Suffering and the prophetic vocation

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Suffering _{and the Prophetic} Vocation

a thesis by

Stephen Allen Hayner _I

,j

Submitted in partial fulfillment _of the _requirements for _{the degree of}

Doctor _of Philosophy

University _of St. Andrews

St. Mary's College

Department _of Hebrew _and Old Testament

To

the Session

and all of God's People

at

University Presbyterian Church, Seattle, _{Washington, USA,}

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table _of Contents i

Certification iv

Declaration _v

Permission to Copy _vi

Preface _vii

Abstract _viii

Abbreviati8ns _x

Introduction: Vocation _and Self-Disclosure

in _Jeremiah 1

Prophetic Orthodoxy _{and Cultic} Prophecy

in Jeremiah 34

The "Prophets" in Jeremiah 39

The Role _of the Prophets 43

The Socio-historical Expectations 60

Jeremiah _{and "Prophetic} Orthodoxy" 74

III. The Self-Disclosures _{of Jeremiah} 79

Jeremiah iv 19-22 81

Jeremiah iv 23-26 102

Jeremiah _{v 12-14} 107

Jeremiah _vi 9-11 109

Jeremiah _vi 27-30 110

Jeremiah _viii 18-23 [ix 11 112

Jeremiah _{x 19-25} 142

Passages _{of Intercession 154}

IV. _{The Prophet's Laments 157}

Jeremiah _xi 18-23 ₁₅₉

Jeremiah _xii 1-6 171

Jeremiah _{xv 10,11} 192

Jeremiah _xv 15-21 ₂₀₀

Jeremiah _xvii 14-18 ₂₂₄

Jeremiah _xviii 18-23 ₂₃₉

Jeremiah _{xx 7-13 248}

Jeremiah _{xx 14-18 262}

The Self-Disclosures Summarized ₂₆₆

V. The "Word _of Yahweh" in _{Jeremiah: A Struggle}

for _{Legitimacy 269}

The Nature _of Yahweh's _{Word 270}

The Word _and the Prophets ₂₇₅

Jeremiah's Receipt _{of God's Word 281}

The Effect _of God's _{Word on Jeremiah 292}

Articulating God's _{Word 302}

The Content _{of the} "Word _{of Yahweh" 303}

The Response _to God's _{Word 322}

The "Word _{of Yahweh" and the Self-Disclosures 333}

VI. Understanding _{the Prophetic Vocation:}

The Call Narrative _{of Jeremiah} i 4-19 ₃₃₆

Jeremiah i 4-8 ₃₄₀

Jeremiah _{i 9-10 375}

Jeremiah i 11-12 ₃₉₇

Jeremiah i 13-16 ₄₀₄

Jeremiah i 17-19 420

Summary 440

VII. The Intention _of Self-Disclosure in Jeremiah 442

Appendices

A. Distribution _of the Verbal Roots _of Jer. i 10

elsewhere in Jeremiah 461

B. Passages _where "Forsaking Yahweh" is _also

related to trying to replace him 462

Notes

Chapter I: Introduction 464

Chapter II: Prophetic Orthodoxy 470

Chapter III: Prophetic Self-Disclosure 478

Chapter IV: The Prophet's Laments 486

Chapter V: T he "Word of Yahweh" in Jeremiah 501

Chapter VI: The Call Narrative 511

Chapter VII: The Intention _of the Self-Disclosures 528

Bibliography

Primary Sources 531

General Reference Works 532

Commentaries 540

Articles 548

Prophecy in. Israel 561

Theological Resources 566

CERTIFICATION

I certify that Stephen _Allen Hayner has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution of the University Court, 1967, No. 1 (as _{amended), and is qualified} to _submit this thesis

in application for _{the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.}

AIMMON"a

Principal William McKane

DECLARATION

I _{was admitted as a research student under} Ordinance 350 (General _No. 12) _{on 1 January} 1978, _{and as a candidate} for _{the degree of Ph. D. under Resolution of the University} Court, 1967, _{No. 1 (as amended) on 22 November} 1978.

The following thesis is based _on the _{results of} research carried out by myself, is my own composition, and has not previously been presented for _{a higher} degree. _The research was carried out in the University of St. Andrews

under the supervision of Professor William McKane.

J"Step'hen

A. Hayl*

COPYRIGHT DECLARATION

In _submitting this thesis to the University of St. Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations

of the University Library for the time being in force, sub- ject _{to any copyright vested} in the _{work not} being _affected

thereby. I also _understand that the title and abstract will

be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker.

PREFACE

The struggle to understand _{and to respond} to God's _call is _{a persistent reality of life among those whose greatest}

desire is _{obedience to their Creator. But} frequently, _even when the path seems to be clearly marked, the way of obedi- ence is _accompanied by challenges, disappointments, doubts, unfulfilled expectations, persecutions, and tragedy. God's people are never immune to the exigencies of life.

Although _scholarly in its tone, this _{research repre-} sents one attempt to enter into the way of obedience which was required of Jeremiah, to the end that through observa-

tion _of his _{struggle with vocation, we too might understand}

something of the deeper meaning of the pain which may accom- pany our own pilgrimages.

I am indebted to the Session _{and people of the} Univer- sity Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington, for releas-

ing _{me from my pastoral} duties for _{extended periods of time} and for encouraging me continually over the last _six years

so that this research could be pursued. In addition, I am most grateful for the faithful _service of the _seminary

interns (Mark Labberton, Marta Bennett, Annette Moser, James B. Notkin, Mike Graef, _{and Gretchen} Ford Covey) _{who at vari-}

ous points during my absence have _{so ably} continued the ministry to University students for _which I have been given

responsibility.

