How did Jeremiah die?

During the following reign of Jehoiakim (609 - 598 BC) Jeremiah prophesied Jerusalem's doom. This is why the priests wanted to kill him (Jer. 26). In Jehoiakim's fourth year Jeremiah prophesied amidst other things the 70 years captivity of Judah in Babylon (Jer. 25:11-12; 36:1; 45:1). During this time the Babylonians under Nebuchadrezzar defeated the Egyptian Empire in the battle of Carchemish (606 BC). Following this Jerusalem was besieged and a part of the inhabitants were brought to Babylon (which was the first deportation to Babylon in 605 BC). Jeremiah now got the task of God to write down all his hitherto existing prophecies into a book. He did this with the help of his secretary Baruch (Jer. 36:1-4). When Baruch had read out these words in the temple king Jehoiakim in fury cut the roll and burnt it (Jer. 36:20-26). Then God had Jeremiah rewrite it all again and Jeremiah added "besides unto them many like words" (chap. 36:27-32).

The next king, Jehoiachin or Jeconiah, only reigned for three months and was brought to Babylon in 597 BC (the second deportation). His successor was Zedekiah, the third son of Josiah (597 - 586 BC). Jeremiah gave Zedekiah the advice not to rely on Egypt while opposing to Babylon (Jer. 37:6ff) but to subject to the king of Babylon (chap. 27:12-22). When Jeremiah intended to go to the land of Benjamin he was captured and cast into the dungeon (Jer. 37:11 - 38:6). When finally the Babylonians took Jerusalem Jeremiah was freed out of prison. He was given the choice to either go to Babylon or to remain in the land (for the king Nebuchadrezzar had given charge concerning him). When Gedaliah (who was appointed governor by the king's command) was murdered the Jews flew for fear of the Babylonians' vengeance to Egypt (although Jeremiah had warned them not to do so) and forced Jeremiah and Baruch to go with them (Jer. 41 - 43). This is were Jeremiah continued his prophetical service in the city of Tahpanhes (Jer. 43:8 - 44:30) and this is where he shall have been stoned to death according to tradition five years after Jerusalem's destruction. The Bible remains silent regarding the death of this great prophet who lived and served in the last forty years of the kingdom of Judah.

His lot was one of great solitude; he was divinely commanded to remain unmarried (16:2). He was forbidden to enter the house of joy and feasting (16:8). Reproach and derision were his daily portion (20:8). He was betrayed by his own kindred (12:6), and his fellow citizens at Anathoth wanted to kill him (11:21). Then, in the first part of his book, we read of the inner struggles he had, the spiritual conflict, when everybody was against him. In the bitterness of his spirit he spoke of himself as "a man of contention to the whole earth" (15:10). He even doubted whether his whole work was not a delusion and a lie (20:7), and like Job he cursed the day of his birth (20:14). When the Chaldeans came to the front and Jeremiah heard from the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar was called as His servant to receive the dominion from His hands (27:6), Jeremiah urged submission. This stamped him as a traitor. False prophets appeared who contradicted him with their false messages; he committed his cause to the Lord. On one occasion when the temple courts were filled with thousands of worshippers, he appeared and uttered the message that Jerusalem would be a curse, that the temple should share the fate of the tabernacle at Shiloh (26:6). Then the great conflict began. The priests, the false prophets and the people demanded his death (26:8). The Lord graciously protected him through chosen instruments. Still greater were his sufferings under Zedekiah. His struggles with the false prophets continued; they called him a madman (29:26), and urged his imprisonment. He then appeared in the streets of Jerusalem with bonds and yokes upon his neck (27:2), showing the coming fate of Judah. A false prophet broke the offensive symbol and gave a lying message that the Chaldeans should be destroyed within two years. Then the Egyptian army approached, and the Chaldeans hastened away; it created a dangerous condition for Jeremiah. He sought to escape to his home town Anathoth; it was discovered, and he was charged with falling to the Chaldeans as others did (37:14). In spite of his denial, he was thrown into a dungeon. Later he was thrown into the prison pit by the princes to die there. From that horrible fate he was again mercifully delivered. When the city fell, Nebuchadnezzar protected his person (39:11), and after being carried away with other captives as far as Ramah, he set him free. It was left to him whether he would go to Babylon to live under the special protection of the king, or remain in the land with the governor Gedaliah. He chose the latter. But Gedaliah was murdered by Ishmael and his associates. Then the people forced him to emigrate with them to Egypt. The last glimpse of the prophet's life we have of him is in Tahpanhes, uttering there a final protest and a great message. Nothing is known of the details of his death.

