Topical Bible: Slander of Jeremiah, by the Jews

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The prophet Jeremiah, often referred to as the "weeping prophet," faced significant opposition and slander from his own people, the Jews, during his ministry. His prophetic messages, which called for repentance and warned of impending judgment, were met with hostility and disbelief. This entry explores the instances and nature of the slander against Jeremiah as recorded in the Scriptures.

Context and Background

Jeremiah's ministry took place during a tumultuous period in Judah's history, spanning the reigns of several kings, including Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. His prophecies were primarily directed towards the southern kingdom of Judah, warning of the Babylonian invasion as a consequence of the nation's persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness.

Instances of Slander

1. Accusations of Treason: One of the most significant accusations against Jeremiah was that of treason. His prophecies about the fall of Jerusalem and the need to submit to Babylonian rule were perceived as unpatriotic and defeatist. In Jeremiah 38:4 , the officials said to King Zedekiah, "This man ought to die, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm."

2. Conspiracy and Imprisonment: Jeremiah was often accused of conspiring with the enemy. In Jeremiah 37:13-14 , when he attempted to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin, he was accused of defecting to the Babylonians. "But when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the captain of the guard, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, arrested him, saying, 'You are deserting to the Chaldeans!' 'That is a lie,' Jeremiah replied. 'I am not deserting to the Chaldeans!' But Irijah would not listen to him; instead, he arrested Jeremiah and brought him to the officials."

3. Mockery and Derision: Jeremiah was often mocked and derided by the people. In Jeremiah 20:7 , he laments, "I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me." His messages were not only rejected but also ridiculed, as the people preferred the false assurances of peace from other prophets.

4. Threats to His Life: The hostility towards Jeremiah was not limited to verbal slander; it extended to threats against his life. In Jeremiah 11:18-19 , he reveals a plot against him: "Because the LORD revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time He showed me what they were doing. I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, 'Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.'"

Reasons for Slander

The slander against Jeremiah can be attributed to several factors:

· Unpopular Message: Jeremiah's message was one of impending judgment and the need for repentance, which was contrary to the desires of the people who preferred messages of peace and prosperity.
· Challenge to Authority: His prophecies challenged the authority of the king and the religious leaders, who were complicit in leading the nation astray.
· Moral Conviction: Jeremiah's unwavering commitment to God's message and his moral conviction made him a target for those who were comfortable in their sin and rebellion.

Impact on Jeremiah

Despite the slander and opposition, Jeremiah remained faithful to his calling. His perseverance in the face of adversity serves as a testament to his faith and dedication to God's word. His experiences highlight the cost of prophetic ministry and the challenges faced by those who stand for truth in a world resistant to divine correction.

Nave's Topical Index

Jeremiah 18:18
Then said they, Come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Oracles on the Scythians. (With Some Others: iv. 5-vi. 29. )
... A people so new to the Jews might hardly have ... All of them utterly recreant, 28 Gadding
about to slander. ... The young Jeremiah had already tested his people and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/2 oracles on the scythians.htm

Matt. xix. 27
... a law ordained of God, recited by Jeremiah, the prophet ... and customs, and polity;
when the Jews said, that ... having been blamed, nor wishing to slander that other ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lxiv matt xix 27.htm

A Letter from Origen to Africanus.
... In Jeremiah I noticed many instances, and indeed in that ... among them, and to coax
the Jews, and persuade ... point for gratifying their desire to slander the common ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origens letters/a letter from origen to.htm

Cli. Letter or Address of Theodoret to the Monks of the ...
... And the divine Jeremiah too utters the prediction "This is our ... the same Christ to
be of the Jews according to ... The slander of the libellers that represent me as ...
/.../theodoret/the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/cli letter or address of.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... of filthy lucre; our ambition, slander, falsehood, intrigues ... foresee the restoration
of the Jews from the ... captivity, must deny also that Jeremiah could limit ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Luke x. 2, "The Harvest Truly is ...
... of ours is it to be disputing now of the Jews, and talking ... and who art forced by
thy [3288] perverse interpretation to slander even the ... [3298] Jeremiah 8:11. ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon li on the words.htm

"All Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags, and we all do Fade as ...
... God's dishonour, to blaspheme his name, to slander your neighbours ... i.16; Jeremiah
7:9, 10; for it is ... the cause of God's rejecting the Jews' righteousness, even ...
/.../the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xvi all our righteousnesses.htm

Jesus Heals a Paralytic at Capernaum.
... to blaspheme means to speak evil or, or to slander a person ... xxviii.9; Jeremiah
17:10; Romans 8:27; Revelation 2:23 ... that it was a maxim among the Jews that no ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxv jesus heals a paralytic.htm

Letter cxxvii. To Principia.
... with him." [3526] Who ever heard a slander of Marcella ... little appalled by the plottings
of the Jews that he ... the words of the Lord to Jeremiah concerning Israel ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cxxvii to principia.htm

Apocryphal Traditions.
... in Jeremiah 3.p.778), and Didymus of Alexandria (in ... Now the Jews had an opinion that
the destruction of ... wisdom is deprived of its freedom by slander, and they ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 18 apocryphal traditions.htm