Graduate _research is carried _{on, for the purpose of edu-} cating the researchers _{as well as for making a contribution}

to human _{understanding.} The _{education proc}

, ess, which in itself _{may be one of those painful paths of obedience, may} be greatly enhanced (or hindered) by those instructors _who

guide us as fledgling scholars. In the inevitable compari-

son of my experience _{as a research student} with that of many of my friends in Great Britain and the U. S. A., I can confi-

dently _{assert that the education, encouragement, and support} which I have received from Prof. William McKane _and the staff of the Hebrew _{and Old Testament} Department here _{at St.}

Mary's College has been _{second to none.} I have _especially

appreciated the constant emphasis on detailed exegesis _and the development _of "good judgment, _{" which seems to be among} the _{most elusive of} those _{qualities which make a good} scholar.

Finally, _{I want to express my thanks to} the Rev. Bruce and Hazel Larson _{who have been a constant source of strength}

during _these last _{months as I have} labored in _{the hermitage,}

which they supplied me in their home, to my parents _{who have} given me not only a love of learning but have often _supplied

the _{resources to enable the process, and to my wife, Sharol,} and our children _{who have} patiently endured and powerfully

loved _{me during the worst as well as the best parts of these} last _{few years.}

ABSTRACT

The "self-disclosures" in Jeremiah, including _{not only} the _so-called "confessions" but _{also other} first _person

material which seems to express the prophet's inner

feelings, _{are examined} in a detailed, _exegetical fashion

with careful attention to-both the ancient versions and the subsequent history of exegesis. Special attention is given

to the works of Rashi and Kimchi. Three basic questions are asked: 1) What do the "self-disclosures" represent? 2) To what degree can the "self-disclosures" be said to portray

the historical Jeremiah? 3) Why are the "self-disclosures" included in the corpus _{of Jeremianic} literature?

These questions are approached by examining the relevant passages against the backdrop of the prophetic

orthodoxy of the late 7th century B. C., which is seen to

consist of commonly held notions of the role, message, and perhaps even temperament of the prophet within the current

socio-religious framework. This orthodoxy is viewed as having initially _{defined Jeremiah's understanding of the} prophetic office. But in the "self-disclosures, " Jeremiah

wrestles _with the other _side of his experience _{as a prophet,}

the painful and mysterious side, and attempts to forge a new understanding of the prophetic vocation.

In the end, the fundamental _{element of} the prophetic

vocation for Jeremiah is seen as the "Word of the Lord. "

The prophet's conviction that he had been entrusted with the powerful, efficacious "Word" became the touchstone of both

his _{vocational self-understanding and his authentication} against the false prophets who represented prophetic

orthodoxy. And the "Word" was ultimately the source of his suffering. All of these elements may be seen in the

call-narrative which is examined in detail as the introduction _{to the entire} book.

The closing chapter of the thesis takes a closer look at the theological kerygma of the "self-disclosures, "

particularly in relation to the problem of suffering.

ABBREVIATIONS

ABR Australian Biblical Review Melbourne, Australia AEccR American Ecclesiastical Review

AJSLL The American Journal _of Semitic Languages _and Literature Chicago

ANQ Andover Newton Quarterly Newton Centre, Mass.: Andover-Newton Theol. School

ASR American Sociological Review

ATR Anglican Theological Review Evanston, Illinois AV Authorized Version

BDB Brown, Driver, & Briggs, A Hebrew _and English . Lexicon of the Old Testament

BETS Bulletin _of the Evangelical Theological Society BH Biblical Hebrew

BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia Ed. K. Elliger and W. Rudolph

BHK Biblia Hebraica Ed. Rudolf Kittel

Bib Biblica Rome: Biblical Institute Press BibTdy The Bible Today

BJRL Bulletin _of the John Rylands Univ. Library _of Manchester

BLit Bibel _{und Liturgie} Klosterneuburg, Austria: Osterr. Katholisches Bibelwerk

BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin Albany, New York BZAW _{Beihefte zur} Zeitschrift fur die _{alttestamentliche}

Wissenschaft

CBQ _{Catholic Biblical} Quarterly Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Assoc.

CQR _{Church Quarterly Review}

CR _{Clergy Review} London: Heythrop Cbllege CRDSB Colgate Rochester Divinity School Bulletin EBB Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus Rome

EstBib Estudios Biblicos Barcelona, Spain: Fac. de Teol.

