words (pl.) to Jeremiah is not found outside these verses. In particular, Jeremiah is never said to ‘hear’ God’s words.36 It is always the ‘word’ of the LORD, singular, that comes to Jeremiah. We shall explore the implications of this presently. Secondly, the book of Jeremiah is not a work of systematic theology; its use of language is fluid, reflecting the span of years over which it was written and the range of genres by which its message is conveyed. The aim of the following analysis is not to
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