Lexical Summary
Yirmeyah or Yirmeyahu: Jeremiah
Original Word:יִרְמְיָה
Part of Speech:Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration:Yirmyah
Pronunciation:yeer-meh-YAH or yeer-meh-YAH-hoo
Phonetic Spelling:(yir-meh-yaw')
KJV: Jeremiah
NASB:Jeremiah, Jeremiah's
Word Origin:[fromH7311 (רוּם - exalted) andH3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]
1. Jah will rise
2. Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine Israelites
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Jeremiah
Or Yirmyahuw {yir-meh-yaw'-hoo}; fromruwm andYahh; Jah will rise; Jirmejah, the name of eight or nine Israelites -- Jeremiah.
see HEBREWruwm
see HEBREWYahh
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
remiyyah and from
YahDefinition"Yah loosens," the name of a number of Isr.
NASB TranslationJeremiah (146), Jeremiah's (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
147 (?
looseneth, that is, the womb ? compare Assyrian
s±a kirimmas±a rummû, whose womb is loosened Dl
HWB 623); —
136 prophet, son of Hilkiah, of priestly family in 'Anathôth:Jeremiah 1:1,11;Jeremiah 29:27;Jeremiah 36:1,4 (twice in verse) + 116 t. Jeremiah, + 2Chronicles 35:25; 36:12,21,22 (Jeremiah 21:2 + often); -Jeremiah 27:1;Jeremiah 28:5,6,10,11,12,15;Jeremiah 29:1;Ezra 1:1;Daniel 9:2;
, of Libnah, father of Josiah's wife,2 Kings 23:31;2 Kings 24:18 =Jeremiah 52:1, .
- Gadite, David's time1 Chronicles 12:13, ,L . The following all -, (), (), etc.:
1 Chronicles 5:24.
1 Chronicles 12:4.
1 Chronicles 12:10.
Nehemiah 12:1,2.
Nehemiah 10:3, perhaps=Nehemiah 12:34.
Topical Lexicon
Occurrences and General UsageThe personal name יִרְמְיָה (Yirmeyah) appears about one hundred forty-seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures. Most occurrences designate Jeremiah the prophet of Anathoth, while a small cluster identifies lesser-known priests, Levites, warriors, or post-exilic returnees (for example,1 Chronicles 5:24;Nehemiah 10:2). The frequency of the name in narrative, prophetic, and genealogical contexts underscores both the prominence of the major prophet and the broad acceptance of the name within Israelite society.
Jeremiah the Prophet: Life and Ministry
1. Call and Commission
Jeremiah’s prophetic vocation is dated to the thirteenth year of King Josiah (Jeremiah 1:2). His call underscores God’s sovereignty over the prophet’s life from conception: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). The commissioning statement, “See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and plant” (Jeremiah 1:10), defines the dual rhythm of judgment and restoration that characterizes his entire ministry.
2. Historical Setting
Jeremiah prophesied during the waning days of Judah, spanning the reigns of Josiah, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, and continuing into the early exile (Jeremiah 1:3). He witnessed the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., an event he had repeatedly forewarned (Jeremiah 39). His messages intersect with key geopolitical shifts: the decline of Assyria, the rise of Babylon, Egyptian entanglements, and the Babylonian deportations.
3. Message of Covenant Faithfulness
Jeremiah relentlessly called Judah back to covenant fidelity, exposing idolatry (Jeremiah 2:11-13), social injustice (Jeremiah 7:5-11), and empty ritual (Jeremiah 6:20). His symbolic acts—such as the ruined loincloth (Jeremiah 13) and the purchased field (Jeremiah 32)—dramatize the word of the Lord and embody both impending judgment and eventual hope.
4. Suffering Prophet
Nicknamed the “weeping prophet,” Jeremiah often laments the hardness of his audience and the severity of the coming calamity (Jeremiah 9:1; 20:14-18). Persecutions include beating and public stocks (Jeremiah 20:2-3), imprisonment (Jeremiah 37:15), and suspension in a cistern (Jeremiah 38:6). His personal grief foreshadows the Man of Sorrows yet displays unwavering obedience.
5. New Covenant Promise
Amid oracles of destruction,Jeremiah 31:31-34 announces a new covenant in which God’s law is internalized: “I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33).Hebrews 8 cites this passage to explain the superiority of Christ’s priestly ministry, showing Jeremiah’s enduring theological significance.
