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Portrait of JeremiahPortrait · Jeremiah

Kings & Prophets · Old Testament

Jeremiah

Weeping Prophet of Courageous Truth

Name meaning
The LORD exalts or appoints
Name origin
Hebrew: יִרְמְיָהוּ (Yirmeyahu), commonly understood as "the LORD exalts"

Quick facts

Occupation
  • Prophet
  • Priest
Birthplace
Anathoth (near Jerusalem)
Modern-day location
Anata, northeast of Jerusalem in the present-day West Bank.
Family
  • Son of Hilkiah the priest
  • No wife or children by divine instruction
First mention
Jeremiah 1:1-5
Last mention
Jeremiah 43-44; also 2 Chronicles 36:12
Key artifacts
  • Yoke of straps and bars
  • Scroll dictated to Baruch
  • Linen girdle

Key verses

  • “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee.”

    Jeremiah 1:5

  • “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

    Jeremiah 29:11

  • “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

    Jeremiah 31:33

Biography

Early Life

Jeremiah was called as a youth from a priestly family in Anathoth. He protested his youth but was assured God would put words in his mouth.

Defining Biblical Moments

Jeremiah warned Judah of coming exile due to covenant unfaithfulness, endured rejection, imprisonment and a cistern, dictated scrolls that were burned and rewritten, and wept over the city's fall while purchasing a field as a sign of future restoration.

Strengths

Jeremiah demonstrates perseverance, tender concern for his people, and obedience despite prolonged opposition and personal cost.

Weaknesses & Lessons

His laments reveal deep anguish and wrestling with God's call, showing that faithfulness can coexist with sorrow and questioning.

Life Lessons for Today

Faithful witness may be unpopular and painful; endurance is sustained by God's presence rather than immediate visible success.

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Jeremiah appears in Heroes, Kings & Prophets of the Old Testament, alongside more profiles like this one.

Page #29 in Heroes, Kings & Prophets of the Old Testament

Heroes, Kings & Prophets of the Old Testament front cover

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