Which Came First?
Sidebar to: “Thus Far the Words of Jeremiah”
The relationship between the Book of Kings and the Book of Jeremiah is complex. In the accompanying article, author Steve Delamarter argues that 2 Kings 24–25 is the main source for the last chapter of Jeremiah (chapter 52). The parallels between Jeremiah 52 and 2 Kings 24–25 are striking indeed. As shown in the left and center columns, the two texts are the same—virtually word for word—until just after Jeremiah 52:27 and 2 Kings 25:21, where there is a break. After describing the Exile of Judah, Jeremiah reports on the number of exiles; Kings, however, describes the appointment of Gedaliah as governor. (The parallel stories pick up again with Jeremiah 52:31 and 2 Kings 25:27.) The flow of the text in Jeremiah seems more natural: Does that mean it’s more original in this instance? Further, Delamarter notes, Jeremiah 40–41 may also have been a source for certain passages in 2 Kings 25. Key phrases (in italics in the right column) may have been lifted from Jeremiah to create the abbreviated version found in Kings.
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