An Analysis of Jeremiah 22:13-19 and 31:1-14
To begin our analysis of the text, it’s worth noting that in Jeremiah 22:13-19, the only one speaking is Yahweh the God of Israel. Since the passage begins with, “Thus says the Lord,” Yahweh speaks as if He were having a direct conversation with His listeners (i.e. in the first person), which tells us that this text is meant to be the dictated words of Yahweh Himself, not simply Jeremiah’s interpretation thereof. The tone of these words also characterizes Yahweh as very harsh and fearsome, thus standing in great contrast to 31:1-14. Like the former text, this passage also has Yahweh speaking in the first person, however it characterizes Him as compassionate and loving, emphasizing His mercy rather than His dread judgment. The reason for the big difference between the texts is that, whereas the former is an oracle of judgment, specifically a dirge, the latter is an oracle of salvation and assurance.
In order to further highlight their respective messages, both of these texts employ repetition. In 22:13-19, an oft repeated sentiment is that God judges His people because of their iniquity. The Lord begins and ends His condemnation of Shallum the son of Josiah by speaking of his wickedness: “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice” (22:13), “You have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence” (22:17). The Lord then contrasts this man with his father who did practice “justice and righteousness” (22:15). Because of his virtue, “it was well” with Shallum’s father (22:15-16), however because Shallum isn’t like his father, the subtext is that things won’t be well with him. Another repeated idea is that, for being unfaithful, God’s kings will die in exile. Of Shallum it’s said, “[the Babylonians] have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again” (22:12), and something similar is said of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah: “With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried, dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem” (22:19). Concerning Jehoiakim, it’s further repeated (several times) that nobody will lament his death (22:18), presumably because of his wickedness as well.
On the other hand, in 31:1-14, repetition is used to highlight the passage’s very positive message. Over and over again God says how He’s going to restore Israel and Judah to her former glory, making her a unified nation once again: “Again I will build you, and you shall be built… Again you shall adorn yourself… Again you shall plant vineyards” (31:4-5). The Lord will “bring [Israelites] back from the north country” (31:8), “He who scattered Israel will gather him” (31:10), and because of this, it’s repeated how much God’s people will rejoice. The people are enjoined to “sing aloud with gladness” and “give praise” (31:7), for “with weeping they shall come” (31:9),” but God will make sure that “they languish no more” (31:12). The Lord then reiterates this promise: “I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow… [indeed] my people shall be satisfied with my goodness” (31:13-14). Once again, this repetition is used to emphasize God’s mercy and salvation as opposed to judgment (cf. 31:9).
Furthermore, both texts also use similes and metaphors to draw attention to their main themes. In the first passage, the Lord metaphorically describes the unjust establishment of Shallum’s rule as the “building [of] a house by unrighteousness” (22:13). He then judges Shallum with this imagery in 22:15, “Do you think you are a king because you compete in cedar?” The point being, just because Shallum can outwardly appear like a king, having all of the external facets of royalty, he’s not a true king because he only rules through oppression and violence (22:16-17). Similarly, Jehoiakim is condemned by being given “the burial of a donkey” (22:19), which metaphorically shows him to be an animal who’s not worthy of human dignity. When it comes to the second passage, a much more positive oracle, simile is used to show that the Lord will keep Israel just “as a shepherd keeps his flock” (31:10), and that this salvation will be so good, the Israelites’ “life shall be like a watered garden” (31:12).
The way both texts utilize personification also serves their corresponding purposes. In the first passage, both of the kings being spoken of are the personifications of Judah. Shallum and Jehoiakim were both unfaithful and wicked kings, and so their punishment was to be taken into exile and left to die (22:12, 19). This was the very penalty that God prescribed for the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 28:25-44, and indeed, one of Jeremiah’s main theses is that this curse is coming upon the Judahites because they’ve broken Yahweh’s covenant. Unsurprisingly, the second passage puts a more positive spin on this literary device. Rather than being unfaithful to her divine Husband, Jeremiah 31:4 declares that Israel is a “virgin” bride who should rejoice with song and dance. Likewise, rather than being the harsh Master who must punish His slave, Yahweh is personified as “the father” of Israel (31:9), the great “shepherd” who tends to and keeps His flock (31:10).
