Who Wrote Jeremiah?
Quick Summary
The book of Jeremiah is rooted in the prophetic ministry of the prophet Jeremiah but was shaped through a complex process of dictation, scribal transmission, editing, and preservation. The text itself names both Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch, and modern scholarship recognizes the book as a prophetic collection that grew over time. Jeremiah stands as a clear example of how Scripture can be historically layered and yet faithfully convey God’s word.
Introduction
Jeremiah is one of the most personal and emotionally raw books in the Bible. The prophet speaks of fear, isolation, resistance, grief, and hope, often narrating his own inner turmoil alongside his public message. Unlike many prophetic books, Jeremiah frequently tells the story of how prophecy itself was written, preserved, rejected, destroyed, and rewritten.
Because of this transparency, Jeremiah offers one of the clearest windows into how biblical books came to be. The question of authorship is not hidden behind tradition alone. It is addressed directly by the text and reflected in its structure, language, and history.
Jeremiah the Prophet as the Primary Voice
The book repeatedly identifies Jeremiah son of Hilkiah as the prophet whose words anchor the collection (Jeremiah 1:1–2). His call narrative establishes both the authority and scope of his ministry, locating it historically during the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah.
Many of the book’s poetic oracles, laments, and confessions are widely understood by scholars to preserve Jeremiah’s own voice. Walter Brueggemann notes that the prophetic poems bear a consistent theological tension between judgment and hope that reflects a single, sustained prophetic imagination rather than later invention.
Jeremiah’s repeated use of first-person speech, especially in the so-called confessions (Jeremiah 11; 15; 17; 20), strengthens the case that these sections preserve the prophet’s own words, even as they were later shaped for inclusion in a larger book.
Baruch the Scribe and the Writing of Jeremiah
Jeremiah does not present prophecy as spontaneous speech alone. Instead, it explicitly names Baruch son of Neriah as the scribe who recorded Jeremiah’s words. Jeremiah 36 describes Jeremiah dictating his prophecies to Baruch, who then writes them on a scroll.
This chapter is one of the most important texts in the Bible for understanding authorship. When King Jehoiakim burns the scroll, Jeremiah dictates the words again, adding further material (Jeremiah 36:32). John J. Collins highlights this passage as decisive evidence that prophetic books could develop through multiple stages of composition while remaining authoritative.
Baruch’s role explains both continuity and variation within the book. His scribal activity likely included organizing oracles, adding narrative transitions, and preserving historical context alongside prophetic speech.
Editing, Expansion, and the Shape of the Book
Jeremiah is notably uneven in structure. Oracles appear out of chronological order, prose narratives interrupt poetry, and repeated material appears in different forms. These features have long been recognized by scholars as signs of editorial shaping.
Brevard Childs argues that the final form of Jeremiah reflects intentional theological arrangement rather than careless compilation. The editors were not merely preserving history but interpreting it, arranging Jeremiah’s words to speak to later generations facing exile and loss.
This process does not diminish Jeremiah’s authorship. Instead, it situates him as the originating prophetic authority whose words were preserved, reapplied, and expanded as Israel’s situation changed.
The Hebrew and Greek Versions of Jeremiah
One of the strongest pieces of evidence for Jeremiah’s complex formation is the existence of two significantly different ancient versions. The Greek Septuagint version of Jeremiah is shorter and ordered differently than the Hebrew Masoretic Text.
Most scholars agree that the Greek reflects an earlier stage of the book’s development, while the Hebrew represents a later expanded edition. Emanuel Tov has shown that the Dead Sea Scrolls contain manuscripts supporting both textual traditions, confirming that multiple versions circulated within faithful Jewish communities.
This textual diversity reinforces the idea that Jeremiah’s message was preserved through a living tradition rather than frozen at a single moment.
Inspiration and Scribal Process
For many readers, the idea of scribes and editors raises questions about inspiration. Jeremiah itself offers a response. The book openly depicts God’s word being written, destroyed, rewritten, and enlarged, yet never treated as invalid or compromised.
The authority of Jeremiah does not rest on mechanical dictation but on God’s faithfulness to preserve his word through human means. As Childs observes, Scripture’s power lies not in denying its history but in how God works through that history.
Jeremiah demonstrates that inspiration is compatible with process, memory, revision, and community discernment.
Conclusion
The book of Jeremiah was authored through the prophetic voice of Jeremiah, the scribal work of Baruch, and the faithful preservation and shaping of later editors. It is both deeply personal and profoundly communal, bearing witness to a God who speaks into history rather than outside it.
Jeremiah teaches readers not only what God says but how God’s word endures, even when rejected, burned, or ignored.
FAQ
Did Jeremiah write the entire book himself?
Jeremiah is the primary prophetic voice, but the book itself names Baruch as his scribe and reflects later editorial shaping.
Why are there two versions of Jeremiah?
The Hebrew and Greek versions reflect different stages in the book’s development, both preserved within the Jewish textual tradition.
Does multiple authorship weaken inspiration?
No. Jeremiah shows that God’s word can be faithfully transmitted through prophetic speech, scribal writing, and editorial preservation.
