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Jeremiah Jeremi'ah. (whom Jehovah has appointed). Jeremiah was "the son of Hilkiah of the priests, that were in Anathoth." Jer_1:1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: I. History. -- He was called very young, (B.C. 626), to the prophetic office, and prophesied forty-two years; but we have hardly any mention of him during the eighteen years between his call and Josiah's death, or during the short reign of Jehoahaz. During the reigns of Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin, B.C. 607-598, he opposed the Egyptian party, then dominant in Jerusalem, and maintained that the only way of safety lay in accepting the supremacy of the Chaldeans. He was accordingly accused of treachery, and men claiming to be prophets had the "word of Jehovah" to set against his. Jer_14:13Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. ; Jer_23:7Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; As the danger from the Chaldeans became more threatening, the persecution against Jeremiah grew hotter. Jeremiah 18. The people sought his life; then follows the scene in Jer_19:10-13Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee, Jer 19:11 And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. Jer 19:12 Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet: Jer 19:13 And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods. he was set, however, "as a fenced brazen wall," Jer_15:20And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD. , and went on with his work, reproving king and nobles and people. The danger which Jeremiah had so long foretold, at last came near. First Jehoiakim, and afterwards, his successor, Jehoiachin, were carried into exile, 2 Kings 24; but Zedekiah, B.C. 597-586, who was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar, was more friendly to the prophet, though powerless to help him. The approach of an Egyptian army, and the consequent departure of the Chaldeans, made the position of Jeremiah full of danger, and he sought to effect his escape from the city; but he was seized and finally thrown into a prison-pit to die, but was rescued. On the return of the Chaldean army, he showed his faith in God's promises, and sought to encourage the people by purchasing the field at Anathoth, which his kinsman Hanameel wished to get rid of. Jer_32:6-9And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Jer 32:7 Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it. Jer 32:8 So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. Jer 32:9 And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.  At last, the blow came. The city was taken, the Temple burnt. The king and his princes shared the fate of Jehoiachin. The prophet gave utterance to his sorrow in the Lamentations. After the capture of Jerusalem, B.C. 586, by the Chaldeans, we find Jeremiah receiving better treatment; but after the death of Gedaliah, the people, disregarding his warnings, took refuge in Egypt, carrying the prophet with them. In captivity, his words were sharper and stronger than ever. He did not shrink, even there, from speaking of the Chaldean king, once more as "the servant of Jehovah." Jer_43:10. After this, all is uncertain, but he probably died in Egypt. II. Character. -- Canon Cook says of Jeremiah, "His character is most interesting. We find him sensitive to a most painful degree, timid, shy, hopeless, desponding, constantly complaining and dissatisfied with the course of events, but never flinching from duty. Timid in resolve, he was unflinching in execution; as fearless when he had to face the whole world as he was dispirited and prone to murmuring when alone with God. Judged by his own estimate of himself, he was feeble, and his mission a failure; really, in the hour of action and when duty called him, he was in very truth 'a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land.' Jer_1:18And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. . He was a noble example of the triumph of the moral over the physical nature." Seven other persons bearing the same name as the prophet are mentioned in the Old Testament: -- 1. Jeremiah of Libnah, father of Hamutal, wife of Josiah. 2Ki_23:31. (B.C. before 632). 2, 3, 4. Three warriors -- two of the tribe of Gad -- in David's army. 1Ch_12:4; 1Ch_12:10; 1Ch_12:13. (B.C. 1061-53). 5. One of the "mighty men of valor," of the TransJordanic half-tribe of Manasseh. 1Ch_5:24. (B.C. 782). 6. A priest of high rank, head of the second or third of the twenty-one courses, which are apparently enumerated in Neh_10:2-8; Neh_12:1; Neh_12:12. (B.C. 446-410). 7. The father of Jazaniah, the Rechabite. Jer_35:3. (B.C. before 606).