Jeremiah's Broken-Hearted Prophecy

Part of the function of the Prophets within the shape of the Hebrew Bible is to provide commentary on the history of Israel's relationship with the Lord.

After the prophetic history of Genesis-Kings, Dempster notes, "the prophetic commentary adds a new dimension to the story of Israel" (Dominion and Dynasty, 162).

The storyline has advanced in a straightforward manner, but now a pause provides perspective. The audience reading the Text has read about the historical accounts of God's relationship with Israel and its ups and downs, but now it gets a glimpse into the inner heart of God to experience his 'emotional' life as revealed through the voice of the prophet.

In the prophets God bares his heart, and it is often a broken one. (162)

In this regard, consider Dempster's translation of Jer 2:10-13:

Look! Travel to the remote places of Kittim and Kedar and pay attention! Has there ever been anything like this! Has a nation ever exchanged its God for mere idols?

My people have! They have sold their treasure for nothing.

Heavens, look on in shock! Shudder! Be horrified! My people have committed two crimes: me they have forsaken, the fountain of living waters. And they have dug for themselves cisterns--leaky cisterns at that. (162).