ETL Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses

ETR Etudes Thgologiques _{et Religieuses} Montpellier, France

EvQ The Evangelical Quarterly Buxton, Derbyshire EvTh Evangelische Theologie Munich: Chr. Kaiser

Verlag

ExpTim The Expository Times Banstead, Surrey

HR E. Hatch _{& H. Redpath,} A Concordance to the Septuagint

HTR Harvard Theological Review Missoula, Mont.: Scholars Press

HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual Cincinatti, Ohio IKZ Internationale Katholische Zeitschrift Koln

Germany

Int Interpretation Richmond, Virginia; Union Theological Seminary

JBL Journal _{of Biblical} Literature Claremont, California

JBR Journal _{of Bible and Religion}

jis _{Journal of Jewish} Studies Oxford: The Oriental Institute

JNES _{Journal of Near Eastern} Studies Chicago: _Univ. of Chicago

JQR _{The Jewish Quarterly Review Philadelphia} JR _{Journal of Religion}

JSOT _{Journal for the Study of the Old Testament}

Sheffield: Biblical Studies, _{The University}

JSS _{Journal of Semitic} Studies Manchester: The University _{of Manchester}

JTS Journal _{of Theological} Studies

KB L. Koehler _{& W. Baumgartner,} Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros

LSJ H. G. Liddell _{and R. Scott,} A Greek-English Lexicon, _rev. by H. S. Jones

LXX Septuagint

MT Masoretic Text

NEB New English Bible

NIV New International Version New York International Bible Society

NKZ Neue kirckliche Zeitschrift OT Old Testament

OTA Old Testament Abstracts Washington, DC: Catholic Bib. Assoc. _of America

OTS Oudtestamentische Studien Pesh. Peshitta

RevExp Review _and Expositor Louisville: Southern Baptist Theological Sem.

RGG Die Religion in Geschichte _{und Gegenwart} RSR Recherches de Science Religieuse Paris

RSV Revised Standard Version National Council _of the Churches _of Christ in the U. S. A.

SEA Svensk Exegetisk Arsbok Uppsala, Sweden

SJTh _Scottish Journal _of Theology Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press

StAn _{Studium Anselmianum}

Targ. _Targum (generally _Targum Pseudo-Jonathan in reference to texts from Jeremiah)

TD _{Theology Digest St. Louis, Missouri}

TLZ _Theologische Literaturzeitung Berlin: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt

TRu. _Theologische Rundschau Tubingen: J. C. Mohr TTcAay Theology Today Princeton, New Jersey

TynBull Tyndale Bulletin

TZ Theologische Zeitschrift Basel: Verlag Friedrich Reinhardt

USQR Union Seminary Quarterly Review New York: Union Theological Seminary

VR Vox Reformata Victoria, Australia

VSpir La Vie Spirituelle Paris: Editions du Cerf vss. verses

VS.

verse

VT

Vetus Testamentum

Leiden:

E. J. Brill

Vulg.

Vulgate

WMANT Wissenschaftliche Monographien _{zum Alten} und Neuen Testament Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener

Verlag

ZAW Zeitschrift fur die _{alttestamentliche} Wissenschaft Berlin: Walter de Gruyter

ZTK Zeitschrift fur Theologie _{und Kirche}

INTRODUCTION: VOCATION AND SELF-DISCLOSURE IN JEREMIAH

Throughout the history _{of exegesis, the Book of}

Jeremiah has intrigued _{commentators due to the quantity and} intensity _{of the prophet's apparent self-disclosures. Most} often, attention has been focused on the so-called

"confessions, " delimited (with _{variations among the}

commentators) as Jer. xi 18-23; xii 1-6; xv 10-21; xvii 12-18; _xviii 18-23; _{xx 7-13; and xx 14-18. But this} is certainly not all the material which seems to reveal the reactions of the prophet, even reading at the most

superficial level. The text abounds with what appear to be statements of sorrow, anger, incredulity, remorse,

suffering, bitterness, despair, and many other emotions. Some commentators, in evaluating and interpreting this

material, have attempted to lay b4re the innermost thoughts and motivations of the prophet. Others have focused

primarily on the historical aspects, attempting to

reconstruct a firm chronological sequence for Jeremiah from this _material in connection _with the _unusually long

"biographical" _{sections and the considerable number of}

dates. Still _{others have tried to understand the meaning of} the _{unique self-disclosures within the} history _{of Israelite}

religion. In the last _century, the _{scholarly appraisal} of

Jeremiah _{has been particularly} diverse. _It has included _not

only the highpoint _{of what might} be called the

"psycho-biographical" _{approach to the prophet in John}

Skinner's _{Prophecy and Religion, but also the works of such} scholars _{as Reventlow and Gerstenberg, who,} for _very

different _{reasons, have denied that the Book of Jeremiah}

reflects _{much at all about} the personal life _{of the prophet.} The "search for _{the historical Jeremiah, " patterned in many} ways after the hermeneutical _struggle to unravel the "life

of Jesus, " is now in full-swing _{and is} likely to escalate _as the issues _{are clarified and the research continues,}

In this _{study, I have attempted to make a detailed}

examination of the "self-disclosures" in response to three basic _{questions which relate to our understanding of the}

historical Jeremiah _{and the book which} bears his _name: 1)

What do the "self-disclosures" _{represent? 2) To what degree} can the "self-disclosures" be said to portray the historical

Jeremiah? 3) Why are the "self-disclosures" included _{in the} corpus of Jeremianic literature? In brief, _{my thesis} is

that the "self-disclosures, " which _are largely _{portrayals of} the intense _{and multifarious suffering of an individual,} do indeed _{represent authentic expressions of a unique,}

historical _{prophet. As such, they chronicle Jeremiah's}

attempt to understand the nature _{of his prophetic vocation.} Initially his _{vocational expectations had been established}

against the backdrop _{of a "prophetic orthodoxy"--a socio-}

religious _{understanding of} the _{role of the prophet--which} he had inherited _{as one nurtured in the late 7th century and}

called to prophesy to a people _{who honored} those _who conformed to the orthodox pattern. But the self-disclo-

sures offer the primary indication of the utter failure of the prophetic orthodoxy to give direction _{and understanding}

to Jeremiah's _{experience within} his _{own prophetic call.}

Jeremiah _{was convinced that he had been called by God to} prophesy. He thought he knew what that _{calling would}

entail. But his experience, _which did _{not conform} to his

expectation, forced him to reevaluate his initial _call, his view of God, and the nature of his life as a prophet. The

self-disclosures were included in the corpus of Jeremianic

literature because _{they offered a marked} departure from _the orthodox view. Jeremiah knew the need for the corrective

early in his ministry, and the people of the exile eventually knew it, too.

