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Overview of Jeremiah (MT) [1]
 
The book of Jeremiah is not highly organized like the books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and most of the Twelve Prophets. Thus, this outline is simply a detailed presentation of the contents of the Masoretic version. See discussion of Jeremiah as a book.
 
(I) Heading (1:1-3)
 
(II) oracles against Judah and Jerusalem from the time of Josiah and Jehoiakim (1:4-18:23)
A  The call of Jeremiah (1:4-10)
B  Two visions (1:11-16)
1  Almond tree (1:11-12)
2  Boiling pot (1:13-16)
C  The divine charge to the prophet (1:17-19)
D  Israel’s guilt and judgment (2:1-6:30) 
E  The temple sermon and false religion (7:1-8:3)
7:1-15 Compare 26:1-6
7:31 Topheth was a cultic hearth on which children were placed when they were offered to Molech. Topheth may be related to parallel terms in Ugaritic and Aramaic meaning furnace or fireplace. This, and Jeremiah’s judgment in chap 7 on the Hinnom Valley as filled with dead, provides some of the background for the growing symbols of judgment associated with the Hinnom Valley.[2]
See activity on Jeremiah 7
F  Rebellious people and their fate (8:4-10:25)
G  The broken covenant (11:1-12:17)
11:20=20:12
The confessions of Jeremiah punctuate Jeremiah 11-12.
H  The waistcloth and wine jars (13:1-27)
I  Lament for drought and national defeat (14:1-15:21)
J  Jeremiah’s personal trial and miscellaneous sayings (16:1-17:27)
 
(III) from the time of Jehoahaz, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah (19-24)
K  Potter’s vessels as symbolic of Israel’s fate (18:1-20:18)
Jer 18-19 Compare––Where: potter’s house (18), Valley of Ben Hinnom (19); Who: Jeremiah and the potter (18), Jeremiah and the elders (19); What: vessels remade (18), vessels broken (19); Why: to show God’s grace (18), to show God’s justice (19).
L  Kings and false prophets denounced (21:1-23:40)
23:1-8 “Branch” (zemah) is a messianic title in Zech 3:8; 6:12. Zerubbabel (“branch of Babylon”) one of the post-exilic returning leaders is noted as a Davidic heir (see Hag 2:20-23; 1 Chron 3:19 [Isa 11:1-9 uses a different term for branch]). Also, “Yahweh is our righteousness” in 23:6 is a play on Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.[3] The context of 23:1-8 also includes shepherding imagery and the hope for a new exodus; cf. these themes developed in Micah; Ezek; Zech.
23:5-6=33:14-16
23:19-20=30:23-24 (perhaps part of the rationale for the Masoretic insert of 33:14-26 in the consolation section; see notes on LXX and MT versions).
M  Two baskets of figs (24:1-10)
 
(IV) retrospective of first twenty-three years, and message of judgment against Jerusalem and the nations (25)
N  Retrospective summary (25:1-14); The cup (25:15-29); Poetic judgment of the nations (25:30-38)
 
(V) narratives of prophecies of judgment and deliverance (26-35)
O  Jeremiah on trial (26)
P  Cycle of material against the prophets (27:1-29:32)
Q  Letter to captives in Babylon
R  Book of consolation (30-31)
30:2 “book” leads many to think of Jer 30-33 or 30-31 as the “book of consolation” 30:10-11=46:27-28
S  narrative concerning the restoration of Judah and Jerusalem (31:23-33:26)
(1) Jeremiah’s purchase of land at Anathoth (32:1-15); (2) Jeremiah’s prayer (32:16-25); (3) Yahweh’s reply to Jeremiah (32:26-44); (4) Jerusalem and Judah restored (33:1-13); (5) The dynasty of David and the Levitical priests (33:14-26 [33:14-16=23:5-6] [see notes on LXX and MT versions])
T  Message to Zedekiah (34:1-7)
U  Treachery against the slaves (34:8-22)
V  Incident with the Rechabites and a sermon (35:1-19)
 
(VI) narratives of Jeremiah’s sufferings (36-45)
W  Jeremiah’s scroll (36:1-32; cf. 36:1-3 = 25:1-7)
X  Jeremiah during the siege of Jerusalem (37:1-38:28)
Y  The fall of Jerusalem (39:1-10)
39:1-10 = 52:4-27 = 2 Kgs 25:1-22 [See comparison of the biblical accounts of the fall of Jerusalem.]
Z  Jeremiah’s experiences after the fall of Jerusalem (39:11-45:5)
1  Jeremiah’s release––first account (39:11-14)
2  Words of Ebed-Melech (39:15-18)
3  Jeremiah’s release––second account (40:1-6)
4  Gedeliah’s governorship and assassination (40:7-41:18)
5  Jeremiah consulted (42:1-6)
6  Sermon against flight to Egypt (42:7-22)
7  Response to sermon and retreat to Egypt (43:1-7)
8  Incident in Egypt (43:8-13)
9  Denunciation against Judaic community sin Egypt, with responses (44:1-30)
10  Baruch’s lament and consolation (45:1-5)
 
(VII) oracles against the nations (46-51)
AA  Against Egypt (46:1-28; cf. 46:27 with 30:10-11) (heading––46:1)
BB  Against Philistines (47:1-7)
CC  Against Moab (48:1-47)
Note the use of “until here” or “thus far” at the close of Jer-MT in 51:64 and at the end of the OAN Jer-LXX in 48:47.
DD  Against Ammon (49:1-6)
EE  Against Edom (49:7-22)
FF  Against Damascus (49:23-27)
GG  Against Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor (49:28-33)
HH  Against Elam (49:34-39)
II  Against Babylon (50:1-51:64)
JJ  Incident with a book against Babylon (51:59-64)
 
(VIII) historical appendix—fall of Jerusalem (52)
KK  The fall of the city and the capture of Zedekiah (52:1-16)
LL  The sacking of the temple (52:17-23)
MM  The numbers deported to Babylon (52:24-30)
NN  The release of Jehoiachin from prison (52:31-34)
52:31-34 = 2 Kgs 25:27-30
51:64, see note on 48:47 above


[1] Based upon my own reading and in several places indebted to Carroll, Hobbs, Thompson, Childs, and various essays in Kessler.
[2] See IVP Background, 649
[3] See HarperCollins Study Bible, n. on Jer 23:5-6.


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