The book of Jeremiah is the longest book in the Bible (in terms of words and verses) and is certainly one of the most complex. Yet for all of its difficulty, the book's depth of reflection on divine action and human response, as well as the range and rigor of its rhetoric, has kept the book very much alive. Indeed, its language of 'new covenant' has left its mark on the very name of the larger biblical collection to which it belongs. Jeremiah is a commentary on a prophetic book that presents many difficult literary, historical, and theological issues for the reader. After a lengthy introduction, Old Testament scholar Terence Fretheim works with sections as a whole, rather than proceeding verse by verse. The commentary focuses on literary and theological issues with the added intention of providing thoughtful reflections for those who would preach and teach these texts. Readers are lead through the difficulties to find the book of Jeremiah as one of grace and hope for today's world. All volumes in the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary series include these features to support interpretation: sidebars in four categories, a wealth of fine art visuals, and a CD-ROM containing all the text and images of the volume in a searchable format. |