6. Final Years and Legacy
After Jerusalem’s fall, the Babylonians treated Jeremiah favorably (Jeremiah 40:1-6). Against his counsel, a remnant fled to Egypt, taking him with them (Jeremiah 43:6-7). Tradition places his death there. His prophetic writings influenced Daniel (Daniel 9:2) and shaped post-exilic hope.
Jeremiah as Author and Contributor to Scripture
Jeremiah is credited with the Book bearing his name and, according to ancient testimony, Lamentations. He dictated portions to Baruch (Jeremiah 36:4). The prose and poetic sections, court narratives, oracles against the nations (Jeremiah 46-51), and autobiographical “confessions” provide a multifaceted record of prophetic ministry. His literary legacy bridges Deuteronomistic history and post-exilic theology.
Theological Themes
• Sovereignty of God over nations (Jeremiah 18:1-10)
• Inviolability of true faith versus temple ritualism (Jeremiah 7)
• Divine judgment as righteous yet redemptive (Jeremiah 24)
• Hope centered on a righteous Branch, “The LORD Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:15-16)
• New covenant regeneration (Jeremiah 31)
Other Bearers of the Name Yirmeyah
1. A Benjamite warrior who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:4).
2. A priest in Jehoiarib’s division during King David’s organization of temple service (1 Chronicles 24:17).
3. Chiefs among the Trans-Jordanian Manassites (1 Chronicles 5:24).
4. Post-exilic signatories to Nehemiah’s covenant renewal (Nehemiah 10:2;Nehemiah 12:1).
5. Fathers of certain exiles listed inEzra 1:1-9 andEzra 10:31-32.
These lesser-known figures reinforce the commonality of the name and its association with priestly or leadership roles.
Typology and Messianic Foreshadowing
Jeremiah’s role as a suffering, rejected prophet points ahead to Jesus Christ, who likewise wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41) and proclaimed a new covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20). The title “Righteous Branch” resonates with Messianic kingship fulfilled in Christ (Jeremiah 23:5-6).
Jeremiah in Later Biblical Reflection
• Daniel interpreted the seventy-year exile through Jeremiah’s writings (Daniel 9:2), affirming prophetic reliability.
•Matthew 27:9 references Jeremiah in connection with thirty pieces of silver, illustrating trajectories from his prophecies to Gospel fulfillment.
• New Testament quotations of the new covenant (Hebrews 8:8-12;Hebrews 10:16-17) demonstrate Jeremiah’s formative influence on Apostolic doctrine.
Conclusion
The name יִרְמְיָה threads through Scripture most prominently in the life and writings of Jeremiah the prophet, whose faithful proclamation, personal suffering, and Spirit-inspired message converge to reveal a God who judges sin yet ultimately restores His people through a new covenant.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּיִרְמְיָ֔הוּ בְּיִרְמְיָ֖הוּ בירמיהו וְיִרְמְיָ֑הוּ וְיִרְמְיָ֕הוּ וְיִרְמְיָ֜הוּ וְיִרְמְיָ֣הוּ וְיִרְמְיָ֤ה וְיִרְמְיָ֨ה וְיִרְמְיָֽה׃ וירמיה וירמיה׃ וירמיהו יִרְמְיָ֑ה יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ יִרְמְיָ֔ה יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ יִרְמְיָ֖ה יִרְמְיָ֖הוּ יִרְמְיָ֗הוּ יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ יִרְמְיָ֛הוּ יִרְמְיָ֜הוּ יִרְמְיָ֣ה יִרְמְיָ֣הוּ יִרְמְיָ֤הוּ יִרְמְיָ֥ה יִרְמְיָ֥הוּ יִרְמְיָ֧ה יִרְמְיָ֧הוּ יִרְמְיָֽה׃ יִרְמְיָֽהוּ׃ יִרְמְיָהוּ֮ יִרְמִיָ֣ה ירמיה ירמיה׃ ירמיהו ירמיהו׃ לְיִרְמְיָ֑הוּ לְיִרְמְיָ֖ה לְיִרְמְיָ֣הוּ לירמיה לירמיהו bə·yir·mə·yā·hū beyirmeYahu bəyirməyāhū lə·yir·mə·yā·hū lə·yir·mə·yāh leyirmeYah ləyirməyāh leyirmeYahu ləyirməyāhū veyirmeYah veyirmeYahu wə·yir·mə·yā·hū wə·yir·mə·yāh wəyirməyāh wəyirməyāhū yir·mə·yā·hū yir·mə·yāh yir·mi·yāh yirmeYah yirməyāh yirmeYahu yirməyāhū yirmiYah yirmiyāh
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