ALLUSIONS IN JEREMIAH 4:23–26: LOCAL OR GLOBAL SCOPE?

  • Slaviša Janković PhD, Assistant Professor of Old Testament, Middle East University, Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract

Scholars have noted a special status of Jer 4:23–26, and for some 4:23–28, in Jeremiah and the rest of the OT. It has been described as “the most powerful descriptions of the Day of the Lord in the OT” 1, “the most dramatic one its kind” 2, and one can add a unique passage in the book of Jeremiah 3. Some leading scholars of Jeremiah hold that the phrase ( הת ו הבו וformless and void) 4, in Jer 4:23 alludes to Gen 1:2. This allusion led them to conclude that this literary unit conveys universal undoing of creation, i.e. decreation 5. The present study affirms that the allusions of Jer 4:23–26 to Gen 1:2 and other texts in Gen 1–3 are well established 6, but suggests that allusive links between Jer 4:23, along with vv. 24–26, to Gen 1–2 do not convey the idea of universal de-creation of  the entire planet, but rather describe the land of Judah 7. This understanding of Jer 4:23–26 is based on the contextual reading of Jer 4:23–26 along with its allusions and the texts alluded to.

The present study develops in five steps. The first step is to verify whether Jer 4:23–26 is a distinct pericope and establish delineation of its context. Secondly, the overall meaning of the context will be established and later reinforced by its allusions. The next step is to establish the connection between Jer 4:23–26 and its context. The fourth step is identification of the allusions in Jer 4:23–26. Finally, the present study will suggest the role of והת והבוand other allusions in Jer 4:23–26.

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Published
2024-01-12
How to Cite
Janković, S. (2024). ALLUSIONS IN JEREMIAH 4:23–26: LOCAL OR GLOBAL SCOPE?. GPH-International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 6(12), 12-29. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10497862