives | | |
|JEHOIACHIN, 597 | | |
| (xxii. 20-30, VII.)| | |
| | | |
|Continues revolt, but | | |
| surrenders to | | |
| Nebuchadnezzar on his| | |
| arrival; is deposed | | |
| and carried to | | |
| Babylon with many of | | |
| his subjects. | | |
| Nebuchadnezzar | | |
| appoints | | |
| | | |
|ZEDEKIAH, 596 | |=Psammetichus= |
| | |=II.=, 596 |
|Jeremiah attempts to | | |
| keep Zedekiah loyal | | |
| to Nebuchadnezzar, | Ezekiel | |
| and contends with | | |
| priests and prophets | | |
| who support Egyptian | | |
| party (xxiii., xxiv.,| | |
| VIII.) | | |
| | | |
Solon's |Proposed confederation| | |
legislation,| against | | |
594 | Nebuchadnezzar | | |
| denounced by | |=Hophra=, |
| Jeremiah, but | | 591 |
| supported by | | |
| Hananiah; proposal | | |
| abandoned; Hananiah | | |
| dies (xxvii., | | |
| xxviii., IX.), 593-2 | | |
| | | |
|Controversy by letter | | |
| with hostile prophets| | |
| at Babylon (xxix., | | |
| X.) | | |
| | | |
|Judah revolts, | | |
| encouraged by Hophra.| | |
| Jerusalem is besieged| | |
| by Chaldeans. There | | |
| being no prospect of | | |
| relief by Egypt, | | |
| Jeremiah regains his | | |
| influence and pledges| | |
| the people by | | |
| covenant to release | | |
| their slaves. | | |
| | | |
|On the news of | | |
| Hophra's advance, the| | |
| Chaldeans raise the | | |
| siege; the Egyptian | | |
| party again become | | |
| supreme and annul the| | |
| covenant (xxi. 1-10, | | |
| xxxiv., xxxvii. 1-10,| | |
| XI.) | | |
| | | |
|Jeremiah attempts to | | |
| leave the city, is | | |
| arrested and | | |
| imprisoned | | |
|Hophra retreats into | | |
| Egypt and the | | |
| Chaldeans renew the | | |
| siege (xxxvii. 11-21,| | |
| xxxviii., xxxix. | | |
| 15-18, XII.) | | |
| | | |
|While imprisoned | | |
| Jeremiah buys his | | |
| kinsman's inheritance| | |
| (xxxii., XXX.) | | |
| | | |
|_DESTRUCTION OF | Siege of Tyre | |
| JERUSALEM_, 586 | | |
| | | |
|Jeremiah remains for a| | |
| month a prisoner | | |
| amongst the other | | |
| captives. Nebuzaradan| | |
| arrives; arranges for| | |
| deportation of bulk | | |
| of population; | | |
| appoints Gedaliah | | |
| governor of residue; | | |
| releases Jeremiah, | | |
| who elects to join | | |
| Gedaliah at Mizpah. | | |
| Gedaliah murdered. | | |
| Jeremiah carried off,| | |
| but rescued by | | |
| Johanan (xxxix.-xli.,| | |
| lii., XIII.) | | |
| | | |
|Johanan, in spite of | | |
| Jeremiah's protest, | | |
| goes down to Egypt | | |
| and takes Jeremiah | | |
| with him (xlii., | | |
| xliii., XIV.) | | |
| | | |
|Jews in Egypt hold | | |
| festival in honour of| | |
| Queen of Heaven. | |=Amasis=, |
| Ineffectual protest | | 570 |
| of Jeremiah (xliv., | | |
| XV.) | | |
| |Nebuchadnezzar invades Egypt, (?)|
| | 568 |
Pistratus, | |=Evil-Merodach=, | |
560-527 |Release of Jehoiachin | 561 | |
| | | |
|_CYRUS CONQUERS BABYLON AND GIVES_ | |
|_THE JEWS PERMISSION TO RETURN,_ | |
|_538_ | |

FOOTNOTE:

[1] For spelling see note, page 4

CONTENTS

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