There aren’t many other poetic devices used in these passages, however a few are worthy of note. As was alluded to above, 22:13-17 seems to have an inclusio. It begins with a condemnation of Shallum for spreading “unrighteousness” and “injustice” (22:13), and then ends by condemning him again for practicing “oppression and violence” (22:17). It’s also framed by two, “Thus says the Lord,” statements (22:11, 18). As for the second passage, although it may be tenuous, I believe that 31:1-14 is a chiasm. The first section is vv. 1-3, which speaks about how “my people” will be loved with “everlasting love,” and this corresponds to v. 14, which likewise says that “my people” will be “satisfied with my goodness.” The next section is more obvious, v. 4 says that the “virgin Israel” will “dance” and be “merry,” and v. 13 says that “the virgin” shall “rejoice in the dance.” In v. 5 there are numerous references to “plants” being “planted” in a “vineyard,” and v. 12c shows us the harvest of this vineyard, “the grain, the wine, and the oil,” and a “watered garden” is mentioned. The connections just keep adding up after this. Both vv. 6 and 12b mention Mount Zion; vv. 7a and 12a mention singing; vv. 7b and 11 speak of God “saving” or “redeeming” His people Jacob or Israel; vv. 8 and 10 speak of “the nations” or “the north country,” and “the coasts” or “the isles”; and it all centers around v. 9, which declares God to be Israel’s merciful father who accepts her repentance, once again showing this to be the passage’s main emphasis.
Moreover, like many biblical books, one of the devices that Jeremiah utilizes the most is intertextual links. In the first passage, Shallum building his house by unrighteousness in 22:13 is echoed very strongly in Micah 3:9-10, which documents how the rulers of Israel have “buil[t] Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity.” The fact that Micah addressed Israel in the days of king Hezekiah (Mic. 1:1), who came many years before Josiah and his sons, shows that this had been a long-standing problem in the nation. Another possible allusion we see is in Jeremiah 22:14, where Shallum is condemned because, while he neglects the poor (cf. 22:16), his house is “paneled” with expensive cedar. This is very reminiscent of Haggai 1:4’s convicting statement, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”
With respect to the second passage, there’s a major parallel between Jeremiah 31:5 and Amos 9:14. They both speak of Israel’s restoration in terms of planting a “vineyard,” and the people coming to enjoy its “fruits”; and as was shown above, the former chiastically corresponds to Jeremiah 31:12, which speaks of the Israelites enjoying “wine,” and this correlates with Amos 9:14’s prophecy that God’s people will “drink their wine.” Another example is Jeremiah 31:7, where there’s a reference to the iconic “remnant of Israel,” which is featured very prominently in Isaiah 10:10-22; in both instances, this is the remnant that returns from exile and reunites with Judah. There’s also Jeremiah 31:9 that speaks of God as Israel’s “father.” While this is possibly a reference to Exodus 4:22, it could also be pointing to Isaiah 63:16, “you, O Lord, are our Father.” And of course, Yahweh being “the shepherd” of Israel in Jeremiah 31:10 reminds us of Ezekiel 34:15, which itself is a clear quotation of Psalm 23:1-2, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Unlike Isaiah, whose context seems to precede Jeremiah’s (Is. 1:1), Ezekiel was also writing for an audience that was in Babylonian captivity (Ezek. 1:1), which could explain their similar language and hopes.
Finally, although we’ve been touching on this throughout the essay, the last consideration for both of these passages is their respective theological messages. In the first passage, the message revolves around God’s just judgment of sinners. As was stated above, God promised Israel at Mount Horeb that any violation of His covenant would result in death and exile, and Jeremiah 22:12 and 22:19 show just that happening to Judah’s kings. The language of judgment demonstrates what true kingship is all about, and why Shallum and Jehoiakim didn’t live up to it. Royalty is not about building a “great house with spacious upper rooms,” “paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion” (22:14); you’re not really a king because of these outward appearances (22:15). Instead, true kingship was exercised by men like Josiah, who practiced “justice and righteousness,” and “judged the cause of the poor and needy” (22:15-16). Because Judah’s kings didn’t act like kings, but instead practiced “oppression and violence” like animals (22:17), they won’t be treated like kings. Instead of receiving a royal burial, with people lamenting, “Ah, his majesty!,” the wicked will receive “the burial of a donkey” (22:19). The main theological takeaway is that if you act like an animal, you’ll be judged like one, even if you claim to be king.
As for the second passage, its theological message is much less bleak. I showed above how the entirety of 31:1-14 forms a chiasm, and the center of this chiasm is v. 9, “With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” This is the passage’s thesis. Although Israel is indeed guilty of many sins, God is a merciful Father who loves His people “with an everlasting love,” and so while His bride has been faithless, “I have continued [in] my faithfulness to you” (31:3). And what does this faithfulness consist of? It’s His promise to bring Israel back from exile, reunite her with Judah, and make her an everlasting light to the nations (31:7, 10), just as God promised Abraham and David. The Lord’s redemption of Jacob is the good news that will be proclaimed to the ends of the earth; this will cause “mourning [to turn] into joy” (31:13), this is why “my people shall be satisfied with my goodness” (31:14), because this is what “salvation” is truly about: The eschatological unity of God’s people.