The "Self-Disclosures" _{and the} Commentators

In order to establish the _relationship between this

study and those which have preceded it, it is necessary to review something of the dialogue _{among the scholars of} the last hundred _{years with regard to the "self-disclosures" in}

the Book of Jeremiah. _{One way to approach} the issues is in relation to the questions _which I have already _posed.

I. _{What do the} "self-*disclosures" _{in the Book of}

Jeremiah _{represent? Traditional} interpretation _{of these} passages _{generally assumed} that they _{represented personal}

expressions _of the prophet _which illustrated the _advancement

of personal piety within Israelite prophetism. They

reflected the _actual comments and feelings of the prophet Jeremiah. _{In the older} literature, _{the question of} the

relationship between the man, Jeremiah, _{and the words} of the book is _{understood to be direct. Heinrich Ewald probably}

had the greatest influence _{on the commentators at the turn} of the century in this regard. 2 For him, the dialogues

(Zwiegesprach) _{were of central} importance _{in the study of} prophecy and were an indication that the highpoint of

prophetism in Israel had passed. 3 Previously the individual

personalities of the prophets had been subordinated to their mystical union with God, but in Jeremiah we are confronted

4

with both the prophet and the man. Ewald _presumed that the dialogues _{with God continued throughout} Jeremiah's _ministry

and that in them we can see the true prophet growing in his spirituality step by step. In his humanity, Jeremiah was

tender, impressionable, _retiring, diffident, _{and carried}

away by the feeling of the moment. 5 But the weakness of the man was complemented by the strength of the prophet who,

when possessed with Yahweh's truth and spirit, fearlessly

and energetically contended with the issues of his day. 6 Wellhausen _{and Cornill also} found the _confessional

materials to be quite important as a representation _{of a new} direction _{in the history of prophecy. Wellhausen saw}

Jeremiah _{as the} "father _{of true prayer, " and viewed the}

confessions _{as the expression} of both _{subhuman misery and} superhuman _{confidence, of} fear _{and doubt as well as}

unswerving trust. 7 _{He saw Jeremiah's confessions as purely} private statements never intended for. publication. For

Cornill Jeremiah's _{confessions were an indication} that religion had finally been set free from extraneous and material elements and had moved to a more purely spiritual

base. 8

Other _commentators through the first three decades _of

this _century followed in this _{vein. Duhm pictured} Jeremiah

as the last great prophet, but more restrained, modest, and tender than _{Amos or Isaiah.} He was a hero, _not in his

aggressive confrontation, but in his suffering, and he carefully observed and accurately recorded his emotional

responses. 9 Buttenwieser _{suggested-that any-discussion of} the faith _{of the prophets must} finally _center in Jeremiah's

fervid _{record of his own experience-10 The-opinion of A. B.} Davidson is typical _of this _era: "The book of Jeremiah does

not so much teach religious truths as present a religious

personality. Prophecy had already taught its truths, its

last

_effort

_{was to reveal}

itself

in a life.

""

_{Even among}

many, like

Baumgartner

and Gunkel,

who recognized

in the

confessions

an older

lament

form which'the

prophet

had

accommodated to his own purposes,

the confessions

were still

seen as a personal portrait of, Jeremiah himself. 12 Gunkel

believed _{that the prophet possessed a "zart angeleqte Natur,} v iel zu weich für seinen furchtbaren Beruf. "I-3 In the

English language, _{the work of} John Skinner, is the _{epitome of} those _{works which saw the confessions as a psychological}

portrait of the prophet. He perceived the prophet _as reflecting _{on the personal} metamorphasis which he was

undergoing from _{a traditional} view of prophecy to a new spiritual communion with God. True prophecy, as Skinner

interpreted _{Jeremiah's experience, became ".}

.. the

intuitive _{certainty of divine truth and the} illumination _of the whole conscious mind by the Spirit of God.,, 14 Jeremiah

took the _step from the formalism _{of external worship and the} legalism _{of the national covenant to find God in the heart}

15

of the individual. Whereas, the earlier commentators saw in _{the confessions a significant development in the nature}

of prophecy, Skinner also saw a marked development in the

nature of true religion. Here was the transition point from the last _{of the prophets} to the first _{of the psalmists.} But the voice was still that of Jeremiah _{and the passages}

represented the prophet's own experience.

