of God is an idea that may be clear to anybody, whether or not they are disposed to receive the word when it comes. In short, the word, when singular, is a message that comes from God and is received by humans (Jeremiah, for the most part). When this message is spoken by humans—as we shall see—it is generally described as words, plural. Interestingly, the three occasions on which the word (sg.) is attached to Jeremiah rather than to the LORD44 are all moments when Jeremiah’s special status as the
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