Editing Jeremiah (section)

=== Lineage and early life ===
[[File:Jeremiah by Enrico Glicenstein.jpg|thumb|''Jeremiah'' by [[Enrico Glicenstein]]]]
Jeremiah was known as a prophet from the thirteenth year of [[Josiah]], [[Kingdom of Judah|king of Judah]] (626&nbsp;BC),{{sfn|Douglas|1987|p=559–560}} until after the [[Siege of Jerusalem (587 BC)|fall of Jerusalem]] and the destruction of [[Solomon's Temple]] in 587&nbsp;BC.{{sfn|Sweeney|2004|p=917}} This period spanned the reigns of five kings of Judah: Josiah, [[Jehoahaz of Judah|Jehoahaz]], [[Jehoiakim]], [[Jehoiachin]], and [[Zedekiah]].{{sfn|Douglas|1987|p=559–560}} The prophetess [[Huldah]] was a relative and contemporary of Jeremiah, while the prophet [[Zephaniah]] was his mentor.{{sfn|Singer|1926|p=100,130}}

Jeremiah was the son of [[Hilkiah]], a priest from the land of Benjamin in the village of [[Anathoth]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|1:1}}</ref> The difficulties he encountered, as described in the books of Jeremiah and [[Book of Lamentations|Lamentations]], have prompted scholars to refer to him as "the weeping prophet".{{sfn|Henderson|2002|pp=191–206}}

Jeremiah was called to prophecy {{circa|626|lk=no}}&nbsp;BC{{sfn|Longman|2008|p=6}} by God to proclaim Jerusalem's coming destruction<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|1:14–16|HE}}</ref> by invaders from the north.<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|4|HE}}</ref> This was because Israel had forsaken God by worshiping the [[Idolatry|idols]] of [[Baal]]<ref>{{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|2|HE}}, {{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|3|HE}}, {{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|5|HE}}, {{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|9|HE}}</ref> and burning their children as offerings to Baal.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|19:4–5|HE}}</ref> The nation had deviated so far from God's laws that they had broken the covenant, causing God to withdraw his blessings. Jeremiah was guided by God to proclaim that the nation of Judah would suffer famine, foreign conquest, plunder, and captivity in a land of strangers.<ref>{{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|10|HE}},{{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|11|HE}}</ref>

[[File:SA 160-Jeremia op de puinhopen van Jeruzalem.jpg|thumb|left|[[Horace Vernet]], ''Jeremiah on the Ruins of Jerusalem'' (1844)]]
According to {{bibleverse|Jeremiah|1:2-3|HE}}, Yahweh called Jeremiah to prophesy in about 626&nbsp;BC,{{sfn|Longman|2008|p=6}} about five years before Josiah's famous reforms.<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Kings|22:3-13|HE}}</ref> However, they were insufficient to save Judah and Jerusalem from destruction, because of the sins of [[Manasseh of Judah|Manasseh]], Josiah's grandfather,<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Kings|23:26–27|HE}}</ref> and Judah's return to the idolatry of foreign gods after Josiah's death.<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|11:10|HE}}, {{bibleverse|2 Kings|23:32|HE}}</ref> Jeremiah was said to have been appointed to reveal the sins of the people and the punishment to come.<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|1:1–2:37|HE}}</ref>{{sfn|Ryken|2001|pp=19–36}}

Jeremiah resisted the call by complaining that he was only a child and did not know how to speak,{{sfn|Freedman|1992|p=686}} but the Lord placed the word in Jeremiah's mouth,<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|1:6–9|HE}}</ref> commanding "Get yourself ready!"<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah |1:17|HE}}</ref> The qualities of a prophet listed in [[Jeremiah 1]] include not being afraid, standing up to speak, speaking as told, and going where sent.<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|1:4–10|HE}}, {{bibleverse|Jeremiah|1:17–19|HE}}</ref> Since Jeremiah is described as emerging well trained and fully literate from his earliest preaching, his relationship with the [[Shaphan]] family has been used to suggest that he may have trained at the scribal school in Jerusalem over which Shaphan presided.<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Kings|22:8–10|HE}}</ref>{{sfn|Freedman|1992|p=687}}

In his early years of being a prophet, Jeremiah was primarily a preaching prophet,<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah |1:7|HE}}</ref> preaching throughout Israel.{{sfn|Freedman|1992|p=687}} He condemned idolatry, the greed of priests, and false prophets.<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|3:12–23|HE}},{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|4:1–4|HE}}, {{bibleverse|Jeremiah|6:13–14|HE}}</ref> Many years later, God instructed Jeremiah to write down these early oracles and his other messages.<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|36:1–10|HE}}</ref> [[Charles Cutler Torrey]] argues that the prophet accuses priests and scribes of altering the [[Torah|actual Scriptures]] with "scribal additions" to accommodate the worship of other deities.<ref>Torrey, Charles C. "The Background of Jeremiah 1–10". ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', vol. 56, no. 3, 1937, pp. 193–216. {{doi|10.2307/3259609}}. Retrieved 5 June 2023.</ref>