With the highly _{psychological and individualistic}

approach, which was evident in Jeremianic studies of this period, also came warnings from those scholars concerned

about the bifurcation of the man Jeremiah from his office _as prophet. These scholars emphasized that the confessions

were more than an expression of the subjective and personal

self-conscious being of the prophet. They must be viewed in relation to the functional _role of the prophet _{as well.} Von Rad, for _{example, protested against the view that the}

confessions _{were simply expressions} of purely human

religiosity. Rather, they _were the prophet's _witness to his

relationship to God, not only through his _charisma, but through his _{Menschlichkeit.} Jeremiah _{had become the}

mediator for his people in a new way, by carrying their

whole distress on himself. They were present in his abysmal condition. 16 In later _{writings, von Rad backed away from}

understanding Jeremiah as a kind of "suffering servant, " but he, _{nevertheless, continued to read the confessions as the}

struggle of a man with his vocation. "With Jeremiah, the man and the prophetic task part company; indeed, serious

tensions threaten _{the whole of his calling as a prophet.} As a result the prophetic calling as it had been known

up to Jeremiah's own time entered upon a critical phase of its _existence. "17 _{Herntrich posited a vital solidarity}

between _{the experience of the prophet and that of the}

people. The prophet is seen in the confessions as a sinner, exposed to the revilement and persecution of his*foes, but also participating in God's grace. Jeremiah as a person,

however, is not of primary interest, but _{rather the way in} which his encounter with God mirrors that of the _nation.

His life is one of witness. 18 Similarly, Stoebe focused _on the prophet _{as a representive} partner with the people in

their _{experience of} judgment _{and helplessness and a partner} with God in divine suffering. The confessions reflect his

sense of estrangement because of this twofold _solidarity.

Were attention drawn _{to Jeremiah's personal piety, he would} have been alienated from _{the people.} Instead _{he could serve} as their pastor (Seelsorger). 19 Unlike _{von Rad,} Stoebe _sees

no breakdown in the confessions between the prophetic

commission _{and the} human self-understanding. But again, the strong individualistic approach of Skinner is averted.

The roots of a very different _approach to the

confessions can actually be found intertwined with the work already mentioned. With the advent and widening application

of the form-critical method, the _confessions of Jeremiah again came under close scrutiny because of their unique

character within the prophetic literature. In his inaugural dissertation _{at Halle} in 1891, _{Campe reflected on the}

relationship between Jeremiah and the Psalms, but concluded that Jeremiah _should be given _priority. 20 As mentioned

above, Gunkel and Baumgartner each studied at length the relationship between the confessions and the individual-

lament form found _{in the Psalms. But both} finally _concluded that the form had been filled _{with prophetic content and}

that, therefore, _{the authenticity of} these _{sections as the} personal and individual expressions of the prophet should

21

not be questioned. Mowinckel _{was more cautious.} Because of his detailed study of the cultic Sitz im Leben of the

Psalms _{and the marked similarity of the confessions of} Jeremiah, _{he warned other scholars against extracting}

psychological and biographical details from the 22

confessions. Other warnings against the psychological and individualistic _{approach based on a form critical evaluation}

became evident. Stamm proposed that the-confessions _were delivered _{in a cultic setting. Jeremiah utilized cultic}

forms, filling _{them with the characteristic genius (Geist)} of the prophetic office. Jeremiah's solidarity with the

23

people is evident. Weiser _{also maintained} that, _since the confessions employed liturgical forms and traditional

images, _{they had to be interpreted in accordance with a} cultic understanding of the passages. 24 For Weiser,

however, _this did _{not preclude} learning _{something personal} about the prophet from the passages.

It _{was left} to Reventlow to demonstrate _{the more}

radical application of possible form-critical implications on the confessions of Jeremiah. Again, he did _{not doubt}

that the historical Jeremiah _{was connected with} these

passages, but he denied that the confessions represented any kind _{of personal testimony.} "Personal _{testimonies in this}

[western] _{sense, " he declared, "are not to be found in the}

Book of Jeremiah# at least not in those passages treated by us, where one usually seeks them--not even in the

confessions, which rank as the outstanding source for such statements. "25 The forms _{used by Jeremiah} indicated to

Reventlow _{that the prophet should} be viewed _{as a cultic}

functionary _{and that the use of the first person singular is} to be interpreted _{according to the principle of} '. 'corporate

personality.,, 26 _{The cultic ceremonies} in the Temple _where the "I" _{was a formal part of accepted} liturgy is

demonstrated _{in the Psalms.} "The 'V _{that appears there} has passed over completely into the 'we', it is nothing

other than _{representation and embodiment of} the

community. 1,27 _{Reventlow goes} far beyond the _confessions in his discussion _{and re-interprets most of the passages which} have _{traditionally been used to bolster the psycho-}

biographical _{view. The call narrative} (Jer. i) becomes _an ordination ceremony in the Temple. 28 The communal laments,

which others had found to contain the cries of a sensitive

soul, become liturgical prayers, the recitation of which is required by the prophet's intercessory office in the

cultus. 29 No psychological, biographical, or historical details _{can be found} in these _passages.

Reventlow's _{application of} form-critical _methodology

has produced a significant and helpful dialogue, not only

into _{the understanding of the Jeremianic passages,} but _also into _{the application of form-criticism} itself. 30 The major

objections _which I would raise to his work all relate to his ideological _{conceptualization of the} form-critical

methodology. Like any critical method, the limitations of form-criticism _{must be grasped-if} it is to be flexibly

applied in a way which acknowledges both the typical and the unique in any given passage. Several objections should be

noted.

First, there is an assumption in Reventlow's _work that the forms _{of speech necessarily remain rooted} in the

institutional _{origins of that} form. _Hence, if forms _typical of the _{cult can be found,} then they _{are proof} of the _cultic

function _{of the sPeech in question.} 31 was already rejected by Gunkel.