Jeremiah prophesied in Jerusalem and Judah during the 41 year period from 629 to 588 BC. The word came to him “in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign ... also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah . . . until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive.” After the final deportation, he continued his service in relative obscurity among the poor of the country whom Nebuchadnezzar had left. Subsequently he followed into Egypt the remnant of the people who took refuge in that country. Very probably he died there after having given his last known prophecy (Jer. 44).

Jer. 40 — Jer. 45. These chapters give the history of the remnant left in the land under Gedaliah, Jeremiah being with them. Gedaliah was murdered by Ishmael, sent by the king of the Ammonites, and the people were carried away. They were however rescued by Johanan, and Jeremiah was requested to inquire of God for them, the people promising obedience. God bade them abide in the land; but they, refusing to obey, went into Egypt, carrying Jeremiah with them. There they persistently practised idolatry, though warned by Jeremiah. The end of Jeremiah is not recorded.

Son of Hilkiah, priest of Anathoth: the writer of the Book of Jeremiah. His history is contained in his prophecy. He was carried to Egypt by the rebellious Jews and his end is not recorded. 2 Chr. 35:25; 2 Chr. 36:12, 21, 22; Ezra 1:1; Jer. 1 — Jer. 51.

Now as to his end: Scripture (historically) is silent. 2 Chron. 36:6 states that Nebuchadnezzar "bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon." It does not say he was taken there. He may have been released after promising subjection to his conqueror. But even if it could be proven that he was actually carried to Babylon, it would in no wise contradict what is recorded in 2 Kings 24:6 ("So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers"); for he might easily have returned to Jerusalem, as other Jewish captives at a later date did. And though there is no historical record in Scripture concerning his death, this is nothing to show that the prophecies of Jeremiah concerning his end were not fulfilled to the letter. We do not really need the history of it, for prophecy in Scripture is only pre-written history — its advance sheets, we might say. It is enough to know what God had foretold concerning it; the fulfilment is certain. Josephus states that Nebuchadnezzar finally came and slew Jehoiakim, "whom he commanded to be thrown before the walls, without any burial" (Ant. x. 6 § 4). "So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers" simply expresses his death; it is a distinct expression in Scripture from "buried with his fathers," as a comparison of 2 Kings 15:38 and 16:20 will readily show. So the king who denied the prophet's body honorable burial was himself "buried with the burial of an ass." He mutilated and burnt God's book; and his body was in turn "drawn" (torn) and burnt unburied in the scorching sun.

When Zedekiah was taken captive and Judah made tributary, Jeremiah was allowed to remain in the land, as were others, under the authority of Gedaliah. But further disobedience of the remaining people led to further trouble. Jeremiah continued to prophesy, but his words were refused even by the preserved remnant. His last chapter is strictly history, but such as proves the truth of his prophecies.

When Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem, he left some Jews in the land under Gedaliah the Governor; but Gedaliah being slain, they fled into Egypt, taking Jeremiah with them, to Tahpanhes. Jer. 43:5-7. He there uttered prophesies against Egypt, Isa. 43 and Isa. 44. The series of prophecies give an approximate date for the devastation of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar. In taking Tyre he had no wages (they carried away their treasures in ships) and he should have Egypt as his reward. Tyre was taken in B.C. 572, and Nebuchadnezzar died B.C. 562, leaving a margin of ten years. Ezek. 29:17-20.

Chapters 40 to 45 are embraced in this third section of the book, and they give the history of the remnant which was left after the destruction of Jerusalem, also Jeremiah’s words to them in the land and in Egypt, where we last hear of them and the prophet. A special word is given to Baruch in Jeremiah 45. These six chapters naturally subdivide into three twos. The first two giving us the story of the remnant and Gedaliah in the land; the second two that of the remnant with Johanan and their going down to Egypt; the third two give the words of Jeremiah concerning the Jews and Baruch.

There is a peculiar interest attaching to this short history, for the story of this remnant stands out as a complete contrast to that of the remnant which was at Babylon. These go down into Egypt, contrary to the word of the Lord, to be consumed by sword and famine and pestilence: those at Babylon have peace and prosperity and plenty provisionally promised to them. These carry Jeremiah with them into Egypt though he pronounces their doom: the others have Ezekiel and Daniel with them at Babylon, where the latter prevails in prayer with God for their deliverance and restoration. God at the beginning redeemed the people out of Egypt, but Babylon became the place of their captivity when they had backslidden from the Lord. To return to Egypt therefore was fatal, but from Babylon there was deliverance.

It is plain that, as Jeremiah 44 gives us the last direct account of the life of Jeremiah, chapter 45 furnishes the latest notice of his friend and scribe Baruch, though in point of fact the message here inserted was delivered some twenty years before the scene immediately before described in the land of Egypt.