DESCRIPTION

Jeremiah has long been considered one of the most intriguing of the ancient Israelite prophets. From his boyhood call to prophecy in 627 B.C.E., which he tried to refuse, to his scathing judgments against the sins and hypocrisy of the people of Israel, Jeremiah's life was full of both incident and emotion. He saw his fellow Israelites abandon their one true God, and witnessed, as a result, their tragic fall to the Babylonians.

The first book of a two-volume set, Jack R. Lundbom's eagerly awaited commentary investigates the opening twenty chapters of the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah. With his considerable skill and erudition, Lundbom leads modern readers through this prophet's often mysterious oracles, judgments, and visions. Lundbom quickly dispelIs the notion that the life and words of a seventh century B.C.E. Israelite prophet have no relevance for the contemporary reader. He amply demonstrates that Jeremiah was every bit as concerned as we are with issues like environmental pollution, terrorism, hypocrisy, and social justice. This impressive work of scholarship, essential to any biblical studies curriculum, replaces John Bright's 1965 Anchor Bible Commentary on Jeremiah. "Jeremiah 1-20" greatly furthers our understanding of this prophet and the Old Testament as well.