This _{mode of reasoning} It _{simply cannot} be

demonstrated _{among any corpus of literature that text-type}

(or form) _{remains attached to its original setting. -hather,} form functions _{as a communication vehicle, which, once}

established within a particular cultural or institutional

matrix, is readily detached to be used within _{a variety of} dissimilar _{matrices. There is no objective evidence apart}

from form _{that could establish the setting of the Jeremianic} discourses _{as within the cult. One might expect,} for

example, some reference to liturgical participation or even a Temple setting as in the case of Isaiah vi. But there is none. 32 _{On the contrary,} there _{are ample} indications that

the _prophet found himself _{to be often alone, not only} in the content of his preaching, but socially isolated as well.

This _{would not have been the case if he were a cultic} functionary.

Second, _there is a similar _assumption in Reventlow that forms _{of speech consistently serve the same function. In}

other _words, if _{a form} originated _{as a part} of _{a liturgy,} it would subsequently always be attached to that liturgy. If

this _were true, _{we would also expect a consistent}

utilization of the form itself, since the form of a liturgy manifests _{even less variation} than its content. But again,

this is not the case in Jeremiah. Instead, Jeremiah _employs the forms in a rather distinctive _{manner. At times} he

modifies the form to fit his _{own purpose} (cf. Jer. _{xv 15-18;} i 17-19), _{utilizing elements and vocabulary which are not}

associated elsewhere with the Gattung. In Jeremiah i 4-19,

he actually employs features of two unrelated Gattungen, namely that of the "call narrative" _{and the} "salvation

oracle. *33 Baumgartner in his _early form-critiFal

evaluation of the _confessions had noted that, _while they

often followed the Psalm lament form, they _{were not without} modification. The confessions _could hardly be called

classic lamentations. 34 _{Bright sees Reventlow's linguistic} analysis of passages like Jer. xv 10-21 _{as unnecessarily}

forced _{in order to preserve the} form _{which is expected} if the _passage is to fit into the liturgical _context

smoothly. 35 Reventlow denies the flexibility _{of the genre} in Jeremiah. Westermann is _{closer to the} target _{when he}

states: *In Jeremiah the motif of the lament is more ... diversely developed _{than in any other prophet.} " 36

A third _objection to this _{application of the}

form-critical _approach is _{that Reventlow} fails _{to recognize}

the distinctive in the context _{of the conventional.} 37 _For(ý example, there _are numerous autobiographical details

included _{in the confessions which would not appear in a}

community _confession, and these are often corroborated by the _{narrative passages.} 38 _{In Jer. xii 6, the phrase "For} even your brothers and your own family--even they have

betrayed _you

... " is undoubtedly a reference to Jeremiah's kin _{from Anathoth which are specifically}

designated _{elsewhere as among his persecuters (cf. xi}

18-23). _{The 13, with which vs. 6 beginst indicates that} the hardships _{predicted in vs. 5 will come as a result of}

this _persecution. Reventlow interprets _{xii 5 as a reference} to the foe of the North _and, thus, _{sees vs.} 6 as a general

reference. 39 _{But even if vs.} 5 has a wider _{application, the} meaning _{of vs.} 6 seems clear _{and it} is better _{viewed as a}

mistaken _{exegesis of} the hardship _{of vs.} 5 than _{as a}

corporate reference. Jeremiah _{xv 10-21} fits _{very smoothly} into _{a personal experience. Reventlow reads it as a}

corporate expression, but it is difficult to understand _vss. 16,17 if _{they are not applied to a prophetic} individual.

Similarly, it is difficult _{to relate} the _{self-deprecation of} Jer. _{xx 14-18 to the contemporary cultural mood of}

Jeremiah's _time. Rather, this _passage (which Reventlow

leaves _{out of his} discussion) _{is more easily envisioned as} "an expression of the prophet's _{personal anguish and}

despair. "40

Berridge, in his _careful form-critical _{response to}

Reventlow, _{has pointed out} that, _while Jeremiah _{often used a} particular Gattung in its purest form, there is _always

evidence of a personal hand. 41 He cites as examples such

passages _{as Jer. xv 15-18 which} is a pure lamentation _of the individual, _{except for vs. 16 which does not fit any element} of the Gattung. Another typical _alteration is _{seen in Jer.}

i 17-19, _{which is a salvation oracle in which Jeremiah has} replaced M11 with nnn for word play, a distinctive

feature _{of the prophet. Frequently Jeremiah uses old}

terminology _{within an entirely new context or in a very}

fresh _{way (cf. xvii 14a; i7 where the typical verbs of the}

call _{narrative such as "send" and "go" are combined with the} verbs "command" _{and "speak"; or the new application of jjilr}

in xv 16 and -jnný in xvi 9). Berridge _{concludes that}

*. * it is precisely these passages, where it is _{obvious that Jeremiah} has freely _used older Gattungen, which contain the _{most - in-}

valuable evidence of the individuality _of the prophet Jeremiah. On the basis of these _and other texts in the Book of Jeremiah, _{we would}

affirm that an important key to _{an under-} standing of the _{person of} Jeremiah is _pro- vided by the prophet's repeated and diverse

confrontations with Yahweh's word, and by his consciousness of his solidarity with the

people to whom he ministered during the most critical period of Israel's history. 42

Berridge's _{emphasis on the unique within the typical in the} writings of Jeremiah as a window through which we can see

the prophet himself _{has been a valuable} balance _{to the work} of Reventlow. 43

