LrrcEATTTij. — On the life of the prophet : Valeton, Vi^rtat Voorlf^ing^n ; Cheyne, Jer.^ Bis Life and Timet, 1888 ; Marti, D*r Proph. Jer. von Aruitot, 1889 ; Wellhausen, Isr, u. Jiid. Getch.* p. 141 a. ; Smend, lietiriionsqfsrh. 234 (T. ; Comill, Dcr I»r. Prophftismug ; Davidson, The Exile atid the RefttorntJou. CommenUries : Ewald, 1868; Hitzij;, 180B ; Graf, 1862; Na;;el9- bach (in I^nge), 1863; Keil. 1872; Streane ('Canib. Bible'), 1881 ; Cheyne (' Pulpit Comm.'), 1883 ; Ball and Dennett (' E.k- podtor"! Bible"), 1890, 189S ; Giesebrecht (' HanrtKomm.'), 1894.
A. B. Davidson.
JEREMIAS ("ItpfM'ot), 1 Es9".— One of the sons of B&ani who put away his 'strange' "ife. The name corresponds to Jeremai in Ezr 10^, wlio is mentioned among the sons of Hashum ; it has been inserted out of its right place in 1 Es.
JEREMIEL. — The name of the archangel who is introduced in 2 Es 4^ as answering the questions of the righteous dead. AV has Uriel, the .same name as that of the angel who was sent to instruct Esdras, 2 Es 4' 5" 10-*.
JEREMOTH (nio-T, nto-i-).— 1. 2. Two Benjamites, 1 Ch 7' S'^ 3. 4. Two Levites, 1 Ch 23;» 25--, tho latter called in 24** Jerimoth. 5. A Naphtalite, 1 Ch 27'". 6. 7. 8. Three of those who had married foreign wives, Ezr lO-''-'" ^. In the last instance iCerc has n'c^l ' and Kamotli ' (so AV). See GENE-
ALOGV.
JEREMY The form in which the name of the
prophet ,/eremi'ih ajipears in both AV and KV of
1 Ks l'.*- »-••«■ " 2', 2 Es 2'», as well as in AV of
2 Mac 2'-''-', Mt 2'" 27'-'. In the last three passages KV lias JeremUih. The form Jeremy is used luso in both AV and RV in the title of the Epistle ascribed to the prophet in Bar 6'.
JEREMY, EPISTLE OF A brief apocr. com- position jiurportiiig to have been written by Jere- niiali to the Jews who were about to be led, or had been led (so Syr. and 7 Gr. cursives), into Babylon (cf. Jer 2!) [.'iOJ'). The author forewarns them "that the cajitivitv, whicli is a visitation for sin, will continue foi seven generations; and his serious purpose is to secure that in exile they may not be so imiiressed by gorgeous idolatrous ceremonial as to fall into aposta.sy. To ellect this, he gives, in popular stjle, a detailed exposure of the stupidity of idolatry, which is partly an aniiililication of Jer 10'"'", Is 44"''", but which also manifests an intimate acquaintance with many inane and vicious heathen practices.
There 18 a decided lack of logical sequence in the thouphts, but tile vanity of idolatry is emphasized by a sort of refrain, ttn limes repeated at irregular intenals, and thouj^h in every case intentionally varied as to verbal expression, yet always con- veyin^r the one meaning. 'This shows that idols are not gods, therefore fear them not.* The thoughts are decidedly forceful, and will perhaps gain in cogency if we arrange them a Utile more logically, thus : — I. Idols need to be manufactured. Tiny are made by a carpenter, ace. to kit wish (48) [verses from KV throughout], covered with gold and silver (o), and decked with garments ("). II. They are devoid of perception. They cannot speak (*^), see (19), hear bowlings of priests (32), or hear prayer (■•1). III. They have no powers of self-conservation. They can- not wipe the d'ust from their face (IS) or eyes (i^), or the rust from their ornaments ('■"), nor can they feel the smoke (21). They cannot eat (27). They are powerless against theft from their person (lo. 3a. C7), against war (**■*'')■ and fire (85). They cannot rise when they have fallen, or straighten themselves when awTy ('-'7). They cannot save their garments from moths ('2), or "their wooden interior from decay (20). IV. They are impotent for the discharge of their functions as pods. They bear a sceptre, but cannot rule (14); a sword and axe, but cannot kill ('5). They cannot give wealth (35), or rain ('■^); much less can they show signs (67) and restore the blind (^') or the dumb (41). They cannot set up one king and put down another (.«. 63. B6. mi), or deliver from injustice and death (36), or even give long life to those who ma*le them (*^X V. They are indifferent to ethical qualities. They requite neither good nor enl (34). They punish not the perjurer (38), or even the priest who robs his pod to feed his lust (H). They do not re- dress wrong (84), or show mercy to the widow and the fatherless (3S) ; nay, they sanction systematic prostitution (43). V'l. They are thus the least useful of all things. A cup, a door, a jiillar has its u>ie (89). and so have the sun and moon (*1). lightning and wind ("ii). clouds (12) and fire (^) ; 'yea, even the beasts are better than they' (SS). Then, with rare'irony, the author com- pares an idol to a 'scarecrow' (70); impotent to protect, but deluding the imagination ; and, in conclusion, says, ' Better is the man that is Just and hoa no idols, but (adds Syr.) waits on the Lord God,* than the most sumptuous idolater.
Authorship. — The evidence that it was not written by Jeremiah is threefold. (1) It was manifestly composed in Greek. There are a few Hebraisms, as, e.g., the imitation of infin. absol. in iipoiioiiiidivrei a(pofiiOioi$^e {v.*), and the repeated use of fut. for pres. fre(j., but they are such as are inseparable from Hellenistic Greek. (2) The style is quite below that of a prophet of Israel. The mind of the writer is saturated with the Bk. of Jer (cf. Jer 5" with v.«, 10» with v.", 10» with v.*, 22^ with v.". 48" with v."), but the style is inferior. As Ewald says, ' He only succeeds in wTiting like a speaker who proves and exhausts his subject from every point of view ; he shows not the remotest move meut towards prophetic flight.' (/// v. 479). (3)