THE CALL OF JEREMIAH by DAVID TUDOR ... - David T Williams

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40:1-8. This is exceptional but certainly from this viewpoint there is no
question of the unity of Jeremiah 1:4-10. This does not however
support the originality of the entire experience as the essence of the
form-critical approach is usually that the passages in question are
composed from a similar literary pattern rather than a similar
experience.
Whether the call concluded at Jeremiah 1:10, 12, 16 (cf "a second
time" (Jr 1:13)) or 19 is not vitally important to this investigation. There
is little question raised about its authenticity (cf section 1.5.3.1).
Similarly there is little textual difficulty, what there is being minor (cf the
omission of "iron pillar" (Jr 1:18) from LXX).
1.5.6.2 The confessions. A number of passages in the book are
traditionally given this name, although perhaps "laments" and
"dialogues" would be a more apt description. These are usually
delineated as Jeremiah 11:18-23, 12:1-6, 15:10-12, 15-21 (Jr 15:13-14
is probably inserted from Jr 17:3-4; it does not fit the context here),
17:14-18, 18:18-23, 20:7-18 with some slight variation among
commentators. These take the form of complaints to God, sometimes
with a divine response. Of similar form may be included Jeremiah
4:19-22, 5:3-5, 8:18- 9:1. The adjacent text sometimes suggests an
occasion for the complaint, thus Jeremiah 11:18-12:6 may be taken as
one dialogue associated with the prophet's rejection by his kindred at
Anathoth, Jeremiah 18:18f in response to the plot on his life, and