It is _this direction _{that most of the recent}

commentators have moved, though _{many have certainly gone}

beyond _{Berridge in returning to a more traditional view of} the _{confessions as self-conscious expressions of the prophet} rather than proclamations with personal elements. Those who give careful attention to the forms have stressed that _a

genre derived from the cult or from the law does not

necessarily possess cultic or legal _{significance.} A careful

distinction _{must be made between the original meaning of the} genre and its function for prophetic utterance. Bright

returns to the view that the _{confessions were never uttered} publicly _{and that} they _{were only} included _{with other}

genuinely Jeremianic _materials through _{a long process of}

both _{oral and written transmission.} 44 _{He is again willing} to _make broad _{caricature statements about the prophet,}

assuming that the self-disclosures accurately reflect the

man. 45 Similarly, Thompson sees the confessions as

authentic _expressions of the "character of this lonely, dedicated _{servant of God. "46}

There _{have been many responses to the question} "What do the _{self-disclosures represent?} " and those _{who have espoused} less _{traditional views have done so largely on the basis of} a form-critical analysis. But where this analysis has

focused _{too closely on the typical nature of the structures,} there has been failure _{to appreciate the} flexibility _of

genre, _setting, function, and text in relationship to each other. The result has often been the unnecessary

obfuscation _of the person of Jeremiah behind _{a conjectural}

construct based more on the misapplication of a methodology than _{on sound critical} judgment. Knierim is _right in his assertion than any text represents _{a complex} matrix of

literary _{and historical} factors.

Within the _{concept of such a} historical

sociology of language, the role of form criticism would be to employ its tools heuristically. It _would have _{to ask what,} in

a given text, constituted the communication event between writer and readers, between

speaker and listener in a typical way. it would have to ask how the typical factors

were related to one another and how the typical _and the _unique interact. _0.. it means also that we are no longer stuck _with

the _{expectation of a distinct} typicality in a text _{when such a typicality may never have} been constitutive for its _existence. 47

II. _{To this point} in our discussion _{of the relation} between the historical Jeremiah _{and the Book of Jeremiah, each of}

the _{scholars mentioned} has basically _{assumed Jeremianic}

authorship of the confessions. Some, like Reventlow, would

suggest that very little can be known specifically about the prophet from his work, since the confessions do not

represent his own personal feelings, but rather _{a cultic}

liturgy. _Thus in answer _{to our second question,} "To what degree _{do the self-disclosures reveal} the historical

Jeremiah? ", _{these scholars would reply,} "We can know very little _{about his personal} life, _{though of course we can}

evaluate his theological understanding and literary

expertise on the basis of the work which came from his hand. " _{But now, we will turn} in another direction _and

interact _{with those scholars who have suggested that} little can be known about the historical Jeremiah for a completely different _{reason, namely that the text as we have} it _within our _canon does not represent the historical prophet, but

rather is a result of a very complex redactional and editorial process, which again obscures the historical

prophet from our view.

Often _{credited as one of the earliest commentators} to

question the Jeremianic authenticity of certain passages _was Bernhard Stade, _{who mentioned} in passing that he regarded

Jer. _{xx 7-18} (especially _vs. 16) as coming from _{a later} period. 48 Schmidt, in 1901, _suggested that _{only a few}

authentic laments _were interspersed among oracles which were

the work of later editors. The "I" found in passages such as Jer. _xii 1-6 was a reference to the community _{and the}

passage _{was spoken} looking back on the exile. Schmidt saw nothing in this passage which was suggestive of Jeremiah.

Furthermore, he held _{that xv 10 and xv 11-14 were glosses,}

that _{xv 15-18 was a Zion} lamentation, _{and that xv 19-21 was} addressed to the nation about to return to Palestine from

Babylon. _{Jer. xvii} 12f., 14-18 _{were of} late _origin because of their affinity to the Psalms and Proverbs. Again the

nation was the speaker. Jer. xx 7-13,14-18 were from

different _hands from _{the Persian period or later, probably} influenced _{by Job iii} 2ff. 49 _{Even with such critical}

skepticism, Schmidt was still able to say that Jeremiah's

life _{"was a long and noble martyrdom.,.} 50 _{Duhm was the first} to argue from his _newly formulated _pattern for literary

criticism based largely on metrical theory that a

considerable _amount of the Book of Jeremiah represented

expansions by Deuteronomistic redactors of the exilic _and post-exilic _periods. He limited the authentic oracles of Jeremiah _{to 280 verses} (mostly _poetry in the 3: 2 Qinah

rhythm). 51 _{His work was foundational} for _{much of} the

literary _{criticism which} followed, _{though he personally did} not question Jeremianic authenticity of most of the _self-

disclosures. _{H61scher was an interesting} figure _{at this}

point in the history _{of exegesis, since} his _{emphasis on the} ecstatic _{and visionary} phenomena of prophecy opened the door

for _{many of the psychological studies which followed, while}

his _critical judgment, _{which excluded the "confessions" from} the _{authentic Jeremianic material, added scholarly fuel to}

the flames _{of source critical skepticism.} 52 _Ewald's

influence _{is still apparent, however, as he refers to}

Jeremiah _{as a "sympathetic" and a "tender, anxious} soul. " 53

During _{the next} few decades, the _{attention of source} criticism focused only peripherally _{on the confessions,}

centering _rather in the prose _{sections of Jeremiah.}

Mowinckel _{posited three major collections of material in the} Book of Jeremiah which he designated as Types A, B, and C.

It _{was Mowinckel's view} that Type A (the _{poetic sections}

mainly found in Jer. i-xxv) _{was largely authentic material,}

while Type B (the "biographical" prose material) _{and Type C} ("the _{prose sermons") were the compositions of later editors}

54

and redactors. Scholars sections to various people historical _{periods. Many,} Mowinckel in seeing the ha School" freely _{editing the}

have _{subsequently assigned these}

or groups and to various

like Skinner, have followed

nds of the so-called "Deuteronomic

Jeremianic _{materials as the basis}

for _{the furtherance of their on-going concerns.} 55 _{H. G. May} in 1942 argued that the-work _{was that of an anonymous}

biographer _{who lived no earlier than the} first half _{of the} Sth century B. C. This "biographer" _{collected all of the}

available materials, including the oracles _{of Jeremiah,}

Jeremiah's _{memoirs, and other early materials, and combined} them with his _{own work,} including _{speeches and oracles of}

his _{own composition which he placed in Jeremiah's mouth.}

His primary _{concern in the Book was the return} from _{exile of} both _{Israel and Judah and the restoration of the Davidic}

monarchy. 56 May's work has been strongly criticized by Bright _{and others, who maintain that stylistic and}

historical _{considerations suggest that a significant portion} of the book contains _{material which was available} in written

form _{during the lifetime of Jeremiah.} 57 Eissfeldt, for example, has argued persuasively that the bulk of the

biographical _{narrative material should be assigned to}

Baruch. 58 _{More recently has come the work of Nicholson, who} holds _{that the prose tradition} is _{the deposit of preaching}

activity in Babylon after the prophet's death. 59 It _{was the} work _{of a group} of Deuteronomistic theologians _{whose desire}

was to demonstrate to the exiles that _all of Israel's blessings _{were a result of obedience and all of her}

misfortune the _{result of unfaithfulness within} the terms _of the Sinai _covenant. The Jeremianic traditions _{were a good} source for this _{preaching since} the oracles _contained both

the certain doom, which had become an historical fact _with the exile, and the possibility of repentance which provided new hope. Thiel has followed a similar line, _although he locates _{the Deuteronomistic activity in Judah after the}

deportation. _Jer. i-xxv is _{seen as a very careful redaction} of the Jeremiah tradition, _{not only} in the theological _point of view presented in the prose, but also in the _subtle

arrangement of the authentic oracles. 60 _{But even Nicholson}

and Thiel, _{who see the book as the result of a substantial} redactional _{process, continue to assume the Jeremianic}

authorship _{of the great} bulk _{of the poetic oracles.}

Nicholson boldly _{asserts concerning the confessions: "That}

they _{originated as the outpourings of [jeremiah's] own inner} struggle _{cannot seriously} be questioned. " 61

Based to a degree on precisely the kind _{of redactional}

criticism that I have been reviewing, but _moving in another direction _{in assessing the relationship between the "self-}

disclosures" _{and the historical Jeremiah, has been the work}

of Gerstenberger _{and Gunneweg.} 62 In his _{analysis of Jer. xv} 10-21, _{Gerstenberger argues that the historical events and}

prophetic _personality behind the passage _are irretrievably lost _{within the conventional forms, the biblical texts}

having _{assimilated and modified the unique details. The} passage _{as it stands reflects} the _{social and cultic} habits

and institutions _which fashioned it, _{and should} be studied in reference _{to the sociologically} definable _situation,

namely the exilic _cult. The complex _of textual _{units shows} a late _{mixture of various sources which} has been molded to express _{new and exilic views of God, prophetism, and}

63

people. The editor intended to make plain the crucial

role _which Jeremiah _played for the people, but the "I" _of the passage _represents only _{a fictitious representative of}

the nation, not the historical _prophet. 64 Gunneweg _{sees the} confessions _{as an interpretation of Jeremiah's proclamation}

and person. His is portrayed _{as the exemplary suffering of}

a righteous man--the "suffering _{messenger of a suffering}

God., 165 He asserts that little _{of a psychological nature} can be discovered concerning the prophet. Jeremiah's life must be read theologically _{as kerygma.}

It becomes _clear that this _prophet too, _about whose personal life _{scholarship considered}

itself _{so well} informed, _{remains hidden much} further behind his _{proclamation and} its interpretation _{than one previously supposed.}

But this is _{only superficially a loss. The} prophecy of Jeremiah, _{and also} its _secondary

interpretation, _contain less _{piety to} be psychologically illuminated, but in its _place

the _more kerygma to be theologically comprehended. 66

The direction in which both Gerstenberger _{and Gunneweg move} (although _{they can hardly be said to be following exactly}

the _{same course)} is toward _{viewing the authentic} Jeremianic material of the book as so thoroughly edited and utilized

for _{the special, theological purposes of the} later, _exilic community, that virtually nothing remains of the historical

prophet. In their view, exegetes should presumably _assume that _{a given pericope} is _{secondary unless there} is

compelling evidence that it can only be understood _within the _{concrete conditions of the prophet's own time.}

While _{careful attention should be given to the}

redactional history _{of each passage so far as it can be} discerned, _{Gerstenberger and Gunneweg have made broader}

assumptions _about the _{results of such criticism} than _{can be} substantiated. Against these _{assumptions, I would argue} the

following. _{First, Gerstenberger asserts that the complex} form _{of the Jeremianic material is such that we can no}